Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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317. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a new recruitment campaign for Irish sign language specialist classroom support will be launched in Q4 of 2024. [36499/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are responsible for the delivery of the Irish Sign Language SCS scheme.

The NCSE ran a specific competition in Q2/Q3 2024 for the purpose of filling identified vacancies, which could not be filled by the existing panel, in Cork and in Mayo. Both positions were filled and 2 applicants were also placed on panels for these areas.

At present the NCSE do not intend to launch another recruitment campaign in Q4 of 2024 and the existing panel will remain in place.

The first phase of the scheme is about ensuring that the available skilled resources are harnessed and focused where they are needed the most. The ISL Specialist Classroom Support (SCS) have completed their first academic year in school. Both schools and parents in each case have expressed their satisfaction with the resource provided.

The review of this phase will inform us on how best to develop the scheme further.