Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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1310. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 461 of 15 July 2025, her Department's precise rationale for requiring DLD/SSD of an unknown origin for enrolment in special classes; if her Department will consider revising the enrolment criteria for DLD/SSD classes to align with their stated aim of ensuring that children with the greatest level of need are facilitated to enrol in the classes, given that SSD can arise from a known disability like Down Syndrome and can cause learning needs no less significant than those whose diagnosis arises from an unknown origin, and that the targeted support provided in DLD/SSD special classes is beneficial to both groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44308/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, in September 2024, the Department undertook a review of Circular 0038/2007. An updated circular, Circular 0024/2025 was published in March 2025. The term SSLD will no longer apply in relation to entry to these classes and will be replaced instead with Developmental Language Disorder – Speech Sound Disorder (DLD/SSD). The revised criteria sees, among other changes, the removal of reference to IQ as one of the entry criterion for these classes.

The updates to circular 0038/2007, were informed by robust engagement with the Speech and Language Therapy service in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT) and HSE Speech and Language Therapists. As advised by these specialist services, the revised entry criteria for these classes are intended to ensure that the children with the greatest level of difficulty can access the classes.

Guidelines, a decision-making matrix and additional support from the NCSE have been provided to schools to assist them in ensuring that the children with the greatest level of need are facilitated to enrol in the classes.

Department officials also engaged with education stakeholders, including representatives of schools who provide these classes, to consult on the terms of the circular. The feedback from the stakeholders has been incorporated into the revised circular. The circular will be subject to review and this will involve the full range of education and health stakeholders.

In terms of co-morbidity, it is important to clarify that the criteria for access to the DLD/SSD class does not exclude children with any co-morbid conditions. The circular acknowledges that both the DLD and SSD of unknown origin diagnoses may have co-morbidities. A co-morbid condition is one that exists alongside another and is not causative. We acknowledge that there may be children for whom their SSD is of unknown origin but there are co-morbid conditions and there are others where the SSD results from a particular medical or biomedical diagnosis.

The educational provision provided in a DLD/SSD class is first and foremost an educational placement with integrated health-based speech and language therapy supports. It is an educational response to the impact of health needs within the educational environment.