282. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is satisfied that the current teacher education framework adequately supports individuals with substantial experience in special education, including special needs assistants and early childhood education professionals, who wish to qualify as teachers in special schools and special classes; and whether consideration is being given to a dedicated initial teacher education pathway for special education. [66764/26]

283. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether consideration is being given to the development of an alternative, rigorous initial teacher education programme focused on special education, which would enable suitably qualified and experienced professionals to qualify directly for work in special schools and special classes. [66763/26]

284. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has examined international models of initial teacher education specifically designed for special education teaching; and whether any such models are being considered in Ireland. [66761/26]

285. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the current approach of requiring teachers to first qualify as mainstream primary or post-primary teachers before undertaking specialist SEN training has been evaluated in the context of teacher supply challenges in special schools and special classes. [66760/26]

286. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken a review of the pathways available to experienced special needs assistants and other education professionals seeking to qualify as teachers in special education settings. [66759/26]

287. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has considered the introduction of a dedicated initial teacher education pathway for individuals seeking to become special education teachers. [66758/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 282, 283, 284, 285, 286 and 287 together.

Central to Department policy is that all teachers teaching children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) should be qualified Primary or Post-primary teachers in the first instance. Once qualified as a teacher, persons may apply for professional development in the area of SEN.

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 (www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2004/act/30/enacted/en/html) provides that people with special educational needs are educated in an inclusive environment, as far as possible and have the same right to access and benefit from education as children who don’t have these needs.

Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the state.

It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for recognition of qualifications obtained by a person who has applied under this Act for registration as a teacher.

All programmes of initial teacher education (ITE) in Ireland that lead to registration must have professional accreditation from the Teaching Council. The Teaching Council has published Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2023/08/ceim-standards-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf), which set out the requirements which all programmes of qualification for teaching in Ireland must meet in order to gain accreditation from the Teaching Council. These standards were revised in 2020. It is also a benchmark for anybody seeking to register as a teacher in Ireland.

The standards set Inclusive Education as one of the seven core elements which must unpin all aspects of the programme of ITE. Céim includes core elements that ITE programmes must contain, including Inclusive Education: which "includes the fostering of appropriate learning environments, including digital ones, which support the development of student teachers’ ability to provide for the learning needs of all pupils by utilising, for example, a universal design for learning framework." This is intended to provide the foundational competencies teachers will need in order to teach in SEN settings.

From September 2026, all student teachers undertaking placements will be required to complete the Immersive Special Education Learning Period (ISELP). The move to a mandatory special education placement for all ITE students builds on the already extensive changes to ITE in recent years to support a more inclusive education system. The Immersive Special Education Learning Period (ISELP) is a two-week assessed placement applicable to all primary and post-primary schools, including Special Schools.

Oide, the support service for school leaders and teachers, is currently supporting the implementation of new and revised curricula at both primary and post primary. The professional learning frameworks developed by Oide are underpinned by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and place the learner at the centre of the learning experience.

The move towards learning outcomes-based curricula support enables teachers to plan for all learners through adaptable and flexible provision, which accommodates the learner’s voice and choice. Oide recognises that students are diverse and through the provision of a range of supports they invite teachers to examine and alter teaching and learning approaches that meet the needs of all learners.

Oide works closely with colleagues in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to ensure it can support schools in planning for inclusive education. Oide also offers bespoke in-school professional learning to teachers working across mainstream classrooms, special classes within mainstream schools, and Special Education Teaching. Through this, Oide support teachers to adapt practice to include a range of assessments and pedagogies to develop a holistic picture of each child, to ensure teaching is responsive and appropriately scaffolded to their needs.

Teachers are supported to teach the curriculum in their classrooms through the provision of special needs assistants (SNAs). The primary role of the SNA is to provide adult support to meet the core care needs of children in the school community to enable their successful inclusion to attend, participate and reach their full potential in school with their peers.

In relation to the SNA workforce, I recognise the vital role Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play in fostering inclusive education and supporting the wellbeing and development of students with additional needs. The SNA National Training Programme, currently delivered by St. Angelas, Atlantic Technological University and fully funded by my department is available to SNAs working in recognised schools.

SNAs and teachers have fundamentally distinct roles, training paths, and responsibilities in the education sector. SNAs are hired specifically to assist and support students by providing necessary non-teaching supports. It is important to note that an SNA does not have a teaching/pedagogical role in the classroom.

An SNA or anyone who wishes to pursue a career in teaching must complete an accredited initial teacher education (ITE) program and register with the Teaching Council.

My Department continues to assess the staffing needs of our schools and through the Our Schools Our Future (OSOF) initiative is working on developing a new strategy for the future of Ireland’s teaching profession. Our Schools Our Future will be a high-level strategy to inform and advance important strategic areas of education policy and practice including in special education. The work on this initiative will include the review of international education systems. It is intended that the work of distinct, but interconnected Action Groups, along with recommendations from the National Convention on Education which is currently underway, will inform a new strategy Our Schools Our Future to be published in Q1 2028. This strategy will set out a shared vision for the future of education and be implemented over the following years.

A recent report Planning for an Attractive, Competent, Diverse and Sustainable Teaching Profession in Ireland from UNESCO on the teaching workforce in Ireland was commissioned by the Department in 2024 and published recently on 7 September 2026. The report includes recommendations in relation to special education teaching pathways.

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. Special education funding will exceed €3 billion in 2026 – up 58% since 2020 and the highest amount ever provided.

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.