Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
492. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the funding which is currently allocated to schools for support for children diagnosed with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia; the criteria for accessing this funding; whether her Department plans to increase this allocation in the next financial year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16962/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra493. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the financial support or grants available for families of children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, or dyscalculia to access therapies, tutoring, or assistive technologies outside of school; the number of families that accessed this funding in the past three years; whether there are plans to expand this support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16963/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra494. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to ensure equitable access to funding for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, or dyscalculia across different regions; whether disparities exist; the steps being taken to address them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16964/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra495. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which the effectiveness of funding for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia is monitored; the outcomes that are tracked; and whether there is evidence that current funding levels meet the needs of children both in and outside of school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16965/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra496. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether funding is allocated specifically for training teachers and support staff in supporting children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, or dyscalculia; the amount of such funding; whether there are plans to expand professional development in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16966/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 492, 493, 494, 495 and 496 together.
This government is fully committed to supporting students 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 students 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. 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 almost 46,000 professionals dedicated to supporting students with special educational needs in our schools. 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.
At present, there are four special schools, and fourteen special classes attached to mainstream schools to support students with a specific learning disability such as severe dyslexia. I want to acknowledge the excellent work they do. It is important to note they were established at a time when there were much fewer additional supports in schools.
In pursuit of a more inclusive education system it is important, as far as possible to support students to attend their local mainstream schools. This means that children and young people can be educated with their peers and are not required to travel long distances to attend special schools or classes.
15,000 special education teachers have been provided to enable schools to achieve this objective. In practical terms this means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support students with special education needs who are in mainstream classes.
The additional resources are intended to support students with the greatest level of need, including those with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia.
Of course, I recognise the importance of building the capacity of teachers in mainstream schools to meet the needs of all students. To support this, 338 places are funded each year for teachers to attend post-graduate special education needs programmes. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) offers dedicated professional learning opportunities for teachers supporting students with additional needs. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provides professional learning opportunities that are available to all primary and post-primary school teachers on supporting children and young people with special educational needs.
Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment to assist students. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.
The need for any additional provision or resources for schools to support students with dyslexia is kept under constant review by the NCSE.
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.
