Results 61-80 of 5,928 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Under the Assistive Technology Scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes.All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bus Services (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. In the current school year over 173,000 children – including 13,400 pupils with special educational needs - are transported daily in approximately 8,200 vehicles across 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Bus Eireann review all school transport services over the summer months. Arising from this review, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements form the basis of the payment to Bus Éireann for the operation of the School Transport Scheme. In this regard, the Department reimburses Bus Éireann for a range of costs incurred in the operation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 236, 238, 239 and 240 together. The government is committed to the provision of additional special school places for children with more complex educational needs. Over 300 new special school places are being provided for the coming 2025/26 school year. Five new special schools are being established in addition to the eleven new special schools opened...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs to schools. I have therefore forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (26 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: There are sixty-three special classes in primary school located across the country for children with Developmental Language Disorder/Severe Speech Sound Disorder. These classes have a pupil teacher ratio of 7:1. In addition, the classes are supported by speech and language therapists provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Teachers and therapists work collaboratively to meet the...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Chair and committee members for the kind invitation to be here this evening. As a former committee Chair, having chaired the disability committee in the last Dáil, and having chaired the education committee quite a number of years ago as well, I wish the Chair and all the committee members the very best of luck in their role. The work of the committees is hugely important...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The point in the circular is to try to make sure we have appropriate places for children. We have come across some cases in which, because of the admissions policies in some schools, children are travelling long distances to get to a school with the appropriate admissions policy. It is not in any way to take from the needs of the children. On the language around the complex needs of...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: For the first time ever really, a large number of schools have come to us which are willing to take on a special class. I compliment school authorities. Many have embraced it and have seen the positives for the entire school community - their neighbouring school may have taken on a special class. The number of children that will need additional places this year was presented to the NCSE...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The special class is sanctioned for the school. Usually, it is because the NCSE has looked at the need within the community, but it would be a collaboration between the school authorities and the NCSE. As regards families or children who are known to the NCSE and who made themselves known to the NCSE by 1 February of this year, that was delayed a week because of the storm. It is our...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: No.

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Yes. When a special class is sanctioned, there is huge engagement with the SENO and the National Council for Special Education with that school prior to the sanction. Therefore, that engagement and that collaboration should continue when the class is sanctioned.

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: There is no policy change this year on that. There is collaboration between the schools. It is something we need to explore very carefully between the special schools such that we get an understanding of what is within their schools. There is no policy change in that no child within a special school will have that place taken off them. That is the first thing. It is also important that...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Going back to the Chairman's point about the teachers and then the redeployment that was there, it is very important that this redeployment scheme for the SNAs is proper. The Department, the NCSE and the Department are working with Fórsa. There is no point in losing a post in one part of the country and travelling 40 miles to the next post. That is not what we are looking at. We are...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: May I get Ms Mannion to talk about that technical point?

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I agree with that. If we take it from the last point first, one of the pillars on the SNA workforce is diversity. We are very conscious of that issue in making sure there is diversity in the workforce. Going back to the initial comments the Senator made regarding his own school and the towns, we are looking very closely at that and where there is additional capacity being provided by the...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The new circular is very much about the review. It is not good enough. We have seen a lot of the special classes and the practice in primary school where the children may be able to be integrated into mainstream for a number of hours in the day. In some of the schools I am familiar with there were children who started in special class but by the time they were leaving they were spending a...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The task force has been set up in Dublin 15 and there has been huge engagement. I cannot overstate enough that the Department of education, the NCSE and ourselves are working week in, week out, and day in, day out, to make sure there will be places for everybody. Our aim for September, whether in Dublin 15 or any other part of the country, is to have a school place for everybody. As I...