Offaly School of Special Education to benefit from therapy service
Offaly School of Special Education in Tullamore has been included in the latest expansion of the Government’s Education Therapy Service (ETS).
The expansion, announced by Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton and Minister for Special Education and Inclusion Michael Moynihan, will bring therapy expertise directly into the school community, supporting children and young people with special educational needs while also working alongside teachers and school staff.
The inclusion of the Tullamore based school in the latest expansion of the therapy service has been deemed a "positive development" by Offaly's three Dáil representatives.
Fine Gael Deputy, John Clendennen, said the announcement would provide important additional support for pupils, families and school staff in Offaly.
“ETS brings therapeutic expertise directly into the school setting, allowing therapists to work alongside teachers, SNAs and school staff in supporting children throughout their school day.
“For families, that means better integration between education and therapy supports and, importantly, bringing those supports closer to the child rather than requiring families to navigate separate systems," Deputy Clendennen said.
Fianna Fáil Deputy, Tony McCormack, said having therapy supports available within the school environment "can make a real difference".
"It allows therapists to work directly with children and alongside the teachers and staff who support them every day.
“I want to particularly acknowledge the management and staff of the Offaly School of Special Education. I know the tremendous work they do and the commitment they show every day to their students and their families.
“They deserve every support we can provide them, and bringing additional therapeutic expertise into the school will strengthen the excellent work already taking place there," Deputy McCormack said.
Meanwhile, Independent Deputy, Carol Nolan, said the inclusion of Offaly School of Special Education in the ETS rollout was "long overdue".
“The Offaly School of Special Education has been crying out for embedded therapy supports, and this confirmation is very welcome," Deputy Nolan said.
The Independent Deputy said the ETS model has "real potential" to improve outcomes for children with complex needs, but only if the Department and the National Council for Special Education “stop treating communication as an afterthought.”
“The ETS is a valuable initiative, as embedding therapists in schools can and should transform a child’s educational experience," the Deputy added.
In its ETS expansion announcement , the Government said it envisaged that the Offaly School of Special Education will have access to therapy supports by the end of the first school term of the 2026/27 academic year.