Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
136. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on recruitment for the Education Therapy Service; the funding available to the service for expansion over the coming years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38103/26]
View answerOn the 6th of February 2026, the Department of Education and Youth announced the phased rollout of the Education Therapy Service (ETS). It is important to highlight that this is the initial phase of the ETS rollout, with a wider roll-out to further special schools in the 2026/2027 school year and this new initiative will see all schools benefit in the coming years.
The NCSE has recently completed a recruitment campaign for Senior and Staff Grade Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists, for posts in the following counties: Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow. Panels have been created for the first recruitment campaign for the initial 16 counties and posts are currently being offered with an expectation that there will be some therapists is post in the NCSE in late May 2026.
The NCSE has recently completed a recruitment campaign for Senior and Staff Grade Occupational and Speech and Language Therapists for the counties of Offaly, Clare, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. Interviews are currently taking place for these posts and the outcome of same will inform the next steps regarding the expansion of the ETS past the initial 45 schools.
Separately, a campaign for Donegal, Kerry, Cavan and Waterford was advertised on Monday 13th of April 2026, closing date 30th April 2026. It is envisaged that the interview process for this campaign will be completed by mid-June 2026.
The continued rollout of the ETS will be supported by phased recruitment campaigns throughout 2026 and 2027 to ensure therapy needs across the school system are met.
Funding of €16m has been agreed as part of Budget 2026 to facilitate the roll-out of the service to further special schools in the 2026/27 school year. The timing of the expansion will depend on the success of the roll-out into the 45 original special schools and therapist recruitment by the NCSE.
Overall funding including administrative support staff provides for over 274 therapy posts and a further 12 administrative staff. The Department of Education and Youth (DEY) will continue to engage with DPENDR on the sanctions associated with this funding to ensure that the service can be expanded later in 2026. Together with the posts previously sanctioned to the NCSE, including administrative supports, there will be over 250 staff supporting the overall Education Therapy Service (ETS).
It is expected that the number of therapists in the ETS will need to increase significantly over time to support approximately 4000 schools in the country.
