Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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821. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the qualifications needed for teachers to teach children in need of special education teaching hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18951/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the . As set out in the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under five routes of registration: Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher.

Central to Initial Teacher Education policy in Ireland is that all teachers teaching children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) should be qualified Primary or Post-primary teachers in the first instance. The Teaching Council as the professional standards body for the teaching profession, sets the standards for programmes of initial teacher education (ITE) and reviews and accredits programmes provided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the State, based on those standards. All programmes of ITE in Ireland that led to registration must have professional accreditation from the Teaching Council. The standards for programmes of ITE, which were revised in 2020, are published in . The standards set Inclusive Education as one of the seven core elements which must unpin all aspects of the programme of ITE.

Once qualified as a teacher, persons may apply for professional development in the area of SEN.

Providing inclusive education to children with special educational needs is a fundamental principle of the education system. This principle is observed through Department policies, Teaching Council requirements for initial teacher education, curriculum provision and the range of supports provided to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Oide.

Teachers undertake professional learning in a range of pedagogical, curricular and educational areas. Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) provided for teachers supports the inclusion of students with Special Education Needs (SEN) in mainstream classrooms

Inclusive education is a mandatory element of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. Within further updated standards which the Teaching Council adopted in 2020, known as Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education, inclusive education was further strengthened as one of seven core elements which must underpin all aspects of programmes of ITE.

Launched in March 2023, the Policy Statement on Initial Teacher Education looks to build on the work carried out to enhance inclusive education under Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. The Teaching Council provided a report to my department in October 2024 on how the core element of inclusive education has been included in initial teacher education. This will help foster progress on other actions agreed as part of the Policy Statement on Initial Teacher Education.

urthermore, the Department has initiated a process to move towards a mandatory assessed placement period in a special education needs setting for all student teachers. As part of this, it is envisaged the Teaching Council, on behalf of the Department, will conduct a survey across all Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers to gain a deeper understanding of the current landscape of school placement provision in special education settings. This will support the consideration of the Teaching Council in the development and approval of a Guidance Note for Higher Education Institutions, to be issued in Q3 2025 around an assessed student placement period in a SEN setting, working with a view to supporting initial change in September 2026.

Funded by the Department, Oide works with teachers and school leaders to provide ongoing support and professional development, which promotes inclusive practices.

Oide’s Leadership team are facilitating the Caidrimh Programme. This provides professional learning and support to guide Special Schools in effectively collaborating, sharing, and distributing their roles and responsibilities to create a school environment that is responsive and inclusive to diverse needs.

The Department provides funding for two distinct categories of post-graduate programmes for Special Education Teachers:

• Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Teacher Professional Learning for Special Education Teachers.
• Graduate Certificate in Autism Education for teachers working with Autistic Pupils in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Special Education Teachers in mainstream Primary and Post-Primary Schools.

The Department of Education funds the Teacher Fee Refund Scheme which provides funding towards the cost of course participation and examination fees on successful completion of teacher professional learning courses, including inclusion programmes.

In addition to and separate from Department funded Inclusion/SEN courses, some Higher Education Institutes offer privately funded courses on these topics at post-graduate/master’s level, which participants fund themselves.

Finally, the NCSE provides supports to teachers and schools in a way that builds capacity, supports the inclusion of all children, including students with special educational needs, at a whole school level. The NCSE Support Service manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training needs.