10th December 2025
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has today condemned Minister Foley’s announcement of proposed changes to the Assessment of Need (AON) process, which was made without any consultation or prior notification to teachers or their unions.
The INTO is demanding immediate engagement from the Department of Education and Youth with teacher representatives, warning that schools and teachers cannot continue to respond to a rolling cycle of ministerial pronouncements and initiatives while the necessary supports for children with special educational needs are still not where they need to be.
The shocking unilateral announcement by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality comes in the same week that two major workload studies, including the DCU Create ‘Teacher Occupational Wellbeing Research 2025’ study, laid bare the unsustainable pressures facing Irish teachers and school leaders. Teachers already under intense strain cannot be expected to absorb further major system change, particularly when announced through the media rather than formal channels of consultation. Yesterday’s solo run by Minister Foley represents a profound breach of trust.
Reacting to media reports this morning, INTO General Secretary John Boyle said:
Teachers were not consulted, briefed or even informed in advance of these proposals. That is bad faith, pure and simple. Our position is clear and unwavering. Meaningful consultation is the absolute minimum that should be expected when any changes are proposed to a system that has been dogged by controversy and concern for years. It is grossly unfair that government departments are using vulnerable children as political footballs after failing to provide them with timely assessments and therapeutic supports.
At a time when workload pressures are overwhelming, our call this week was for an independent review of teacher workload, similar to the model recently concluded in Northern Ireland, not for another layer of cosmetic changes. The intent could not be clearer. A Minister in charge of a broken system is attempting to shift responsibility.
Our principals, special education teachers and mainstream class teachers have been treated with profound disrespect by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. They will not accept any further erosion of their working conditions for political expediency by a Minister who has shown such disregard for them.
The INTO will raise this latest development at the Primary Education Forum, which meets tomorrow. In addition, the INTO’s Central Executive Committee will meet in the coming days to consider the matter fully.