Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applicants to the Educational Therapy Support Service, and what areas are they in. [37338/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) was announced on 20th June by both Ministers. The NCSE intends to be operationally ready to deliver therapy services, initially, in its Eastern and Western regions to move to full implementation of all posts by October 2024. Limerick has been identified as the most suitable hub for the Western region which includes Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. Dublin will be the hub for the Eastern region and includes the greater Dublin area.

In April/May 2024, NCSE Therapy invited all schools in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow to apply for two years of Sustained In-school Therapy Support, where they would have a Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist working with their school for two academic years. 304 schools in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow successfully submitted applications. A robust prioritisation process ensued and initially 22 schools have been prioritised for NCSE Sustained In-school Support for 2024-2026. All schools have been notified of this and support has begun.

Further schools on the panel will be offered support upon recruitment of the full complement of 39 therapy posts. A similar application process will happen early in the 24/25 academic year for schools in identified counties in the West region, again once recruitment of the full complement of 39 posts has begun.