Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I refer to teachers who have already qualified. I know there is CPD but it is optional and many teachers do not show any interest in finding out more about inclusive education and addressing the needs of the students in their class, whether it is mainstream or special settings. I know as a teacher that there were many teachers who had no interest in students who had additional needs and were only interested in the students who were easy to teach. They did not even seem to be aware if a student had dyslexia or something like that.

Could it be made compulsory for all qualified teachers to undertake continuing professional development, CPD, in inclusive education?

A number of people with qualifications in autism studies provide assistance for students in a community setting where there are no school places and home tuition is required. They get temporary registration from the Teaching Council. Is it possible to broaden that so that people who are qualified in autism studies are recognised for what they do? They are never going to be teaching in a mainstream setting so they do not need the additional qualifications necessary to do so. They do, however, provide an important service in that they know how to relate to, and can help, even non-verbal students. They can make them comfortable and form a way of communicating with such students. It is frustrating because those qualified people get temporary registration but unless they take on a lot of extra study for something they are never going to use, they do not get permanent registration as a teacher. Is that something that could be addressed?