Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2025
352. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education how the effectiveness and outcomes of the pilots for enhanced in-school therapy supports to special schools in the midlands are being monitored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5927/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe pilot for enhanced in-school therapy support to special schools is an integrated pilot programme which sees the delivery of enhanced in-school therapy supports provided by the HSE’s Children’s Disability Network Teams and will be supported by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The Department and NCSE are also represented on the Steering Group overseeing the pilot, which meets weekly, to monitor the progress of this initiative.
The focus of this pilot is to provide the effective delivery of enhanced in-school therapy supports to children in selected special schools, managed in a coherent and collaborative manner through the relevant stakeholders. This pilot will seek to provide an integrated model of service ensuring that all stakeholders are represented on the Steering Group overseeing the pilot, which meets weekly, to monitor the progress of this initiative, including in special schools, have relevant input and, through effective governance mechanisms, are able to verify that additional resources are implementing the required level of service for children and their families.
The enhanced in-school therapy supports pilot commenced in September 2024 in Cork and Dublin on a phased implementation basis for the six selected schools. An additional ten schools, in Cork, Dublin and Galway were announced as part of the pilot on 8th November 2024 with phased onboarding of schools to the pilot over the course of the 2024-2025 academic year.
The evaluation of the Special Schools Pilot for enhanced in-school therapy 2024-25 will be undertaken by the National Disability Authority and this will inform the future development of policy in both education and health provision.
