Ms Áine Lawlor:

The Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the national dialogue on inclusive education for people with disabilities. We strongly advocate for a system that upholds the rights enshrined in Article 24 of the UNCRPD and advances the targets of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Genuine inclusion is more than just placing children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. It demands meaningful engagement, tailored supports and a deep understanding of each child’s unique strengths and support needs. Inclusion that is merely surface level falls short. What truly matters is whether the child can actively participate, learn, and flourish within their educational environment and that they have the right supports to achieve this.

The EPSEN Act has yet to be fully commenced and recommendations from the Disability Act 2005 have also yet to be enacted. It is important that we move away from a system that requires diagnostic labels before children can access support, and yet critical that supports are tailored and available for individual needs. We urge the committee to advocate for legislative and policy alignment to ensure that inclusive education is not only aspirational but actionable. Accurate and timely identification of disability is critical to ensuring that children receive the supports necessary to thrive both educationally and developmentally. Disability services have been under considerable pressure, with long waiting lists, limited resources and fragmented access to supports, with families often facing prolonged delays in receiving essential therapeutic supports. This results in many children commencing school without their needs having been recognised, leading to systemic obstacles in accessing appropriate placements, therapeutic supports and sustained interventions. To uphold the rights of children with disabilities and meet statutory obligations, a co-ordinated, well-resourced and integrated approach to appropriate therapeutic support is imperative.

IASLT welcomes the development of therapy in schools, which represents a shift from the previous service delivery frameworks under the NCSE. Embedding therapy provision within the school environment makes supports more accessible, responsive and inclusive for children who need them most. It is important that there is a commitment to appropriate multi-annual funding to ensure this service can move beyond special schools and into special classes and mainstream schools. While IASLT recognises that the implementation of a new model will bring operational and strategic challenges, we have been encouraged by early engagement and are committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders, including the Department of education.

In order to ensure sustainability and impact, speech therapists and all clinicians linked with a child must operate within an interconnected framework that transcends sectoral boundaries. This requires collaboration between the Departments of Health and education, creating a system where joined-up thinking is the norm, and every child’s communication needs are met through seamless co-operation across sectors.

This includes transition planning. A child’s identified needs and supports must remain consistent and responsive throughout their educational journey. Every child deserves supports during transitions to new schools and into post education or employment. Transition planning should be a continuous process with adequate resources, from early childhood to post-school life. I now hand over to Ms Mortell.