Joint Statement from AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland
AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland are deeply concerned at the figures released by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) under the Freedom of Information Act which show 461 documented instances of restraint in Irish schools since September 2025. This is the first set of data released since the publication of the “Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situation” guidelines by the Department of Education and Youth. It is disappointing that a Freedom of Information request was necessary to access this data, rather than being published through mandated quarterly reporting, which is significantly overdue.
This data highlights the inherent failures within the published guidelines, of failing to provide the necessary safeguards and protections for Autistic and disabled children in our education system. These concerns have been highlighted by AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland, as well as key human rights bodies, since their publication in December 2024. As they currently operate, these guidelines are failing to meet their legal duties to be child-centred, robust and human rights compliant.
It is of significant concern, that there has been a normalisation of the use of restraint on Autistic and disabled students in our education system. We know from international data that these students are more likely to experience the use and practice of restraint whilst in school. The data published by the NCSE also highlights several injuries which occurred as a direct result of the use of restraint. This shows that all staff should receive mandatory training, not just in the application of de-escalatory approaches and restraint in crisis situations but in meeting the needs of Autistic and disabled students.
Concerns have also been raised by the lack of oversight and monitoring of these incidents as they arise. The fact the NCSE or another third party has no investigative powers on these incidents raises serious concerns. This fails to provide the necessary safeguards and welfare protections.
The data released by the NCSE gives credence to the fact that the current guidelines are failing Autistic and disabled students. Behind each of the figures published today, is a child, and if we are serious about creating an inclusive education system that meets the needs and legal obligations of the state, we must reflect on the weakness of the guidelines when compared with other similar settings including those in health and social care.
Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm “This data highlights the significant shortcomings of the current guidelines overseeing the policy framework on restraint in Irish schools. The current guidelines do not provide the necessary robust mechanisms to ensure the necessary safety and protections are in place for students and teachers. The publication of this dataset is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the current policy framework and adapt to a new policy framework that is rights compliant. Today’s data is concerning in terms of what it contains – documented failures in training and reporting mechanism timelines – and its failure to capture the likely scale of restraint across the education system, due to a lack of effective external governance and oversight of the application of the guidelines across Irish schools”.
Derval McDonagh, CEO of Inclusion Ireland states “Right now, we have no way of knowing if the children who experienced restraint are any safer as a result of this reporting. We've repeatedly called for robust children's rights focused guidelines and appropriate oversight. These guidelines do not reach the threshold needed to protect children's rights adequately. We must demand better for children”.
AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland are currently preparing a complaint to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities owing to the systemic human rights issues the guidelines raise. We will write to the Department seeking further information on the data provided to-date, including when the first tranche of quarterly data will be formally published, the supports offered to children who are represented in the current figures and when a formal review of the current guidelines will commence.