AQW 16441/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 09/10/2024
Answered On Date: 17/10/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the Educational Psychology Support that is provided in Irish to students in Irish-medium schools.

Answer:

The Education Authority’s (EA) Pupil Support Services (PSS) include the following special educational needs (SEN) support services which are available to all settings including those within the Irishmedium education (IME) sector:

Autism Advisory and Intervention Service

Literacy Service

SEN Inclusion Service

Language & Communication Service

SEN Early Years Inclusion Service

Sensory Service

My department is concluding its End to End (E2E) Review of SEN. The specific needs relating to SEN provision in IME schools have been considered through engagement with Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (CnaG) and the IME sector.

The emerging findings from the E2E Review of SEN regarding support services for the IME sector have been discussed with the EA and it has been agreed to carry out an audit of SEN provision in IME educational settings.

Educational Psychology Services (EPS) are currently not delivered through the medium of Irish.