Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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1264. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the national- and local-level coordination between core services to children attending special schools; the efforts being made to ensure enhanced coordination and effectiveness within the in-schools national therapy service; the work being carried out by her Department in respect of improving coordination between the different branches of the service that is, NEPS, CAMHS, NCSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43909/25]

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 Department of Education has worked with the Department of Health and the HSE services on the development of a protocol to improve the liaison process in place between schools and mental health services. This will facilitate referral pathways to local services and signposting to such services.

Educational Psychologists working in the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) may as part of their casework engage with local services.

The Education Therapy Service (ETS), which will be delivered by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), will develop an embedded therapy service. It is anticipated it 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 in special schools and it is envisioned that all special schools will have access to this service within the 2026/2027 school year. This service will be expanded over time, to include special and mainstream classes.

An embedded therapy service will ensure the development of robust relationships between therapist and teachers, allowing for co-design, joint problem solving and consistency. It will also provide the opportunity for consistent collaboration with parents and existing services such as NEPS, CDNTs, Primary Care and CAMHs.

Department officials are working closely with the HSE to ensure therapy services provided in schools are aligned and integrated with existing services. The ETS is not a replacement for existing services, it is intended that it will work in a complementary manner with Primary Care and Children’s Disability services.

Additionally, my department recognises the importance of supporting student transitions into and from school settings while ensuring that students with more complex needs are supported optimally.

The National Strategy and Action Plan for Lifelong Guidance is about helping people to make better choices about their education, career and life choices, through information, advice and guidance counselling services. The proposals in the action plan include providing guidance delivered by appropriately trained professionals for students in special schools for the first time.

The NCSE has also published transition guidelines between all stages of education that are designed to assist parents to support their children to make successful transitions.

My department has two pilot programmes to support students to make optimal transitions from school. Both pilots have been expanded and the programmes remain subject to an ongoing external evaluation.

In addition, Budget 2025 has provided funding for specific targeted supports for children transitioning into new school settings.

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.