Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton T.D. and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Michael Moynihan T.D. have launched a national recruitment campaign for therapists to join the new Education Therapy Service (ETS). The initiative, managed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), aims to recruit 90 occupational and speech and language therapists to provide therapy supports in special schools, initially covering 45 schools in the 2025/2026 academic year. The ETS will adopt a multi-tiered approach, prioritizing children with the greatest needs while complementing existing services.
The ETS will continue to support mainstream schools with sustained in-school therapy and assist teachers through the NCSE’s national teacher training programme. Both ministers emphasized the transformative impact of having therapists embedded in schools, enabling children to access therapy without leaving class and equipping teachers and SNAs to provide better support in the classroom. The phased rollout will eventually extend to all special schools and special classes within mainstream schools, ensuring wider access to therapy services.
John Kearney, CEO of the NCSE, highlighted that the ETS will integrate closely with existing services, including Special Educational Needs Organisers, Visiting Teachers, and the National Educational Psychological Service. The service will operate under NCSE governance with clinical oversight to maintain professional standards and deliver evidence-informed practices. Stakeholder engagement with health and education professionals, advocacy groups, and parents will ensure alignment with current children’s services, fostering collaboration and consistency across schools.
The ETS will initially focus on Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy. Selection of schools for the first rollout is underway, with the service expected to begin in selected special schools later in the 2025/26 school year and continue phasing in through 2026/27. Positions will be advertised from 28 November 2025, closing on 16 January 2026, with salaries aligned to HSE consolidated pay scales for therapy grades.
The development of the ETS aligns with the Programme for Government and represents a cross-department initiative. The service will expand training and college places for health and social care professionals, addressing the current national shortage of therapists. Evaluation and continuous quality improvement will build on prior HSE pilot programmes and NCSE experience. Initial practice placements will support the 39 existing therapists in the Education Therapy Support Service, with the potential for significant expansion as the ETS grows.
