Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2026
304. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to expand the DEY funded eight week block courses for teacher professional learning in inclusive and special education. [67013/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn an annual basis, the Department provides funding for two distinct categories of post-graduate programmes for Special Education Teachers:
• Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Teacher Professional Learning for Special Education Teachers.
• Graduate Certificate in Autism Education for teachers working with Autistic Pupils in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Special Education Teachers in mainstream Primary and Post-Primary Schools.
The aim is to provide substantial theoretical and practical continuing professional development for teachers working with students with special educational needs, contributing to the school’s overall capacity to meet the needs of pupils with special education needs, including autism.
There are six publicly funded HEI providers of the post-graduate diploma programmes:
Dublin City University; University College Dublin; Mary Immaculate College; University of Galway; ATU St Angela’s, Sligo and University College Cork
The programmes are of one academic year’s duration with a total of eight weeks’ release from schools/centres for attendance at the relevant programme venue and the remainder of the year will involve teaching in participants’ own educational settings.
The programmes are delivered in a blended model through on campus learning, teaching in their own educational settings and occasional online and weekend participation.
Substitution, which must be approved by the managerial authority of the school/ETB, will be allowed. The substitution must be deemed necessary to cover the approved periods of absence of the teacher from teaching duty for attendance at the course.
The number of places available on the two programmes above increased from 338 to 388 in 2025. The Department will seek to further increase the number of places available through the budgetary process.
