Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and her officials to the committee and thank them for making themselves available. It is very important to this committee that they do that and that we get the chance to talk to them on a number of issues in regard to education.

The first part I want to speak on is the summer programme. The Minister mentioned the €40 million and the 20% increase overall, and she also mentioned the national co-ordinator. Can we hear more about the national co-ordinator and what its function is? I have raised at this committee the issue of major towns where there are still no summer programmes available, and the Chair has supported that and contacted the Department. Is the national co-ordinator going to co-ordinate that to ensure that a town like Newbridge, for example, will have a summer programme? The Minister and her officials are aware, as we are from our meetings, of the routine that is needed by parents. When there is a break in that routine and there is no summer programme available, it is difficult for families to re-engage with that and to get back into the education system. It is an issue that has been brought up with us at many of the 50 meetings we have had so far. I ask for a comment on the co-ordinator and whether we can look at those major towns to ensure the routine that is essential for parents is maintained.

With regard to special education places, I have contacted the Department in regard to Kildare and a number of people have come to me to say they have contacted not just one or two but up to ten schools in their area. What they seem to be getting is a list from their SENO through the NCSE of schools. Can we handle that better? Can we ask the SENO to work with the family to ensure that they identify a school rather than parents contacting me and my colleagues, crying on the phone and saying that they have rung ten schools, eight schools, two schools or one school - whatever it is - and they are basically being rejected? Is there a better way of doing it? I believe there is. The Minister might comment.

On teacher education, I first thank all of our teachers as I believe it is important to thank them when we get an opportunity like this. I am aware that they have a difficult job. The special people we are talking about today can be very difficult in terms of teaching, and there is physical assault and so on, which we are aware of. What is the Minister doing in regard to the advancement of teacher training? We have had a number of witnesses who have gone out of their way and paid for their own education and their own training and the Minister will get examples of that through all of our committee meetings. The Minister mentioned the report in March. What are we doing in regard to teacher training to advance the skills that are there, particularly for those who are in teaching for a long time, which the Minister mentioned, rather than those who are coming new to it and may be getting that training?

I want to mention the SNAs, which was an issue referred to by the Minister. I thank the Minister for bringing back the announcement in regard to SNA allocations to April. A number of schools did not get that announcement until the middle of May and there are probably still one or two schools waiting. Is it the Minister's intention to keep it in May or even to bring it a bit earlier in the year?

We are all aware that these people are hanging onto the coat tails of the Department to know if they will have a job in September or not. Will it be April next year, given the great work that SNAs do in supporting our teachers and in ensuring these special people get the education they deserve? Will the Minister commit to having that in April or can we even get it earlier so those SNAs can know they will have a job come September?

Deputy Buckley mentioned school transport and we have been back on forth with the Minister on this in the Seanad. Because of the lack of special school places, some people have to drive and I know the Minister has been given examples of this by other Deputies and Senators. Parents are driving an hour to get to a school in some cases. Is the Department examining the school transport model to see if we can co-ordinate a little bit better? It can be difficult because of the distance involved but I ask that the co-ordination be looked at.