Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps that have been taken to address the shortage of additional need services at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30143/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The issues raised by the Deputy do not fall under the remit of my Department or the HSE provided service under its remit, which is the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). The question pertains to a range of services beyond HSE provisioned therapy services. These include including music, literacy and numeracy, and counselling supports. The question also relates to support provisioned to the individual school on the basis of DEIS status.

CDNTs have been established to provide supports such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy for all children with complex disability needs within a defined geographic area. In recent months, the Government has prioritised the reinstatement of health and social care supports in selected special schools as part of the special school’s pilot for enhanced in-school therapy supports.

CDNTs do not provide health and social care supports in mainstream schools such as Le Chéíle National School.

I am advised that Primary Care Therapy services, under the remit of the Department of Health, including children’s therapy services, are mainly delivered in the community based on assessed clinical need following a referral to the service. In some cases, HSE Primary Care staff can provide in-school supports such as Speech & Language Therapist support to Special Language classes which I understand to be the case in this location.

Finally, it should be noted that children do not require a diagnosis and/or a professional report or Assessment of Need to access education supports such as SET and SNA supports within a mainstream education setting. These resources should be put in place by the school where the school has identified additional education needs.