Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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49. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current qualification requirements for teachers assigned to special classes or special education units, including autism classes, in primary and post-primary schools; if it is a requirement that such teachers hold a postgraduate qualification in special educational needs; if not, the reason; and if her Department, in consultation with the National Council for Special Education, plans to make specialist training mandatory to ensure that children with additional needs are taught by appropriately qualified and trained staff. [26129/25]

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 (www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2023/08/revised-teaching-council-registration-regulations-2016.pdf).

A range of options are available to teachers 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.

In addition, the National Council for Special Education (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 has also secured the services of Middletown Centre for Autism to deliver support to school staff in special classes for children with autism.

A host of skills and teaching approaches are required every day by teachers in their classrooms. The NCSE support service is vital in this regard to ensuring teachers have the training needed to support all students to ensure no matter where a child is enrolled, they are supported and provided the opportunity to reach their full potential. It is open to any school who feels it has a training need to contact the NCSE and arrange training.

My colleague Minister McEntee recently wrote to the Teaching Council to begin work on making it mandatory for all student teachers to undertake one mandatory school placement in a special education setting. This is a key development and should help to ensure newly qualified teachers have the necessary skills and experience to support children with additional needs.

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. My Department and the NCSE are committed to looking at further options to enhance training and supports for teachers and SNAs over the coming period and through the next budgetary cycle.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are immediate plans to provide a “special class” in either of the primary schools in Moate, County Westmeath (details supplied). [26146/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The NCSE is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I have forwarded this issue to them for their attention and direct reply.

Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.