Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter. It is an important topic. As a previous Minister for Education and Skills, the Deputy did a lot of work. I think he introduced the school inclusion model, which I will talk about momentarily.

My Department's main responsibility in this area relates to the provision of education for children with disabilities, whether in mainstream settings, special classes or special schools. The provision of therapy supports for children with disabilities, as the Deputy pointed out, is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE.

Having said that, I note what the Deputy said about a root-and-branch review and making sure that involves interdepartmental work. We have to take a cross-departmental approach to supporting our children and young people with disabilities. I assure the Deputy that a lot of work is happening in this space across the education and disability sectors. At ministerial level, I work closely with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to progress a range of issues and new initiatives.

The Deputy has raised two important topics: reinstating therapy supports in our special schools and the school inclusion model.

It is important for the House to understand that expanding the school inclusion model instead of providing therapists into special schools is not in the best interests of children with special educational needs. The comprehensive on-site health and social supports to special schools that are provided by the HSE are entirely separate to the Department's school inclusion model. The school inclusion model was never intended to replace therapy services being provided by children's disability network teams in the HSE. Children need access to both community and school-based services.

The Deputy mentioned the reinstatement of therapists in special schools and the AON. My Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, have been working on this. My Department has been advised that the HSE has developed a programme for the reinstatement of 136 posts, which is in addition to the 85 reinstated posts for special schools announced in 2021. The intention of the HSE, as we understand it, is to implement the programme in three phases. The first phase will involve reassigning existing HSE staff to fill one third of the posts over September 2022 and the second phase will fill a further one third of the posts via existing panels, supported with further reassignment throughout autumn. In parallel with the first two phases, a number of initiatives will also be commenced, including a high-profile international recruitment campaigns to fill vacant occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy posts.

My Department meets regularly with the Department of Health, the HSE and other Departments to monitor the progress being made on the reinstatement of these posts in our special schools. The latest update from the HSE indicates that 55 of the 85 posts allocated to support special schools in 2021 have been filled. My Department has been advised that the trade union representing personnel involved in this work issued an instruction of non co-operation to its members regarding the reinstatement process. However, I understand that intensive discussions between the HSE and the trade union are ongoing to address the concerns of its members with regard to this initiative. The HSE remains committed to the programme and continues to engage proactively with the union to facilitate a resolution to this matter.

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