DE Circulars and Essential Documents

Circulars issued by the Department of Education relating to Special Education can be found here

The following documents are to provide guidance to schools on the use, organisation and deployment of additional teaching resources for pupils with special educational needs. This guidance is provided in the context of a revised model for allocating special education teaching resources which was introduced by the Department of Education and Skills in December 2024.

• Circular 0072/2025 - Enhancement to Irish Sign Language (ISL) Scheme Provision.

• Circular 0069/2025 - Report of Education Need for the Purpose of the Assessment of Need Disability Act 2005.

• Circulars 0065/2025 - Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes.

• Circulars 0047/2025 - Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2025 2026 – Special Education Component.

• Circulars 0039/2025 - Approach and key measures to support the Forward Planning for Special Education Provision for the 2026/2027 school year and beyond.

• Information Note 0039/2025.

• Circular 0032/2025 - Special Needs Assistant Allocation 2025/26

• Circular 0024/2025 - Special Classes for Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or Speech Sound Disorder (SSD).

• Circular 0023/2025 - Review of Enrolment in a Special Class.

• Guidelines for Post-Primary Schools - Supporting Young People with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Classes

• Post-Primary Circular 0064/2024 - The operation/application and deployment of Special Education

  Teacher resources.

• Advice on the use of assessment instruments/tests for Guidance or for additional and special educational needs (SEN) in post-primary schools (CL 0084/24)

• Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs – Key Actions for Post-primary Schools 

• Indicators of Effective Practice for Post-Primary Schools - Supporting Young People with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Classes

• Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations

• Circular 0081/2024 - Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations Guidelines for Schools in Supporting Students

• National Council for Special Education

• NCSE Relate A Regulation-First Approach to Reframing Behaviour and Supporting Student Engagement and Participation

• NCSE Professional Development Page

• Circular 0030/2014 - The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme to support teachers in meeting the care needs of some children with special educational needs, arising from a disability