Results 2,781-2,800 of 6,374 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When the scheme was announced, there was reference in the Chamber and the press release to almost doubling its capacity to cater for up to 20,000 children. Yesterday in the House, the Minister referred to 9,200 children having registered for the home-based programme and perhaps 3,400 for the school-based programme. That is a long way short of 20,000 children. I fear that there has not been...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In terms of the 9,200 children for the homeless programme, the comments made by the witnesses are very valuable. Are they concerned that children and families will be disappointed because they will be unable to find a tutor? Will a large cohort of people be affected?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: My final question is on children with Down's syndrome. The point has already been well made by Deputy Butler about children with Down's syndrome who attend mainstream secondary education and who are not entitled to avail of this programme. There was much hope when the Minister announced that children with Down's syndrome would be entitled to avail of this programme but it now appears there...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As I have 30 seconds left I will ask a final question. Is the proposed transport grant feasible or workable? Will it assist parents to get their children to the school-based programme?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the witnesses.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the NCSE and Department for attending. Their submissions are very valuable and I thank them for their time. My first questions are directed to the NCSE and the remainder will be to the Department. In our previous session, we heard that a great deal of concern and frustration was expressed by the parents of children with Down syndrome. This is something I have experienced with...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There is no educational basis, therefore, to draw a distinction between primary mainstream children and secondary mainstream children with Down syndrome. There is no basis for that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is obvious of huge concern.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It is also disappointing. There is an issue with special school places in my experience, in Cork at the very least. My next questions are for the Department. How many teachers and SNAs will be available to provide the summer programme?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: How about the home-based programme, which traditionally accounts for approximately 70% of the programme? How many teachers and SNAs will be available for this?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am aware of the process. Mr Tattan might say that it is demand-led but he is not giving me an indication. Does he have any idea how many teachers or SNAs are available to deliver the home-based programme?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Did the Department have any basis to support the belief that there would be more available this year than there was last year?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I appreciate that and common sense would have suggested to me that there would potentially be fewer. On that basis, the Minister comes in here and tells us that he wants to double the programme and he is talking about as many as 20,000 teachers. How was that prepared and planned for?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Teachers or SNAs are needed to deliver the programme. If the Department is talking about doubling the number of students who would be able to avail of the programme, there would have to be a concurrent increase in the number of teachers or SNAs.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: What I am taking from this is that the Minister came into the Dáil and said we would try to double the programme with no evidence to suggest that was possible.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I recognise the importance of the programme being expanded and being as inclusive as possible but my concern is around when the capacity planning happened. What was the extent of the Department's capacity planning for delivering this programme?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: How many schools was that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is the number that are registered. How many indicated to the Department beforehand that they wanted the programme to be run?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: How many meetings happened to try to gauge what the capacity would be?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This is an important programme and I want it to succeed but I fear that the preparation has not happened and that many students and families who want to avail of it will not be able to access it and will be disappointed. They have had their hopes raised and I fear those hopes will be dashed. I hope I am wrong. I want to ask a number of questions on some of the related issues. Some of...