The Government has been accused of failing pupils with special needs by not ensuring that they receive sufficient services from therapists as early as possible.
Minister for Employment and Social Protection Regina Doherty identified speech and language and occupational therapies as the services children particularly require.
She was responding to questions about a report in today's Irish Times, that the Government is alarmed by the sharp increase in its budget for special needs education.
Ms Doherty said that if the Government could reduce the need for Special Needs Assistants by increasing children's access to the therapies "it might all come in the round".
She said: "We are failing them by not giving them speech and language therapy and occupational therapy at the rates that they need them. So there's a real examination needed there".
Minister says Social Protection department will not contribute to water charges refunds
Separately, Ms Doherty said her department will not be contributing towards the Government's promised refund of water charges.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that almost everyone who paid the water charges will be refunded by the end of the year.
Earlier this week, Minister for Health Simon Harris said that water charge payments will be refunded out of existing exchequer resources.
Today, Ms Doherty said that she will be giving back any savings her department makes this year to vulnerable groups such as lone parents and children.
She said that, as far as she was aware, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe had already identified the money from underspends in other departments.
She said: "We have not had a conversation. So it won't be coming from my department."
The sum of money involved is around €170m and consists of water charges paid by householders before the charges were abandoned.
Close to one million customers of Irish Water paid, or partially paid, water charges before they were ended.
Earlier this year, an Oireachtas committee decided to scrap charges and approve refunds.
The Dáil voted to accept the report of the Committee on the Future Funding of Water Services on 13 April.
The water charge regime was introduced under the previous Fine Gael/Labour coalition government.
Ms Doherty was speaking at Dublin Castle in advance of attending the annual pre-budget social protection forum involving over 40 civil society groups which advocate for welfare recipients.
She and Minister of State for Disability Finian McGrath are attending seminars at which the organisations are pitching their preferred options for measures in October's budget.
Minister Doherty also announced that a pilot scheme is being introduced, which will allow some people in receipt of Fuel Allowance to receive their payments in two lump sums in October and January.
The total sum remains the same at €585 and the scheme could help those who opt-in to make savings by buying their fuel in bulk.
It is being piloted for the coming year and the trial is scheduled to begin in October.
