Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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398. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress of the special schools pilot, which will provide delivery of in-school therapy supports to children in selected special schools; the timeframe for different stages of this pilot; and whether it is planned to roll it out to all special schools. [37904/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Since 2021 the Government has sought to reinstate the pre-existing on-site health and social care supports to special schools. Between 2021 and 2022 Government provided funding for the reinstatement of 223 posts that had been historically provided. While some services have been reinstated, it is acknowledged that progress has been affected by the shortage of health and social care professionals. The focus of the Special Schools pilot that I jointly launched on August 9th is to provide the effective delivery of enhanced in-school therapy supports to children in selected special schools.

6 schools have been selected for the initial phase of the pilot with 10 others to be added in time. The initial six special schools selected to participate in the pilot were chosen following detailed engagement between officials in my Department, the Department of Education, the HSE and the NCSE, based on where the needs profile of the children identified as greatest from an educational perspective, and where resourcing is not currently available in proportion to these needs.

There are a further 10 schools to be selected in the full Pilot and efforts to bring clarity on that phase are underway, with an expectation that a decision will be made by end of October.

The Pilot, particularly the outcomes and benefits arising, will be evaluated by relevant stakeholders at the end of the school year.