Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:480. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of 1, 10, 50 and 100 additional special education teachers by first year and full-year cost. [38936/22]
View answerThursday, 14 July 2022
Questions (480)
Written answers
I 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 average salary cost of a Special Education Teacher employed on a full time basis is €69,000 per annum. The estimated cost of the additions full time Special Education Teachers referred to in the question is as follows, 10 additional Special Education Teachers would cost €690,000, 50 would cost in excess of €3.4M and 100 would cost €6.9M.