Overview
- Minister Norma Foley announced targeted changes to the Assessment of Need process that preserve the six‑month legal entitlement and parents’ right to apply.
- Eleven support teams comprising 44 experts — a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist and an administrator — will provide clinical guidance to assessment officers.
- An Autism Assessment and Intervention Protocol is due in February to offer a faster route to an autism diagnosis than the AON pathway.
- The Department of Education plans to remove requirements for professional reports for entry to special schools and classes, with implementation not expected before September 2027.
- Pressure intensified as Sinn Féin tabled a motion citing 18,097 overdue AONs and only 4,534 completed in the first three quarters, while teen activist Cara Darmody began a 50‑hour sleep‑out at Leinster House during Storm Bram.