Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
430. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the staffing ratio for teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs), and therapeutic staff in all newly established special education classes and special schools; and to provide the current actual staffing levels versus these approved ratios in all newly established special education classes and special schools. [68932/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis 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.
Teachers for special educational needs are allocated in a number of different ways depending on whether it is through mainstream, special schools or special classes. The NCSE plays a significant role in the processes for this allocation given their function in section 20 (1) (f) of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) 2004 – 'to assess and review the resources required in relation to educational provision for children with special educational needs.'
For special schools and classes, the ratios for teacher to student is grounded in the report of the special education review committee or SERC report from 1993. While this report provides a grounding for the allocation to special schools and classes, the NCSE can also examine the allocations based on the individual needs of the school/class. There are Department circulars / guidelines and NCSE guidelines and processes in place which determine the number of teachers in place to support children with special educational needs.
When a new special school is established, there is an automatic allocation of a minimum of 1 teacher and 2 SNAs per class of 6 children but this is invariably increased based on the profile of needs of the children enrolled. Special schools are resourced by the NCSE based on an annual review of their enrolment and the profile of the children and young people enrolled in them.
Special classes are available for students with special educational needs, who because of complexity of educational need, require to spend most or all of their week in a special class. Special classes are generally resourced on the basis of student-teacher ratios specified for their designated disability category. The majority of special classes are for children with autism, which has a ratio of 1:6 teachers in primary and 1.5:6 in post primary. These ratios are included in the guidelines and originate in the SERC report. Students in special classes who meet the DoE criteria are counted twice for teacher allocation purposes: they are counted in determining teacher allocation to the special class and separately in determining the overall mainstream teacher allocation for a school. This is intended to support their inclusion in mainstream classes, as appropriate.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers and SNA positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700 individual school authorities, responsible for this process, including boards of management at primary and post-primary schools, as well as Education and Training Boards (ETBs).
In line with the 2025 programme for Government, there is a commitment to introduce a national therapy service in education settings. The Education Plan 2025, which was announced on the 19th of June 2025, confirmed Government approval for the establishment of the Education Therapy Service (ETS). The ETS is an additional support for children with special education need and has been established as a critical and important support for children and young people in their school environment. It is to supplement and not replace family centred supports provided by existing children’s health and disability services.
In February 2026, my department announced the phased expansion of the ETS starting with in special schools. As noted, this started with an initial 45 special schools in February 2026 and a further 19 in September 2026. It is expected that the service will be expanded to additional special schools during the 2026/2027 school year. In further phases the ETS will expand to include schools with special classes and mainstream schools.
Recruitment for the ETS is ongoing with a national campaign for therapists currently active. My department is working with the NCSE to cluster schools to maximise service provision available to all special schools, in line with available resources.
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 achieve their full potential.
