Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
317. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of employing an additional 100 resource teachers; the current number employed; the projected number of additional resource teachers to be employed in 2023/2024 due to demographic pressures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38476/22]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the questions raised and would advise the following:
Budget 2022 provides for an additional 620 new Special Education Teacher (SET) posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes; students to be enrolled in new special classes and new special school places and the needs of new and developing schools.
This will bring the total number of SET in the mainstream school system to 14,385 in December 2022.
Work is ongoing in relation to finalising the budgetary projections for 2023/24 for SET.
The estimated cost for the employment of 100 Special Education Teacher, on a full-time basis, would be €6.9M per annum which is based on the average salary cost of a Special Education Teacher of €69,000.
