Waterford minister welcomes expansion of the Education Therapy Services
It is hoped these schools will have access to therapy supports by the end of the first school term of the 2026/27 academic year. Stock Image.
Waterford Minister John Cummins has welcomed the announced expansion of the Education Therapy Services to the county.
Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, today announced the expansion, which will benefit St Martins Special School, St Joseph’s Special School and St Johns Special School in Waterford.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Cummins said this was fantastic news for special education in Waterford.
Every child should have the opportunity to participate, learn and thrive at school.
“For many children and young people with special educational needs, having therapeutic professionals working alongside school staff can be an important part of making that possible,” said Minister Cummins.
The service is being delivered by the National Council for Special Education.
Depending on resources, it is hoped these schools will have access to therapy supports by the end of the first school term of the 2026/27 academic year.
This expansion builds on the initial rollout of the ETS announced in February 2026, which saw 45 special schools across clusters included in the first phase of the service.
The first cohort of therapists assigned to schools in the initial rollout were onboarded by the NCSE in May 2026, with further therapists continuing to join the ETS over the coming months to support the schools involved in the first phase.
“The development of this ETS service has required extensive collaboration from various stakeholders and the wider education and health sectors, and I want to thank everyone who has played a part in getting to this stage,” said Minister Cummins.
Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, said this expansion means the service will now be in every county with a special school.
“It reflects our ambition to build a more inclusive education system, where therapeutic expertise is an integral part of the supports available within school communities, rather than something that children and families must navigate separately.
“I want to acknowledge the work of the NCSE, schools, therapists, families and education partners in making this service a reality.
“We will continue to build on the progress made this year, with further expansion planned throughout 2027, so that children and young people attending special schools can access high-quality therapy supports as part of their educational journey,” said Minister Naughton.
