Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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844. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans for increasing supports for special schools; if she will meet with a school (details supplied) regarding resourcing needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59466/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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876. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has met with or engaged directly with the management and board of management of a school (details supplied) regarding their serious concerns in relation to a lack of appropriate supports and the unsafe conditions they face; and if not, whether she will agree to a formal meeting to discuss these concerns. [59835/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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877. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department intends to introduce in-school multi-disciplinary teams, including psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and behaviour support workers, in SEBD schools (details supplied), where the need is particularly acute and the current reliance on external CDNT services is proving insufficient and inconsistent. [59836/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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880. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review pay and allowance structures for teachers and SNAs in SEBD-designated schools, in light of the fact that staff in such settings face significantly higher-risk working conditions than those in mainstream schools but do not receive any additional allowance, unlike teachers in secure units or detention centres. [59840/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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881. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to address the recruitment and retention crisis in SEBD-designated schools, particularly given the absence of structured mental health supports, salary differentials, and growing levels of burnout and staff turnover. [59841/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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882. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has considered establishing a dedicated staff support framework for those working in SEBD-designated schools, similar to that available in secure or custodial education settings, to ensure adequate protection, supervision, and wellbeing supports. [59842/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 844, 876, 877, 880, 881 and 882 together.

My department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are aware of the recent issues raised by the school to which the Deputy refers and has contacted the school in this regard.

I would like to reassure the Deputy that my department and the NCSE are committed to supporting all schools including special schools in ensuring that all students are provided an appropriate education to reach their full potential and achieve their educational goals.

To support this 860 additional special education teaching posts and over 1,700 new SNA posts have been provided by Budget 2026. This will mean we will have over 46,500 teachers and SNAs working in our education system. If any school, whether special or mainstream, has concerns regarding the level of resources to meet the care needs of its students, they can contact the NCSE at any stage to seek a review of its SNA allocation.

The Programme for Government commits to the introduction of an Education Therapy Service (ETS). This service will begin in special schools and gradually extend to special classes and mainstream settings, ensuring that all children can access essential therapies in a timely and effective way. The allocation of €16 million in Budget 2026 will support the continued rollout of this service, including the recruitment of additional occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, along with the necessary resources and supports. These therapeutic services will:

• Build the capacity of school communities to better support all children, and
• Provide one to one therapy interventions for those who need them most.