Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 April 2026
361. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to provide training for teachers working with children with visual impairment; if she will engage with charities with already-developed resources ready to be deployed for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29227/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department and the NCSE engage regularly with organisations supporting the blind and visually impaired on how best to support those students.
The Visiting Teachers for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VTBVIs) are all qualified teachers with particular skills and knowledge of the development and education of children with varying degrees of visual impairment. They offer longitudinal support to children, their families and schools from the time of referral through to the end of post-primary education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), who manages the VT’s service on behalf of my Department offers seminars, delivered by Visiting Teachers, for schools with a student(s) who is blind or visually impaired. This is an introductory seminar which is additional to the sustained support that is the core work of the Visiting Teachers.
The NCSE also provides professional development for teachers in the area of Cerebral/Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI).
Post-graduate courses (Master of Arts/Post graduate Diploma) dealing specifically with the education of those with Vision Impairment are offered by universities in the UK and the NCSE provides funding for teachers to attend.
Teachers who have completed the post-graduate course may apply to NCSE for funding for additional post-graduate courses such as courses dealing with Multi-Sensory Impairments.
Furthermore, teachers who are not Visiting Teachers but are working with a student who has sight loss are also eligible to apply for funding from NCSE to attend these courses.
60% of our Visiting Teachers (VT’s) hold a post graduate qualification in Education of students who are blind or visually impaired. There are another 12% who are part way through the course. The remainder of the VT’s are relatively new recruits, and are expected to undertake the course within the next 12-24 months.
In addition, the NCSE also holds an annual 2 day training event for VT’s where they focus on particular issues identified by VTs throughout the year.
