We are pleased to report that we will be meeting with the Minister for Special Education and Inclusion, Deputy Michael Moynihan to discuss our ongoing campaign calling for Seizure Safe Schools.
Earlier this year, we wrote to every Oireachtas member on the need for a more proactive approach to epilepsy in the classroom, as well as the Minister for Education. Unfortunately, the current situation with epilepsy in the classroom is often reactive – often resulting from a new diagnosis of epilepsy or a new student entering the school. With an estimated 10,000 children living with epilepsy in Ireland today, it is a reasonable to assume that every teacher and SNA at some point in their careers will be supporting a child with epilepsy at some point during their career.
Therefore, we need to see policy changes to ensure that teachers are appropriately educated about epilepsy as part of their initial teacher training – and to have systems in place to have their training refreshed regularly over the course of their careers.
Our correspondence to the Minister for Education on this can be downloaded and read in full via our website.
We also wrote to every school in the country in late 2025 providing them with information about epilepsy via physical copies of our Education Information pack, seizure first aid posters; and outlined the different services we offer to help support schools and children with epilepsy.
Both these exercises have led to increased political attention to our calls and have led to the meeting being confirmed with Minister Moynihan. We look forward to meeting with the Minister next week to discuss our campaign and how we can work together with the Department of Education and other stakeholders to make this a reality.
Separately, a Dáil bill inspired by our Seizure Safe Schools campaign also recently progressed further in the legislative process. The Education Medical Emergencies in Schools Bill 2026 was introduced by Deputy Eoghan Kenny earlier this year to coincide with International Epilepsy Day and aims to strengthen the response to medical emergencies – such as seizures – in our classrooms. Speaking in advance of the bill returning to the Dáil floor, Deputy Kenny said:
“The Bill aims to create a clearer framework for first-aid and medical-emergency training in schools, promote awareness, and enable quicker access to life-saving interventions where appropriate.
“Having worked in our classrooms and having experienced epilepsy in my own life, I understand how important it is that schools are prepared for medical emergencies. Awareness is important, but awareness must lead to action. Every student and every staff member deserve to feel safe and supported in their school community.
“We need to empower those working in school communities to respond to issues when they occur, from epilepsy to allergies, and make sure that those working in schools are fully equipped to provide emergency care when medical assistance is required.”
The Bill was heard under second stage in late April where it was unopposed by Government. However, a timed amendment has been confirmed to allow Government to engage with all relevant stakeholders regarding potential implications of the proposed legislation. You can see the full Dáil contributions on this from Deputy Eoghan Kenny and Minister Neale Richmond in the video below…
We look forward to continuing to engage with Deputy Kenny – and the Government – on the progress of this bill, and indeed with all Oireachtas members and policy makers on the need for Seizure Safe Schools as a whole.
We will provide further updates on this campaign on our website and social media channels when they become available. To learn more about this campaign, visit the ‘Advocacy’ section of our website.
In the meantime, should you need any information or support about epilepsy, please do not hesitate to contact your local Community Resource Officer. You can find their details by visiting the ‘Our Local Service’ page on our website.
Note for Teachers and Schools supporting a child with epilepsy
- Our “Education Information pack: A Resource for pre-schools, schools and colleges” can be found by visiting the ‘For Teachers’ section of our website.
- To download our seizure first aid posters, visit the ‘Seizure First Aid’ section of our website
- We regularly run Information Sessions on Epilepsy Awareness for Teachers and SNAS in conjunction with local education centres. Upcoming sessions can be found by visiting the ‘Events’ section of our website.
- We also offer training in Epilepsy Awareness and the Administration of Buccal Midazolam. Further information on this can be found by visiting the ‘Training’ section of our website.