612. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm when special schools will receive formal approval to appoint the additional Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes Co-ordinator post of responsibility provided for under Circular 0038/2026; to outline the reason for the delay in providing this confirmation to special schools, particularly given that mainstream post-primary schools have already been facilitated to appoint to these additional posts; to provide a specific date by which eligible special schools will be notified of their entitlement and permitted to commence the recruitment and appointment process. [65501/26]

As the Deputy will know, in April 2026 my Department published Circulars providing for two Posts of Responsibility in schools to support the implementation of Senior Cycle: the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Co-Ordinator, and the Senior Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programme Co-Ordinator.

These posts were committed to in the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures (SCRISM) document published in May 2025, following extensive negotiations with both the ASTI and the TUI.

I would draw the Deputy’s attention to the fact that Circular 0038/2026 was addressed to the Management Bodies of special schools as well as post-primary schools. The post in question is available to special schools who offer the Senior Cycle Level 1 and 2 Programmes.

My Department and I are conscious of the specific context of special schools and the need to address the provision of additional allocation through the SC L1\L2 Programmes Co-ordinator post and some matters relating to teacher eligibility in special schools. My Department is working at pace to ensure special schools will be fully supported in the enactment and realisation of the SC L1\L2 Programmes. An addendum to Circular 0038/26 setting out the detail of how special schools will be able to implement the additional allocation under the SC L1\L2 Programme Co-Ordinator post will issue in the coming weeks.

It was my great pleasure to visit with some of the first cohort of students to receive their Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programme results this August, and to see firsthand the many benefits of these new programmes come to fruition. My Department and I remain committed to supporting all schools in their offering of these invaluable programmes so that every student can have access to a curriculum that is appropriate to their needs.