Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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390. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has been notified of any school using capitation funds for the hiring of private therapists for children in the school; if so, the therapies purchased and cost range of the therapies, by region, in tabular form. [7202/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not been notified of any school using capitation grant funding to hire private therapists for children in their school.

The Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) was established in June 2024 within the NCSE and will comprise 39 therapists, initially.

The ETSS provides 2 strands of support. Strand I involves Regional Therapy Support and includes Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) seminars with in-school support. It is planned that these supports will be available nationally for the 2025/2026 school year. The second strand, Strand II, provides Sustained In-School Therapy for a period of 24 months, in line with the School Inclusion Model (SIM).

The NCSE intends to deliver Strand II of the ETSS initially, in its Eastern and Western regions. Dublin is the base for the Eastern region and 22 schools in this region are currently availing of this service. Limerick has been identified as the most suitable hub for the Western region. This includes Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. It is planned that Strand II will be available in the Western Region for the 2025/2026 school year. Schools in particular counties in the Western Region will be invited by the NCSE to apply for Strand II once supports are available.

Further recruitment within the NCSE to achieve the full complement of 39 therapists, which is currently ongoing, will assist the NCSE in the delivery and expansion of the services provided above.