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HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE turned out for protests against special needs cuts in Ireland this evening.
The protests took place to highlight a 10 per cent cut to Special Needs Assistant support which parents say will be evident in the coming school year this September. Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn rowed back on cuts yesterday to resource teaching hours for pupils with special educational needs.
He said he planned to implement measures “to retain the level of resource teachers available to students with special educational needs at the 2012/13 levels” and 500 additional teaching posts would be released to schools in September.
However, Fianna Fáíl raised a motion in the Dáil last night regarding the ongoing SNA issue and the protest outside Leinster House was organised by the Special Needs Parents Association (SNPA).
Fianna Fáil Deputy Micheál Martin spoke to parents, SNAs and members of disability rights groups but a small number of people in the crowd shouted ‘Shame on you!’
Ogra Fianna Fáil, who were also present at the protest, said that there were “political reasons” behind the shouts.
http://youtu.be/hCzGXpNHFao
(Dublin Says No/YouTube)
Protests also took place in Cork, where teachers, parents, children and other participants met at Patrick’s Bridge in the city centre, and in Eyre Square in Galway.
Yesterday, Chairperson of the SNPA Lorraine Dempsey welcomed Minister Quinn’s announcement but said that the call to action “was not solely about raising awareness of a single issue of resource hours”.
She added that the group also wanted to highlight the problem relating to Special Needs Assistants provision, which she said “will be further exacerbated by having to share the allocations with an extra 2000 children requiring SNA support, while the CAP on SNA numbers remains in place at 10,575″.
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We’ve just exited a level 5 lockdown and people are being told by the government to…. “stay away from crowded shops”…. obviously shops will be thronged with people now after being cooped up for a month not being able to buy a shirt or a dress or god forbid….a tie…also deemed non essential when I went looking for one in Tesco. That statement is what my late grandfather would call….complete bolloxology.
@Billy Big Baws: And the first pop up I see on my device as I wake is from RTE about QUEUES forming outside shops this morning , and all this before 7 am.
Maybe I’m wrong but I think putting a senior civil servant out in front of the media and telling us how to behave is bizarre ,what qualifies her to pontificate to the Irish people, has she more qualifications than George Lee by any chance?
Christ..It will.be like the last helicopter out of Saigon when the shops open .
@Donal Desmond: Miss Saigon live from Mary Street !
I love how they chose a photo of Penneys for this article. You can guarantee they will have a queue from Mary St to the Spire tomorrow…
@Dobby Dooo Dooo: i am in the queue already
@Dobby Dooo Dooo: already a queue before 7 am .
@Terry Cahill: People going in for “essentials” and coming out with bags full of cr@p they don’t need…
How do people stay away from crowded shops, if they are already in a crowded shop :-/
@Kevin O’Brien: and if we all shopped off-peak…
Me alarm clock set, mask ready to go, hand sanitizer in me pocket, not taking the bus going to walk it. Penny’s here i come. NOT.
@Paul Gorry: as a penneys employee I think your in the minority….unfortunately. they should of sent us for zookeeper training during the lockdown.
@deisecelt: “should of” ?
Reading down through the articles here on the Journal & all I’m seeing is the word “avoid”. Avoid public transport, avoid crowded shops, avoid putting on special offers. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
@Kevin O’Brien: in other words avoid picking up the contagious virus and passing it on to others.
The shops are now open to help the economy back on it’s feet and keep people in jobs.
Also don’t go to the shops.
Is this the same headline i read last March, without the Christmas bit?
@Paul Gorry: Reduce reuse recycle….
Consume! Consume! Consume! Retail shopping slaves to the system of controlling your life. Stress over getting stuff and overstretch those cards…… Sad really. I hope everyone eventually wakes up and stops the unnecessary stresses around this time of year. Remember all those toys that will be gathering dust in a month or 2 and all that food that goes to waste cost hours of your life to pay for. Right now off to ques outside Smyths…… Lol
People are already queueing so best of luck with that advice.
@Ed: Hope they’re doing what most people are doing and queuing 2 m apart, outdoors.
but the retailers say the complete opposite, pack in and everyone get out and shop till ye drop, who should we listen to. :-)
Stay away from crowded shops????its christmas time
Ya, but you see “Christmas” you cannot avoid these things. The air must be thin up there.
I will wait a few days and then stroll the shops at my own leisure. I got 95pct of my Christmas shopping done online and feel good about not being frantic this month. I did miss the in-person Black Friday sales this year, to be honest.
have your say