319. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider reopening Route 4 recognising prior learning and experience of individuals wishing to qualify as teachers; and if she has given consideration to other measures to enhance the career progression of SNAs in our education system. [67707/26]

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.

The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/8/enacted/en/html and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2025 www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2025/10/SI.2025.0482_TC_Registration_Regulations.pdf. As set out in the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under five routes of registration: Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The qualification requirements for each route are set down in the Schedule. My department has no role in the registration of individual teachers.

The Council holds its accredited programmes and teachers to high standards and to protect the integrity of the register, all those who qualify are held to the same standards. It is a matter for the Teaching Council that this is applied equally to all applicants.

It is the Council’s responsibility to ensure that all teachers entering the profession in Ireland have met the required standards. These standards have been established following extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, research, and in accordance with Department of Education and Youth's policies and priorities and developed over a number of years.

The Teaching Council works within Department policy and central to this policy is that all teachers teaching children with Special Educational Needs 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 Teaching Council as the professional standards body for the teaching profession, sets the standards for programmes of initial teacher education (ITE) and reviews and accredits programmes provided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the State, based on those standards. All programmes of ITE in Ireland that led to registration must have professional accreditation from the Teaching Council. The standards for programmes of ITE, which were revised in 2020, are published in Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (2020) eur05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachingcouncil.ie%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F08%2Fceim-standards-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf&data=05%7C02%7CAmanda_Carthy%40education.gov.ie%7Cce9d6a49d3fe4471a2fb08dd781de274%7Cf5c0d15a869347e3b506b1617300787f%7C0%7C0%7C638798791925724927%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WnpyZJfvbAD90Yglej0A%2F7h2HqDgG5YJB36R8TDn44A%3D&reserved=0

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.

The Education for Persons with [Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004] www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2004/act/30 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.

Cognisant that teacher education policies vary among countries, Route 4 of the Registration Regulations provides for teachers who have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland with an initial teacher education programme in teaching children with special educational needs. These teachers must be fully recognised by the competent authority/teacher licensing body in the country in which they qualified and have completed any post qualification requirements such as teacher induction.

As you are aware my department published the first ever Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Workforce Development Plan (the Plan), in June of this year. Built around five strategic pillars, the Plan recognises the vital contribution SNAs make to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and enabling their full participation in school life. It sets out a clear framework to strengthen and support SNAs through enhanced professional development, greater role clarity, workforce sustainability measures and stronger collaboration across school communities. While circulars related to the Plan were suspended in August to allow for further consultation with key stakeholders, my department is committed to supporting the SNA workforce in their important work supporting children with special educational needs.

The Plan was developed following extensive engagement and consultation with stakeholders across the education sector and sets out high level objectives and policy developments under five key pillars including the areas of learning and development.

As acknowledged throughout the Plan SNAs are important members of the whole school community which works together to create and maintain a positive, productive, safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. However, 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. The SNAs main job is to provide high quality, appropriate adult support to students with special educational needs so that they can attend school and access the curriculum alongside their peers. It is important to note that an SNA does not have a teaching/pedagogical role.

I am aware from research carried out with SNAs for the Plan, that many SNAs are eager to build on their experience and skills. The Plan places a strong emphasis on learning and development within the SNA role. This is complemented by the SNA National Training Programme, currently delivered by St. Angelas, Atlantic Technological University and fully funded by my department, which is available to SNAs working in recognised schools.

An important principle of the education system is that all learners are entitled to access the curriculum in accordance with their ability and need, and as such, to the same standard of teaching as all other learners. Department circulars outline the routes of registration that are applicable to schools, including SEN settings and special schools.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all teachers, at primary and post-primary level, have the skills they need to support the diverse needs of all our children and young people in our schools. It is critical that our teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to continue to deliver high quality and inclusive education.