A NEW NATIONAL Therapy Service will begin its rollout in schools in the next academic year.

The service, which, will first become available in Special Schools, will initially be on introducing Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy into special education schools, with an expansion into other areas, such as physiotherapy, happening over time.

The Department of Education said that these therapies in special schools will ensure that the most vulnerable children can access the services that they need, help both the children and their families.

“⁠This service will complement the critical work of teachers and SNAs in supporting children with special educational needs.”

The Department aims to begin the therapies in some special schools later in the 2025/26 school year, with a wider roll out commencing at the start of the 2026/27 school year.

While the service will be implemented in special schools first, the Department said it will eventually be in special classes in mainstream schools too.

Not enough places

Special Edcuation Minister Michael Moynihan has assured parents that appropriate special education school places will be made available to students in need before the beginning of the next school year.

It comes after parents of children with additional needs demonstrated and staged a 24-hour ‘sleep out’ last month outside of the Department of Education requesting that immediate attention be brought to the lack of suitable and available school spaces.

Hundreds of children with additional needs nationwide have been left without a school place or certainty of enrollment next year due to a shortage in the necessary spaces and classes in the Irish education system.

Those who have been able to secure a place are sometimes required to travel long distances, as their immediate school-catchment area does not have the necessary resources to meet a student’s additional needs.

The National Council for Special Education estimates that roughly 130 students are currently in need of a school place, though campaigners and activists claim that figure is much higher and will only climb as the years continue.

The Department said that some 399 new special education classes have been sanctioned for the next academic year, which will provide 2,700 new spaces in special education classes.

McEntee has also said that all teachers going through teaching education will undertake mandatory placements in special education schools or classes.