11 Aug Response to the EPSEN Act Review Implementation Plan
On July 30th, 2026 the Implementation Plan for the Review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 was published. This marks a significant moment in the history of education legislation and policy in Ireland, and one that Dyslexia Ireland has followed closely since the EPSEN review process began back in December 2021.
Dyslexia Ireland made a detailed submission to the consultation in March 2023, setting out our concerns around (i) identification and diagnostic assessment of dyslexia and dyscalculia, (ii) availability of evidence-based support and reasonable accommodations, (iii) resourcing of schools, and (iv) the need for a clear and accessible appeals process for parents and guardians in situations where support falls short.
While there is a great deal to welcome in this implementation plan, there are also areas where we believe it falls short.
Student Support Plans
A very positive element of the plan is the commitment (Recommendation 2.1) to formalise Student Support Plans and have them underpinned by a statutory right of appeal. This has been a long-standing priority for Dyslexia Ireland. For years families have described a system in which decisions about the level and type of support a child receives are made informally, often communicated verbally, and rarely subject to any external scrutiny. A right of appeal, properly resourced and genuinely accessible to parents, would represent a meaningful shift toward better and more authentic collaboration between schools and families. We note however that this legislative change is not expected to be enacted until 2028/2029, which is a considerable wait for parents currently navigating the system.
Parental Rights
Also welcome is the renewed emphasis on the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill, addressed under Recommendation 1.3, which is due to progress to Committee Stage in the Dáil later this year. This legislation will require schools to formally set out how they engage with students and parents/guardians, including a standard complaints procedure. A great many of the calls we receive from members concern the absence of any clear process for raising concerns when a school falls short in providing support for their child or young person. The prospect of a standardised procedure, applied across all schools rather than left to the discretion of individual boards of management, would represent real progress. Mediation, which many parents would welcome as a less adversarial alternative to formal complaints, is also helpfully referenced as an option under consideration within this process, and we would encourage the Department to commit to formalising this option more firmly.
Initial Teacher Education
The focus on initial teacher education (ITE) is also encouraging. The move towards a mandatory assessed placement period in a special education needs setting for all student teachers (Recommendations 8.2 and 8.4) addresses a concern we have raised repeatedly, namely that newly qualified teachers frequently enter the profession with limited practical exposure to supporting children with specific learning difficulties. We would also like to see all trainee teachers have a mandatory number of days where lectures focus on how best to identify and support the needs arising from dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Dyscalculia
In the plan dyscalculia receives only passing acknowledgement, generally folded into broader references to literacy and numeracy needs rather than addressed as a specific area requiring distinct attention. This mirrors a pattern we have observed for some time, in which dyscalculia is treated as an afterthought to dyslexia rather than a condition warranting its own diagnostic pathways, teacher training, and classroom and exam accommodations. Given that the review report ran to 51 recommendations across 16 themes, we would have expected to see at least one action specifically targeted at improving the identification and support of children with such mathematical learning difficulties. Its absence is a stark missed opportunity.
Evidence-Based Structure Literacy
The question of evidence-based literacy tuition is another area requiring closer attention. The plan speaks extensively of inclusive practice, Universal Design for Learning and general professional development for teachers, all of which are welcome in principle. However, there is comparatively little detail on how children with identified literacy difficulties like dyslexia will receive structured, evidence-based literacy intervention delivered by appropriately trained staff, as distinct from broader classroom differentiation or general pedagogical approaches.
Timeline and Oversight
Finally, we would like to highlight the timeline of the plan. Only 10% of actions are scheduled for completion in 2026, with the majority of legislative changes extending out to 2027, 2028 and beyond. We understand the argument for a carefully sequenced approach. However, children currently in the system, and the parents advocating on their behalf, do not have the benefit of that timeframe.
We would also welcome more information on the oversight group who have been charged with monitoring delivery of the actions in this plan, as we need to ensure that the voices of those affected by dyslexia and dyscalculia are fully represented.
The Implementation Plan is available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/consultations/epsen-review-consultation/#epsen-act-2004-review-implementation-plan-and-easy-read-report.
The document is available in English and Irish. An Easy Read version of the Implementation Plan is also available to support accessibility.