2026-06-16

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, for being here to take this Topical Issue. It is one of particular importance to the people of my constituency, particularly young families in the west part of the constituency, Connemara. I will elaborate on that as I go on. One has to recognise in raising this topic the significant investment and expansion in the provision of classes for children with additional needs, this year in particular, but also in the previous academic year - since this Government came into office. It is one thing in the work of this Government we can reflect on with great pride. There have been in the region of 1,000 additional classes for children with additional needs in our mainstream schools since the Government came into office; that is 1,000 additional teachers and potentially 2,000 extra special needs assistants in the system, allowing children with additional needs to attend their local mainstream national school with their peers, as it should be. The Taoiseach said at the outset of this Government that he wanted to provide a step change in the provision of education and services for children and for people with additional needs. The other great measure the Government has taken is in the area of providing therapeutic intervention in special schools, that is, providing special schools with speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. Hopefully, we will see that expanded to the mainstream setting in years to come. For now, unfortunately, that provision is not there, particularly in the area of speech and language. When reflecting on the additional classes provided this year, it would have to be said that we are meeting a significant demand for children with autism. However, in the list of over 500 classes that we provided this year - and I could be wrong - there is one class for children with delayed language disorder. Fortunately enough, it happens to be in my hometown and in my constituency. I know the school involved well. The school management are very appreciative of the effort and have already filled that class. Connemara is in the west of my constituency. It is a significant geographic area. Even if going beyond the county border into west Mayo, there is no class for children with delayed language disorder. That is something we need to look at. A report from 2021 outlined that across the country there were in the region of 60 classes for children with delayed language disorder. They are dispersed and a significant number of them are in urban areas. We need to look beyond that to provision of classes elsewhere. I have a unique request. My interest has been instigated by a family from west Connemara who came to see me. It is not practical for them to bring a child into Galway city to attend the delayed language disorder class. The Department of Education and Youth needs to look at the area between Moycullen and Clifden to see whether it can find a school where it can provide a class for children with delayed language disorder. I have another request, which cannot be neglected either. In south Connemara, which is the Connemara Gaeltacht, Irish is the first language of the community. Delayed language disorder affects children irrespective of the language they speak. I have also been petitioned by parents in south Connemara. They are seeking a class for their children with additional need in the area of language disorder. I appreciate the Minister of State being here. I acknowledge the great investment and expansion the Government is doing in the area of education of children with additional needs but I ask that this request get a fair hearing in the Department.

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this issue. I awkwardly have my back to him but we will do our best with the dynamics of the Chamber. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan. It is the policy of the Department of Education and Youth, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary. Indeed, I am married to a special education teacher, SET, and this is something I hear about daily. The Department has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to support children with special educational needs, including students with literacy difficulties. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their SETs have been published on the Department’s website. There are 15,000 special education teachers allocated to primary and post-primary schools to enable them to support children with special educational needs. Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment, such as computers or software, to assist children with special educational needs, including children with a specific learning disability, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the National Council for Special Education through their local special educational needs officer for such support. It is important to note that the majority of students with literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher in a mainstream class. This is provided on the basis of the individual student’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis or assessment of a particular disability. There are four schools dedicated to supporting students with specific learning disability, SLD. There are also fourteen SLD classes in eleven mainstream primary schools located across the country, in counties Dublin, Clare, Louth, Galway, Kerry and Wexford. These settings have a student-teacher ratio of 1:9 and are normally attended by students aged between eight and 12 years old for a maximum of two years. Students will have a diagnosis of dyslexia and score at the second percentile or lower on literacy standardised tests. They will also have an average or above average level of intelligence. In May 2021, the inspectorate was requested by the Department of education's special education section to evaluate provision in special classes for children and young people with an SLD, as referred to by the Deputy. The purpose of the evaluations was to examine the quality of provision for children and young people with an SLD, with particular reference to understanding the placement of children and young people in these classes and to identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in learning and teaching in these classes. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, has discussed this issue with the inspectorate, and will be engaging with it further, as well as with officials in the Department and with several organisations and advocacy groups. The Deputy has raised the cases of just two families but I have no doubt there is an abundance in all our constituencies, particularly in his constituency of Galway West. The Minister of State stands ready to take a deputation meeting, if required. I encourage the Deputy to pursue that where possible.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I welcome the Minister of State's final comments. I would welcome very much that we would provide the opportunity for the families who are making this very genuine case. He is correct. I have met two families in these circumstances but no doubt there are many more who would benefit from the provision of a class for children who have a challenge with speech and language. I noted in my previous contribution the distance parents will travel to meet the needs of their children. In this review done by the Department's inspectorate in 2021, it was found children travelled up to 45 km to attend a class for children with additional needs. It is difficult for them to maintain contact with their local school during placement. Placement would be generally for two academic years. For a child in national school between the ages of five and 11 or 12, a journey of 45 km every day from Monday to Friday is arduous. They should be able to access adequate education provision much closer to home. I understand we cannot, unfortunately, have such a class in each mainstream school but we need to look at the map and at where in the country there are gaps in the provision of such classes. Can the class be placed appropriately in an area that makes it difficult for nobody and where everybody has a suitable opportunity to attend? The other crucial aspect, and we all know this because the data and the study from the inspectorate show this, is the importance of early intervention and how the outcomes can be enhanced by earlier intervention. This review, undertaken by the Department's inspectorate, highlights that many of the children attending have very positive outcomes and find they can in many instances overcome the language delay. I appreciate the answer. I particularly appreciate the opportunity to bring a delegation to meet the Minister and I certainly will take him up on that.

It is important to remember that the vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend school in mainstream classes with their peers. This goes to the crucial point raised eloquently by the Deputy about the hardships that a long commute would put on certain families, especially in a constituency such as his own or that of the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Ó Murchú, or Deputy Daly, with such vast spaces. The notion of having to travel up to 45 km may be not something I or Deputy Devine would know in our constituencies but it is certainly something that would have a colossal impact and requires a level of attention. Central to providing that care and education, as I stated, are not only the 15,000 special education teachers but also, crucially, the 12,500 special need assistants. That is, obviously, always the optimum and the ideal, but there are always situations where children will need to go to specialist classes, even if it is not for the full duration of the two years. I am extremely grateful to the Deputy for raising this. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, stands ready to engage with him further on the point.