On Wednesday 25th February, People Before Profit members joined in with the national Special Needs Assistants' protests around the country.
In total there were 31 protests, which saw SNAs stand up against the government's cuts to SNA numbers. Schools like Johnstown NS in Glenageary were due to get their number of SNAs slashed in September.
The mobilisation and backlash from the workers caused the government to do a u-turn and these changes would be paused. SNAs were adamant that the protests would still go ahead as a pause is not good enough.
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke passionately at the Dáil, to a large crowd organised with the help of People Before Profit to over 1,000 people. Other speakers included SNAs, left party leaders and representatives, and an official from the SNA union, Fórsa.
At one of the 31 different protests, in Sligo, People Before Profit councillor Gino O’Boyle also spoke to a large crowd. "The government didn't wake up with a change of heart. This happened because you the parents put pressure on them. This happened because you the schools put pressure on them. This happened because you the Special Needs Assistants stood firm...
"This happened because your communities, your friends, and your families rallied behind everybody to say enough is enough. And when you the people push back, we can change government policy and we can change government decisions...
"We're one of the wealthiest countries in the world. 19 million was found overnight! ...the uncertainty needs to end for families, for workers, for children, for schools because children with additional needs are not an experimental policy"
Many other towns had well attended protests such as Dundalk, where over 200 people attended. People Before Profit rep James Renaghan was one of the speakers.
Renaghan said “We need a fundamentally different approach to our education system, one that champions inclusion instead of exclusion. The government laments over children falling through the cracks of the education system, well they aren’t cracks they are gaping holes at the stage. And they aren’t falling through, children are being pushed down these holes by this government.
"That’s what is happening here. There’s a powerful lesson to be learned here, when a community gets organised and fights back, we can put manners on any arrogant out of touch government. We demand a full overhaul, not a review and pause.”
People Before Profit Councillor Gino O'Boyle