Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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251. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if specific training will be provided for teachers of children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14901/25]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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252. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional training and additional supports will be provided for teachers in special classes and for teachers working with children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14906/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together.

This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.

A range of options is available to teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) in regard to training opportunities in special education. These are provided within initial teacher education (ITE) programmes for student teachers and teacher professional learning (TPL) programmes for established teachers. The programmes provided include flexible on-line opportunities right through to funding for post-graduate programmes for special education teachers.

The NCSE offer full school support to all staff and provide support for teachers with training needs in special education, through the NCSE support service which manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training need. The NCSE continually updates TPL courses and designs new courses in response to the needs of teachers. Detailed information on the comprehensive programme of TPL seminars on a variety of special educational needs topics is published on the NCSE website.

As announced by Minister McEntee this week, the teaching council is to also initiate a process whereby all student teachers will complete a mandatory assessed placement period in a special education needs setting from 2026. This will ensure all teachers will be better equipped and skilled to support students with special educational needs.

Any school that requires specific training in order to ensure students with special educational needs are supported in their classrooms should contact the NCSE to arrange training.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.