Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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916. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's current approach to supporting students with dyslexia, including early identification, specialist interventions, teacher training, assistive technologies such as text-to-speech software and examination accommodations; if instruction in structured literacy methods for example, multisensory and systematic phonics is promoted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46246/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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920. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the professional learning opportunities available to mainstream and special education teachers to develop competencies in structured literacy, dyslexia screening and intervention strategies; the number of postgraduate SNA-special educational needs training places that have been assigned in the current year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46250/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 916 and 920 together.

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.

In working to develop a more inclusive education system, we want to support students to attend their local mainstream schools. This means that children can be educated with their peers and are not required to travel long distances to attend special schools or classes.

15,000 special education teachers have been provided to enable schools to achieve this. In practical terms this means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support children with special education needs who are in mainstream classes.

The additional resources are intended to support students with the greatest level of need, including those with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia.

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 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.

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.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provides professional learning opportunities that are available to all primary and post primary school teachers on supporting children and young people with special educational needs.

Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment to assist children. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.

The State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations, or RACE, scheme. A central tenet of the RACE scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. The range of accommodations provided within the scheme has been designed to ensure fairness for all when facilitating candidates in demonstrating their level of achievement. It is important to note that access to the scheme is needs based rather than based on a specific diagnosis.

The State Examinations Commission is currently undertaking a review of the RACE scheme in the context of Senior Cycle Redevelopment and the wider special educational needs policy landscape. It is a comprehensive and system wide review of the scheme.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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917. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department is considering the establishment of additional reading schools or specialist reading classes for children with severe dyslexia; the current number of such settings nationally; the changes since 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46247/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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919. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way dyslexia-specific supports, such as additional reading schools or classes, fit within the implementation of the new Ireland's Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033 for example, under "supporting diverse learners" pillar; her views on the alignment of these supports with identified strategy actions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46249/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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921. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students currently served by reading schools or specialist classes for severe dyslexia, by region and, by local authority area; the projected future demand; the planned timeline for expanding such provision, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46251/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 917, 919 and 921 together.

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.

At present, there are four special schools, and fourteen special classes attached to mainstream schools to support students with a specific learning disability such as severe dyslexia. These schools and classes are mainly located in our largest urban areas. I want to acknowledge the excellent work they do, however, there is no plan to establish more reading classes/schools at present. It is important to note these schools and classes were established at a time when there were much fewer additional supports in mainstream schools.

In working to develop a more inclusive education system, we want to support students to attend their local mainstream schools. This means that children can be educated with their peers and are not required to travel long distances to attend special schools or classes. 15,000 special education teachers have been provided to enable schools to achieve this. In practical terms this means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support children with special education needs who are in mainstream classes.

The additional resources are intended to support students with the greatest level of need, including those with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia.

Of course, I recognise the importance of building the capacity of teachers in mainstream schools to meet the needs of all students. To support this, over 300 places are funded each year for teachers to attend post-graduate special education needs programmes. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) offers dedicated professional learning opportunities for teachers supporting students with additional needs. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provides professional learning opportunities that are available to all primary and post primary school teachers on supporting children and young people with special educational needs.

Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment to assist children. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.

The need for any additional provision or resources for schools to support students with dyslexia is kept under constant review by the NCSE.