An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Dail Éireann — 2025-02-11
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Roderic O'Gorman (GP), Dublin West

What is the Government's policy on the use of reading schools and reading classes in our education system? Reading schools are special schools with low pupil-teacher ratios that are designed to meet the needs of children with severe dyslexia. Due to their success, a number of reading classes have been set up. These are attached to mainstream primary schools and perform the same function. Countless parents I have spoken to have referred to the benefits their children have gained from reading classes. However, the NCSE has put in place a moratorium on the setting up of new reading schools. As the Minister, Deputy Chambers, is aware, the NCSE blocked the creation of a new reading class at St. Francis Xavier school in Blanchardstown. A constituent of ours had to go as far as suing the Department of Education in the High Court in order to get access to a reading school. There is no reference to reading schools, reading classes or dyslexia in the programme for Government. What is the policy?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-02-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:00:55+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-02-11