Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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100. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to update on the pilot therapists in special schools programme in Cork. [32427/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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In August 2024, the Government agreed to support the special schools’ pilot for enhanced in-school therapy supports. The pilot is delivered by Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) led by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and its funded agencies, in 16 selected special schools in Cork, Dublin and Galway and is supported by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). This pilot supplements existing services being provided through the CDNTs.

In Cork, there are three lead agencies involved in the pilot, namely Brothers of Charity, Cope and Enable, each supporting two special schools. The HSE advise that all Speech and Language Therapy posts and Occupational Therapy posts assigned to the six Cork special schools participating in the pilot have been filled. These therapists are on-site in the schools and are providing input to the children.

The National Disability Authority has been commissioned by the HSE to undertake an independent evaluation of Phase 1 of the special schools’ pilot, with a full report expected to be available in late summer.