Therapy and Inclusion Services

Therapy and inclusion services is a unit within Special Education who are responsible for the design and delivery of therapy supports in schools.

The Programme for Government 2025 has committed to the introduction of an Education Therapy Service (ETS). The Education Plan 2025, announced on the 19th of June 2025, confirmed Government approval for the establishment of this service. This is a transformative initiative that will make a real difference in the lives of children and families.

The ETS will begin in special schools and gradually extend to special classes and mainstream settings, ensuring that all children can access essential therapies in a timely and effective way. The ETS will provide therapeutic supports across a multi–tiered model, working in a universal, targeted and individualised way to maximize every child and young person’s participation and potential in education.

The Service will initially focus on Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT). The service will be based in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Clinical governance will be provided through a dedicated therapy management structure.

The ETS is not a replacement for existing services, it is intended that it will work in a complementary manner with Primary Care, Children’s Disability services and Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). DEY officials are engaging with HSE staff to ensure the model of service delivery for the ETS, and existing services are aligned and coordinated..

The development and delivery of Education Therapy Service (ETS) will be informed by detailed engagement, and working collaboratively, with colleagues in the HSE and stakeholders and will build on the strengths of the work previously completed through the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) and the School Inclusion Model.

Link to the NCSE Therapy webpage

Further details on the ETS can be found here

Frequently asked questions on the ETS can be found here

We are currently undertaking a series of engagements and workshops with parents and focus groups, and the related reports will be uploaded here, once available

Recruitment

The NCSE is currently preparing a large-scale recruitment campaign for therapists, which is anticipated to go live in November 2025. Further details on the ETS recruitment campaign can be found here

Press releases

Ministers Naughton and Moynihan launch recruitment campaign for new Education Therapy Service (ETS)

Education Therapy Service (ETS)

Address: Marlborough Street, Dublin, D01 RC96.

Email: therapyandinclusionservices@education.gov.ie