Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to clarify within every special school if every teacher and SNA, respectively has the appropriate qualification; and if not, the number of teachers and SNAs, respectively do not, out of the total number of teaching and SNA staff and if she will make a statement accordingly. [40095/25]

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.

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.

It is important to remember that the Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016.

My colleague, Minister McEntee, recently wrote to the Teaching Council to begin work on making it mandatory for all student teachers to undertake a 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.

In relation to special needs assistants (SNAs), circular 0051/2019 – Recruitment and Appointment Procedures for SNAs sets out the minimum educational requirements for appointment to the post of SNA. All SNAs employed to work in recognised schools must meet this minimum requirement.

My department is currently working on the first SNA Workforce Development Plan which includes a consideration of the training needs of SNAs. Scheduled for delivery later this year the plan is being developed in consultation with stakeholders including SNAs, school staff, parents, school management bodies and the relevant trade unions. Included in the five key areas that the plan will address is the establishment of a SNA learning and development programme. It is intended that actions will be developed in this area to support SNAs through training opportunities to build their individual capacity and that of the SNA workforce as a whole.

Actions to be set out in the plan will be complemented by the SNA National Training Programme which is fully funded by my department and has been available to SNAs since 2021. Approximately 3,800 SNAs have completed the SNA National Training Programme to date.

Following a procurement process, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) St Angela’s College has been awarded the contract for continuation of this course from September 2025. Enrolment for the academic year 2025/2026 is now open via the ATU website.

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.