Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 353 together.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs. This will allow for, amongst other things, the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places.

This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

In 2024, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 744 teachers and 1,216 SNAs added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting these children.

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs. The department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

The NCSE has confirmed that currently no application as been received from the school for an exceptional teaching post. Schools should liaise with the NCSE directly in the event that additional supports are required.

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 reach their full potential.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

The recruitment and appointment procedures to fill a substitute position is set out in Circular 0044/2019 and Information Note TC/IN 0005/2023.

As per 4.2 of Chapter 2 of Circular 0044/2019:

“4.2 SUBSTITUTE APPOINTMENT (SHORT TERM EMPLOYMENT)

Where a substitute is required the employer must first seek to employ an appropriately qualified teacher who is not retired. This may be done by:

1. contacting a person on the substitute list established by the employer, or

2. by using a national substitute service, or

3. advertising

Furthermore, section 2.2 of Information Note TC/IN 0005/2023 advises:

"2.2 The existing text at Chapter 2.4(3) is removed and replaced with the following text:

4.3 “A substitute list shall be maintained by each employer of appropriately qualified teachers who have notified the employer that they are available for substitute teaching work. A separate substitute list of registered retired teachers should be maintained to cover instances where an appropriately qualified non retired teacher is not available for substitute work.

Two or more employers may establish and maintain a common substitute list, a copy of which should be kept by each employer. The school/ETB also has the option to make use of national services such as Sub Seeker but, where those services fail to produce a registered teacher who is not retired, the school/ETB must revert to the list. The school/ETB has, of course, the option of using the list in the first instance.

Where a school/ETB receives notification from an appropriately qualified teacher who is, or will within one month of notification become available for substitution work, the school/ETB must, within 7 school days, update the list and issue an acknowledgement to the teacher concerned.”

There are no plans to review the current procedures for filling substitute positions.