Results 2,321-2,340 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The American Academy of Paediatrics recently produced a report, stating: This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families. That is a report based on the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Turning to children with special education needs, one of the main steps that is taken by the State to provide for their needs is the provision of special needs assistants. The State has struggled historically to provide sufficient SNAs and to sufficiently incentivise people to become SNAs. Notwithstanding the fact that we are facing a return to school now, they will not be able to distance...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: It has been a while since I went to primary school. I was an only child, so I learned to socialise there. Patterns have changed considerably since Mr. Clerkin or I was in primary school. Children are typically dropped off earlier and stay much later in primary schools in after-hours homework clubs, etc., because of changing work patterns in society. What is going to happen with early...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: That is fine, but is Mr. Clerkin confident that breakfast clubs, homework clubs, etc., will be able to continue in September?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Is Mr. Clerkin confident that he will be able to? I do not wish to land all the responsibility for that matter on him. This is a much broader issue, but is he confident that it will-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: What is the role of the Department of Education and Skills?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Is it coming in behind the IPPN now on these issues of drop-off, homework clubs, etc.?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: It is four months now since the schools closed and they will reopen in six weeks. Time is ticking. This is not a criticism of Mr. Clerkin, because it is not the IPPN's sole responsibility in any way. Many parents, however, are worried about what the situation will be like at the end of August when their children return to school and whether they will then be able to return to the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank the Acting Chairman. I have a couple of questions for the Department. The Catholic Primary School Management Association, CPSMA, is concerned by the shortfall in what is normally generated through fundraising. Obviously, national schools and other schools across Ireland are regularly involved in fundraising, for example, members of boards of management or parents standing at the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Substitutes are key, and as we have been discussing at this meeting, it is difficult to get substitutes. In recent years, a large number of qualified teachers have gone to the Middle East in particular. Some of them have returned. What mechanism is being proposed? It is difficult to expect graduates who are in demand all over the world to sit around on the off-chance that they will get a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Department is proposing to increase the number of posts so that there is no longer irregular work.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Is it correct to say the Department is hoping to increase the number of posts?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Ó Foghlú. At a recent meeting, Mr. Alan Mongey of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals said something that surprised me slightly. He said that, if parents took their children abroad during the summer, they should not expect the school gates to be open to them in September. Will Mr. Ó Foghlú confirm that, if children go on holidays in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Is Mr. Ó Foghlú saying a person must self-isolate for 14 days?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: They should attend school.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: So if their parents bring them abroad they should still go to school.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: What if they have not?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Ó Foghlú. I might try to come in again at the end.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Maybe Deputy Shanahan would go ahead first.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Mr. Alan Mongey has asked me to clarify exactly what he said the last day and I am very happy to do that. Turning to the transcript, he stated that "if parents want students returning to school in September, they must realise that heading off on a foreign holiday to Portugal or Spain is going to challenge significantly the ability of schools to accept those students through their doors at...