Education (Leave for Injuries) Bill 2025: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-18
============================================================

Gareth Scahill (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach

I welcome the Minister once again to this Chamber. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Education (Leave for Injuries) Bill 2025. I acknowledge Senator Harmon and her colleagues for their work and the care and commitment that has clearly gone into bringing this legislation forward. It is evident that this Bill is rooted in real experiences and genuine engagement with those working on the front line of our education system.
I also want to recognise Sophie Cole and her husband Shane O'Brien for their advocacy and for sharing their story with such courage and dignity her tonight and over the last couple of months. It is never easy for families to relive traumatic experiences in the public sphere but their willingness to do so has helped to shine a light on the realities faced by some education staff and has helped drive this conversation forward. I must acknowledge it was 25 February last year when Senator Harmon raised this first in the Chamber. It is good to know she has been able to deliver this Bill within that 12 months. I also acknowledge David O'Sullivan from the INTO and Samantha O'Flanagan from Fórsa for their input into this process.
Teachers and SNAs play a vital and irreplaceable role in our society and I acknowledge all the SNAs and teachers who are present here tonight. They educate, they support, they protect and they advocate for young people, often going far beyond what was written in any job description. SNAs provide essential care and support to children with additional needs and complex needs, ensuring they can participate fully in education. Teachers shape not just academic outcomes, but confidence, well-being and the opportunities for our next generation. Who would not want to do more for teachers and SNAs when we hear some of the real life experiences they have shared in recent years. The stories of physical injuries, psychological trauma and long recovery periods are deeply concerning and no worker should feel unsupported or uncertain about their entitlements if they are injured while simply doing their job.
I acknowledge the examples that were read out earlier on. We have all received numerous correspondence from a lot of teachers, SNAs and members of the public. I wish to recognise some of those contributions as well. One email I received stated:
In the course of my work, I have experienced bites, kicks, and punches from students. While I remain fully committed to supporting the children in my care, I go to work each day with a genuine worry that today could be the day that I sustain a serious injury, the possibility that I could be unable to work and unable to support my own family once my leave is exhausted due to work related injury. It is a constant source of stress.
Another piece of correspondence said:
I work in a school where health and safety is paramount, but dealing with challenging behaviour is becoming increasingly problematic. I have seen it first-hand the harm and hurt that can be caused, not on purpose by the child, but leading to staff absences and in some cases ongoing trauma.
It is right that we look seriously at how we support education staff who are injured in the course of their duties and it is right that we examine whether existing schemes are fit for purpose. It is right that we ensure there is clarity, fairness and consistency in what supports are delivered. For that reason, we are not opposing this Bill tonight. However, it is also responsible that any legislation of this scale is carefully examined in full and I am sure the Minister is committed to working constructively with all parties, with the unions and with the advocates to ensure that the final legislation is as strong and workable as possible. It is important that we fully explore any unintentional consequences that may arise and carefully consider the potential associated costs, both financial and operational, to ensure that whatever framework is put in place is sustainable into the future.
Ultimately, we all share the same goal: safe schools, supporting staff and the best possible outcome for students. If we keep that shared objective at the centre of our work, I believe we can strengthen this legislation and deliver a meaningful, lasting protection for those who dedicate their working lives to educating and caring for our young people.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:39+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-18