Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 2 March 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills
Impact of Covid-19 on Reopening of Schools and State Examinations: Update
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source
I have a question for the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and a further question for the Minister, Deputy Foley. I ask that the Minister of State answers as briefly as possible. Parents of children with additional educational needs in mainstream feel they have been forgotten by the Department. At a previous meeting, I said that Sinn Féin wanted a phased return and special education should be the number one priority. That seemed to be the view of the Department, despite the difficulties. However, from the Minister of State's statement, and from what is happening, those children do not seem to be a priority. There does not seem to be any mention of priority for children with additional needs in secondary schools. Does the Minister of State think it is right that a student in first or second year with additional needs would have to wait until 12 April, almost six weeks from now, before they can get back into the classroom? There must be some way to get them in-school support in advance of that?
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