Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the programme for Government commitment to create a national therapy service; this be located in the National Council for Special Education or in her Department; when it will start to hire staff; it will start to provide therapy services to children in special schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21674/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is my intention to prioritise the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a National Therapy Service in education, commencing in special schools and subsequently extending to schools with special classes and mainstream provision. This service will be delivered by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), building on the NCSE’s work previously completed through the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS).

The introduction of a National Therapy Service follows the decision of the Government in 2021 to prioritise the restoration of pre-existing, on-site, health and social care supports for children in special schools. The National Therapy Service will work alongside existing services such as CDNT’s and NEPS to ensure all children and young people have the opportunity to access supports in the right place at the right time, maximising their potential and engagement in their education.

It is intended that the National Therapy Service will commence in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year. Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out commencing in the 2026/27 school year. Initially the service will include the disciplines of Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy, over time further disciplines such as physiotherapy may be included.

Officials in the Department of Education have begun engagement will with relevant Departments and agencies on the design, timelines, alignment, integrated working and costings involved to deliver this ambitious programme of work.

There is a shortage of therapists in Ireland at this time. In terms of managing the recruitment and retention of therapists and following on from the Programme for Government’s commitment to increase training places for crucial disciplines, my Department is engaging with colleagues in the Department of Health, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science alongside the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the HSE to ensure an increase in training places for key disciplines such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists as a matter of priority.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, in view of the fact that the HSE has confirmed that it cannot provide a therapist allocation for the 12 new children who were due to start in (details supplied) and the existing 36 children do enjoy the services of allocated therapists, if she will consider asking either the NCSE or the proposed new national therapy service to intervene and provide equivalent therapy services to these 12 additional children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21675/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department and the National Council for Special Education (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.

The provision of clinical therapy supports to individual children such as the 12 children mentioned is the responsibility of the HSE. However, as Minister for Education I am committed to ensuring that children have access to additional educational supports required to maximise their potential.

Within my own remit, I am conscious of this government’s ambition, as outlined in the Programme for Government, to extend therapy supports within the education system over time and initially in special schools. Work in this regard has been initiated by department officials with a plan to provide therapeutic provision through education to special schools during the school year 2025/2026. The provision of therapeutic services to special schools will be provided on a phased basis. This will not replace HSE services but rather complement existing supports recognising that special schools in particular support children with complex needs.

In addition, the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) was established in June 2024 within the NCSE and will comprise of 39 therapists, initially. ETSS therapists will work in schools to build the capacity of teachers and other school staff. The expansion of therapy services within the NCSE is expected to build on the achievements and impacts of this element of the School Inclusion Model (SIM) pilot programme.

Currently 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. It is planned that the Stand II will be available in the Western Region for the 2025/2026 school year.

Regional Therapy Support and Sustained In-School Therapy will be available to all schools in these regions, including special schools, following an application process through the NCSE.

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.

You will also be aware that recruitment and retention of clinicians is a significant issue for therapy services. The demand for Health and Social Care Professionals outstrips the supply of these valued professionals. To this end and in line with the commitments made in the Programme for Government 2025, my Department is engaging with colleagues in the Department of Health, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science alongside the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the HSE to ensure an increase in training places for key disciplines such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists as a matter of priority.