Written Answers Nos. 354-373
354. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Irish sign language interpreter who is paid the same rate as an SNA and is employed by a school (details supplied) will be retained. [65253/25]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department published the Enhancement to Irish Sign Language (ISL) Scheme provision on the 18th November. The scheme enables the provision of Irish Sign Language in-school support for students in mainstream schools who are Deaf and whose primary mode of communication and language is ISL. The circular confirms details of how the scheme is being implemented, and outlines revisions to the criteria for the inclusion of students in the next phase of the scheme. The application process for the scheme is also detailed in the circular.
This scheme is in addition to the existing provision in place to support Deaf students whose primary mode of communication and language is ISL.
The role of the ISL-Specialist Classroom Support (SCS) is to support the work of the class teachers and special education teachers and to complement other teaching and care supports provided for the students who meet the criteria. The focus of the ISL-SCS will be targeted to meet the needs of students attending a recognised mainstream school whose primary mode of communication and language is ISL and who meet the criteria outlined in the circular.
The NCSE will be commencing a recruitment campaign shortly to fill the positions. It is a matter for schools to apply to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) for this support.
In relation to the retention of an SNA in a school I wish to advise that SNA posts are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the children enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
355. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth if home tuition hours and any other necessary supports will be approved for a person (details supplied). [65260/25]
View answerMy department's Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Schemes are governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. Circular 0047/2025 provides information in relation to the 2025/2026 Home Tuition Grant Scheme and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/home-tuition-grant-scheme-2025-2026-special-education-component/.
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
(a) Pre-School Children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria
(b) Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement
(c) Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
(d) Students, enrolled in schools, with school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
In relation to applications for students with a significant medical condition, the principle remains that home tuition cannot be provided as an alternative to school attendance.
With regard to the child referenced by the Deputy, the Department has no record of receiving an application for Home Tuition in respect of this child.
It remains open to the parents or legal guardians to contact the Special Education Section for guidance on the application process and to seek information on the eligibility criteria for the various strands of the scheme.
Alternatively, should the Deputy wish to provide the Department with the relevant contact details, an official will make direct contact with the parents or legal guardians to offer assistance.
Contact details for the Home Tuition Unit are as follows:
Address:
Special Education Section
Department of Education and Youth
Cornamaddy
Athlone
County Westmeath
N37 X659
Email: special_education@education.gov.ie
Telephone: (090) 648 4187
356. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the engagement she or her Department have had with the management of school (details supplied) in relation to the need for additional accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65278/25]
View answerI can confirm that my department is in receipt of an application for funding under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question.
The purpose of the ASA Scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or by available accommodation at other schools in the area.
The school's application is for the replacement of a small classroom. I can confirm to the Deputy that a site visit to the school was undertaken in April 2025 and the resulting technical report confirmed that the school site is at maximum capacity with no scope for further expansion.
The school is located in the Buttevant school planning area. The department's projections of primary school place requirements in the Buttevant SPA indicate that enrolments at primary level peaked in 2023 and are decreasing year on year.
Given the general downward direction of overall enrolments in the area the department's focus for the assessment of such additional accommodation applications will be as follows:
• Analyse the extent to which enrolments at this school and neighbouring schools are serving the local area in the first instance. This will identify if some of the pressures on local capacity are arising from the enrolment of pupils from outside the local area where there may be other school provision opportunities available to them.
• In assessing accommodation capacity at this school and neighbouring schools, an assessment will need to be made on how best to utilise existing capacity in the context of both mainstream and SEN requirements in the local area.
The above sets the parameters for the department’s decision-making processes and this will, where necessary, involve engagement with school patrons and relevant individual schools as appropriate.
357. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an application for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65289/25]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my department is in receipt of an application under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question.
The purpose of my department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.
All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans in November. My department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
The application from the school in question will be considered as part of this process and the school authority will be notified of the decision directly.
358. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the case of a student (details supplied); and if she will instruct her Department to investigate the matter to ensure the student is able to complete their education in their current supportive environment. [65290/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
Special schools funded by my department are classified as primary national schools. They are intended, in accordance with the provisions of rule 64(1) of the Rules for National Schools, to provide an education to children and young people, with special educational needs, aged from 4 years to until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year.
Special schools may however seek approval from my department for an exemption from rule 64(1) in respect of students over the age of 18 who are pursuing courses leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Senior Cycle, Junior Cycle Level One and Level Two learning programmes (L1L2LPs)/Leaving Cert Applied/QQI Level 3).
A request for an exemption from rule 64(1) can only be made by a school where in addition to the above:
The student requires one additional year in order to complete their course
Retaining the student in the school for another school year will not prevent a younger student being enrolled there and
Plans are in place to transition the student to a post-school setting at the end of the school year.
Special schools are invited each year to make applications to my department for exemptions from rule 64(1) in respect of students who meet the above criteria. Where the criteria is met, my department will approve the exemptions.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
359. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she or her Department are aware of any reductions to the SNA allocations for primary schools in Dublin northwest, following the most recent circular and guidelines from the NCSE on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65302/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
There were four schools closing in June 2025 and the special need assistant SNA posts have been removed as a result. No other SNA post will be removed from any other schools for the 2025/26 school year.
While the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has identified at this time approximately 70 posts in schools where the care needs have reduced, it is not intended that these posts will be removed from a school’s overall allocation until the end of the 2025/26 academic year.
This will allow for the SNAs involved to continue to support the school community for an additional year at which point the recently announced SNA re-deployment scheme will become fully operational and available to the affected SNAs.
The NCSE will, as done this year and in previous years, review all school allocations for the 2026/27 school year and will allocate or reallocate SNA posts to schools based on the care needs of the students enrolled.
360. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on school transport for a student with special educational needs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65304/25]
View answerBus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department, including routes under the scheme for pupils with Special Educational Needs.
I am pleased to advise that the Department has given sanction to Bus Éireann to establish a new service to cater for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. Bus Éireann will now tender the service in line with procurement guidelines. The local office will contact the parent of the child in question directly when the service is ready to commence. The parent can avail of an interim special transport grant while they are waiting for the service, the parent has been provided with information relating to the grant.
361. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of capacity issues regarding secondary school places in the Castleknock-Carpenterstown school planning area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65309/25]
View answerMy department is aware of pressures for school places in the Castleknock and Carpenterstown school planning areas.
I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine.
The data sharing arrangements that were in place for the 2025/26 admissions process have been put in place again for the 2026/27 admissions process in school planning areas that are experiencing enrolment pressures, including Castleknock and Carpenterstown. The admissions data provided by schools will allow the department to analyse duplicate applications as there can be significant overlap in areas.
The Deputy will appreciate that there can often be significant overlap across areas and schools, and the nature of the admissions processes is quite complex. As a result, there can be multiple iterations, where applicants may accept a place but subsequently be offered and accept a place at a second school, freeing up capacity at the first school accepted. In that context, it may take some time for my department to fully review the availability of post-primary school places in Castleknock and Carpenterstown while the admissions process continues to progress.
My department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
I can assure the Deputy that my department will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Castleknock and Carpenterstown areas for the 2026/2027 school year and into the future.
362. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of capacity issues regarding secondary school places in the Mulhuddart Tyrrelstown school planning area, and in particular, with regard to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65310/25]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €1.6 billion in school infrastructure across County Dublin. The department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place.
As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
The annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary and new First Years at post-primary is a very large-scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. While my department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.
My department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
I want to assure the Deputy that my department will keep the school place requirements in Mulhuddart_Tyrrelstown_D15 school planning area under review.
363. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that a school (details supplied) has had to cancel 5th year construction studies during the middle of the term due to the departure of a teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65316/25]
View answer364. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps being taken to increase the availability of teachers for practical Leaving Certificate subjects such as construction studies, metal work and woodwork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65317/25]
View answer365. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration has been given to allowing teachers in high demand subjects to teach across a number of schools in order that subjects can be offered to students across a number of schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65318/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 363, 364 and 365 together.
This Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 700 post-primary schools with boards of management, as well as Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in some cases responsible for the recruitment and appointment process.
There are more qualified teachers than ever working in schools with analysis of payroll data from March showing over 79,000 teachers employed nationwide in our schools including 36,000 in post-primary schools. This analysis found that over 98% of post-primary allocated teaching posts were filled nationwide.
While most teaching positions are filled, some schools face significant recruitment challenges. Payroll data from March 2025 shows the number of unfilled teaching posts remains low. Analysis of the teacher payroll shows 1.8% of allocations (621 posts) in post-primary were unutilised. This relatively low vacancy rate suggests that the vast majority of post-primary schools are well-staffed and able to meet the needs of their students. Additionally, research undertaken in 2024 found the following subjects that had vacant teacher posts: Gaeilge (55.7), maths (52.8), home economics (31.5), It was found that practical subjects like Construction Studies (16) and Technology (12) and engineering (10.5) had much lower vacant teacher posts.
Officials of my Department are aware that a teacher became unavailable at the school referred to in the Deputy’s question. My Department has been informed despite attempts by the school to recruit a replacement, the vacancy has not been filled. My Department will continue to liaise with the school on this matter.
My Department has implemented several measures that have led to:
• an increase of 20% in Initial Teacher Education graduates (student teachers) between 2018 and 2023, and over 30% increase in the number registered with the Teaching Council since 2017, and
• between 2018/19 and 2024/25, through record investment by Government, the number of teaching posts has increased by 11,752 with 5,886 (20.7%) in post-primary
A range of measures have been introduced to address teacher supply including in specific subject areas. Earlier this year, a measure was announced to enable teachers gain permanent roles more quickly and more recently regulations were approved to allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State.
Measures have been introduced to enhance the recruitment of STEM teachers. In recent budgets a STEM bursary to increase the number of STEM teachers available to post-primary schools, and an expansion of upskilling programmes have been introduced.
Under the Teaching Hours Extension Scheme post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of substitute cover per term including in science. This measure has been extended to the current school year.
The profession is attractive, with strong demand for teacher education programmes, almost 1,800 newly qualified post-primary teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025. Salaries are competitive starting at €46,448 for post-primary and rising to €85,000 under the current pay deal.
Around 6% of first-choice CAO applications from 2017–2024 were for teaching, showing steady demand. In 2025, first preferences rose by 5% for post-primary teaching. Over 75% of new post-primary teachers are employed full-time. 93% of teachers with 5+ years’ experience hold permanent full-time or pro-rata contracts.
My Department frequently consults and engages closely with stakeholders on teacher supply issues through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions. Further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce will be considered to ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.
366. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for a school (details supplied) for additional special needs assistants. [65329/25]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.
367. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on planned repair work and the extension to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65337/25]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy were approved a project under the Additional Accommodation Scheme (ASA) to deliver a 3 Classroom SEN Base. This project has been devolved for delivery to the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
My Department approved this ASA project to progress to Stage 2b (planning) in May 2024. In November, under the Emergency Works Scheme, the Department also approved funding to improve accessibility at the school’s main entrance and lobby for Special Needs facilities. This project is now with the school for further progression.
In relation to the ASA project my Department recently engaged with officials from the delivery body to seek updates on the Stage 2b report, the status of planning permission, and the anticipated timeline for this project. We are currently awaiting a response from KWETB.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
My department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication later in November. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
368. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the planned extension to a school (details supplied) including the possible development of a special school; the timeframes for the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65338/25]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB).
The project brief is to provide an extension to the existing school building, as well as the appropriate refurbishment of those existing buildings to be retained for ongoing educational use. There are no plans to develop a special school on this site at present.
The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural process, which allows for detailed design/planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project. WWETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
My department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication later in November. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
369. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools at primary and secondary level that have reported leaks in the roofs of the schools, by age of the school; the design requirements which are in place to prevent such leaks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65339/25]
View answerThe Department operates two main schemes which can deal with existing roofs in schools. These schemes are the Emergency Works Scheme and the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme.
As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope works to address the emergency situation. The EWS is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides only an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which deals with upgrade works to the school.
The purpose of the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works such as Climate Action and Toilets which could involve full upgrade of toilet facilities.
The Department of Education does not hold data that will readily identify roof leaks by school age. However, since 2021 the Department has spent over €77m on roof works under both EWS and SWS.
370. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason there are no specialist therapies and supports available to special schools dealing with severe educational behaviour difficulties. [65355/25]
View answer372. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the number of SEBD special schools in the country and their respective staffing profile. [65357/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 372 together.
Special schools support children and young people aged between 4 and 18 years of age with the most complex special educational needs and ensure positive links are established and fostered between the home, school and other agencies for these students.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) advise that there are seven schools with a designation of Schools for Emotionally Disturbed Children. However, it is important to remember that a number of special schools have diversified since they were established to enrol students from their local area with varying degrees of complex needs. This diversification allows children and young people to attend their local special school without the need to travel long distances so as to receive the supports they need.
The Programme for Government 2025 commits to the introduction of an Education Therapy Service (ETS). This service will begin in special schools and gradually extend to special classes and mainstream settings, ensuring that all children can access essential therapies in a timely and effective way. The allocation of €16 million in Budget 2026 will support the continued rollout of this service, including the recruitment of additional occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, along with the necessary resources and supports. This service, which will focus initially, on Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy.
These therapeutic services will provide therapeutic supports across a multi–tiered model working in a universal, targeted and individualised way to maximize every child and young person’s participation and potential in education.
This is a transformative initiative, one that will make a real difference in the lives of children and families. It is anticipated that the ETS will commence in 45 special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year will be supported by a panel of 90 therapists comprising of senior and staff grade. The NCSE is currently preparing a large-scale recruitment campaign which is anticipated to go live in the coming weeks. Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis. The delivery of this support to the initial 45 special schools has been identified as a key benchmark in track progress, as will the subsequent rollout to additional special schools over 2026/2027 schools year.
The development and delivery of this service will be informed by detailed engagement, which is on-going, with our colleagues in the HSE and stakeholders and will build on the National Council for Special Educations’ (NCSE) work previously completed through the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) and the School Inclusion Model.
In addition to the ETS, the NCSE have been developing an education -based therapy support service known as the ETSS. This service currently provides two strands of support to schools, Regional Therapy and Sustained In-School Therapy to both mainstream and special schools.
Sustained in-school support (SIT) is provided to schools for a defined period of 18-24 months in line with the School Inclusion Model. 22 schools in the Eastern region are currently availing of this service and 28 schools in the Western region will receive support under SIT from September 25.
Regional therapy support provides Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) with follow on/implementation support by NCSE therapists. The focus of this support is to build the capacity of schools and to embed the learning from TPL into their teaching practice, through In-school coaching and co-facilitation of interventions, strategies and resources, with a focus on whole school (Tier 1) and targeted/school support levels (Tier 2) of a multi-tiered system of support. Regional Therapy seminars is available nationally for the 2025/2026 school year.
My Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
371. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she plans to review the special school model and the related system of supports which are available in an inconsistent basis to such schools across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65356/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
In 2026, over €3 billion will be spent supporting children with special educational needs. It will ensure that specialist capacity continues to grow by providing 3,000 specialist places. The majority of these places will be available in special classes within mainstream schools, however, a number will also be made available in special schools. It will increase our special educational posts by 860 special education teacher and over 1,700 special needs assistant (SNA) posts. This will mean we will have over 46,500 professionals dedicated to supporting students with special educational needs in our education system. This is one of the highest annual increases in posts to date and is a firm reminder of this government’s commitment to supporting students with special educational needs.
Budget 2026 has also afforded a number of new initiatives such as funding for the roll out of the Education Therapy Service (ETS) which will begin initially in special schools, the introduction of extra special education teaching hours for post-primary schools to support coordination and transition efforts and indeed a special school package to support the unique challenges these schools face.
The Department of Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will also, this year, look at the profile of existing special schools. This work will ensure children with complex educational needs can apply to their local special school and not have to travel long distances to access an appropriate education.
When a special school is established, there is an automatic allocation of a minimum of 1 teacher and 2 SNAs per class of 6 students but this is invariably increased based on the profile of needs of the students enrolled. Special schools are resourced by the NCSE based on an annual review of their enrolment and the profile of the children and young people enrolled in them. Schools may also apply to the NCSE for a review of their resource allocation. The NCSE will examine each request individually with consideration to each school's student profile.
My department actively engages with the representative bodies for special schools, in order to help to address some of these additional challenges these schools face over their mainstream counterparts.
Following close engagement with special schools, and awareness of the challenges facing special schools a number of new measures have been introduced to support special schools. Firstly, the appointment of new posts for administrative deputy principals in all special schools has been instrumental in assisting principals with leadership and management functions and to support learning and parental and community engagement.
Secondly, the allocation of 100 post-primary teaching posts to ensure a greater range of the national curriculum subjects can be taught to improve student progression and transition.
There has also been an increase in funding to ensure that the Summer Programme continues to expand for students with special educational needs.
In addition to these budgetary measures, my department is also working closely with the NCSE to further support special schools in relation to a range of issues relating to administration, curriculum and training.
My department and the NCSE will continue to support all schools including special schools to ensure we deliver an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
373. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason an SNA review has been initiated for a school (details supplied). [65358/25]
View answerThe Department of Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are aware of recent issues raised by the school to which the Deputy refers. Both department and NCSE officials are engaging with the school directly to address the concerns raised.
The school will continue to be prioritised for support by the NCSE, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and by the department’s Inspectorate.
In order to ensure the school has the required resources to support the students enrolled, the NCSE has initiated a review of their special need assistant (SNA) resource allocation. During the NCSE assesses the level of need within the school as a whole and this is critical to ensure that the care needs of the entire school are identified and that the school is resourced to meet this identified need. Once the NCSE has completed the review the NCSE will communicate the outcome of the review directly to the school.
When the NCSE completes the SNA review and if additional SNA support is identified as being required it will be provided. In addition, following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local special educational needs organiser (SENO) available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports in the school and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
