The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was set up to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs.

The Council was first established as an independent statutory body by order of the Minister for Education and Science in December 2003.

The aim of the NCSE is to support an inclusive education system that enables students and young adults with special educational needs to achieve their potential.

• We plan, co-ordinate and review the provision of educational supports to support students with special educational needs in line with Department of Education and Youth policy.
• We provide the Minister for Education and Youth with expert, independent, evidence-informed policy advice on special education for students and young adults.
• We commission, conduct and share research on all aspects of special education.
• We provide information on special education to all who need it.

The NCSE operates on a team basis.

NCSE Teams

• Cavan Monaghan Leitrim
• Clare
• Cork (2 teams)
• Donegal
• Dublin (4 teams)
• Galway
• Kerry
• Kildare
• Laois Carlow Kilkenny
• Limerick
• Louth Meath
• Mayo Sligo
• Offaly Tipperary
• Roscommon Longford Westmeath
• Waterford Wexford
• Wicklow

• Special Education Teaching (SET)
• Access to Special Needs Assistants (SNA)
• Assistive Technology
• The provision of Transport for eligible students
• The provision of Escorts for eligible students
• Visiting Teacher service for children with visual impairment, those that are deaf and hard of hearing and deaf blind children

Educational Settings

• Mainstream school with supports
• Mainstream special classes
• Special schools
• Home Tuition is available for students in certain circumstances

• Contact your local SENO
• See information on location of special classes

• In order to be placed in a special school a child must have a professional report stating that he/she has a special educational need and that this need is of such complexity that a special school placement is required. Special schools have a lower student-teacher ratio specified according to category of disability.
• See map showing the location of special schools in your area.

• SENOs plan, co-ordinate and review the provision of additional education supports to schools that enrol students with special educational needs in line with Department of Education and Youth policy.
• SENOs support parents and guardians by providing information, establishing special classes and engaging with other professionals working with your child.
• SENOs advise and support parents and guardians around the availability of special classes, special schools and other educational supports.
• SENOs process Transport and Assistive Technology applications and forward to the Department of Education and Youth for sanction.

SENOs work within geographical areas. Each school has an assigned SENO. You can find your SENO by getting in touch with us:

• Contact NCSE head office at 01-6033346 and you will be put in touch with your SENO.
• View contact details for SENOs.
• View contact details for all regional staff.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are school-based additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

SNAs are provided to schools on the basis of the overall profile of need. Schools recruit SNAs and are responsible for the deployment of SNA support to individual students. Schools can apply to the NCSE for a review of their SNA allocation. View information on the SNA Review process.

View our information booklet for parents of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs (NCSE 2019).

Allocating special education teachers to schools

Schools get a single allocation of Special Education Teacher (SET) hours. The number of special education teachers allocated to a school is determined by the size of the school and its educational profile.

The school deploys supports through SET by taking into account a student’s learning needs. Access to SET is no longer based on a diagnosis of a particular disability. The additional teaching may be provided in the classroom or in small separate groups. Some pupils may need additional one-to-one teaching for a specified period.

View Guidelines for primary schools supporting pupils with special educational needs.

• Quick Reference Guide for Parents/Guardians (Primary)

The Department of Education and Youth provides school transport services for children with special educational needs. Bus Éireann (the State public transport operator) operates the school transport service on behalf of the Department.

The School Transport Scheme applies to children with a special educational needs recognised by the Department of Education and Youth. The student must be attending the nearest recognised special class or special school resourced to meet their special educational need.

Application for transport is made through the school the student is enrolling/enrolled in. The school then sends the application to the local SENO for processing.

The SENO processes the application to determine if it meets Department of Education and Youth criteria for this scheme. The SENO then sends the form to the Department of Education and Youth.

The Department of Education and Youth approves applications for school transport and Bus Eireann assesses the options available.

Escort Provision

As part of the transport application the SENO may recommend an escort to accompany a student, if the students care and safety needs require that support.

Application for Assistive Technology is made through the student’s school management. A recent assessment from a relevant professional detailing the nature and extent of the student’s disability and the equipment most appropriate to their needs must accompany the application. The school then sends the application to the local SENO.

The SENO processes the application to determine if it meets Department of Education and Youth criteria for this scheme. The SENO then sends the form to the Department of Education and Youth.

The Department approves applications for assistive technology and notifies the school of the outcome.

• Visiting teachers provide support to children, families and schools from diagnosis to end of post primary education.
• Home support is provided for children who are not yet attending a school setting.
• Give advice and support to pre-schools to make application for support under AIM (Access Inclusion Model).
• They prepare transfer reports to enable children transition from pre-school to primary, from primary to post-primary, and post primary to third level.
• To recommend appropriate assistive technology to enable pupils access the curriculum.
• Support post primary pupils who require reasonable accommodation in certified state exams and the disability access route to education (DARE).

View contact details for your local Visiting Teacher.

• Advisors provide professional development for teachers and other school staff to enhance their ability to respond to students with special educational needs.
• To develop useful resource materials for schools and parents.

HSE provides health based supports through their local disability network services.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provide psychology supports to schools.

The Continuum of Support framework is designed to assist schools in identifying and responding to students’ needs. This framework recognises that special educational needs occur along a continuum, ranging from mild to severe, and from transient to long term, and that students require different levels of support depending on their identified educational needs.

The school inclusion model is a pilot project in seventy five schools in Kildare, Wicklow and South Dublin. The aim of the project is to build schools’ capacity to include all students, including students with additional needs, in the life of the school. This is done by providing a range of educational, psychological and health based supports to schools and students, in addition to HSE supports. The supports include school based Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and support from Behaviour Practitioners.