Written answer
Education Policy
The Government is phasing in a permanent Education Therapy Service, initially serving special schools, with expansion planned for special classes and mainstream schools.
522. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth her current plans to introduce permanent formal therapeutic infrastructure in schools. [64693/26]
Comment on this
In line with the 2025 programme for Government, there is a commitment to introduce a national therapy service in education settings. The Education Plan 2025, which was announced on the 19th of June 2025, confirmed Government approval for the establishment of the Education Therapy Service (ETS).
The ETS is an additional support for children with special education need and has been established as a critical and important support for children and young people in their school environment. It is to compliment and not replace family centred supports provided by existing children’s health and disability services.
The ETS is delivered by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), providing Occupational (OT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) supports to schools. In time, further disciplines such as physiotherapy may also be included. The NCSE currently provides three strands of supports to schools. In Strand I, therapists are assigned directly to individual special schools. Strand II, is a Sustained In?School Support (SIT) providing OT/SLT for 18–24 months to a cohort of mainstream schools. Strand III, is a national Therapy Teacher Training Service offering professional learning, coaching, and modelling.
In February 2026, my Department announced the phased expansion of the ETS starting with in special schools. In further phases the ETS will expand to include schools with special classes and mainstream schools. The initial phase of this rollout included 45 special schools in 16 counties. Subsequently, on the 1st of September 2026 my Department announced the further phased rollout, providing therapy supports to an additional 19 special schools in 9 counties.
Recruitment for the ETS is ongoing with a national campaign for therapists currently active. The NCSE and HSE are engaging collaboratively on a national and regional basis to ensure services are delivered in a cohesive, aligned manner with children and young people’s needs at the centre.
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.