Results 4,101-4,120 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Targets are necessary. Some 14% of our land is already designated, which is quite substantial. We have 440 SACs, 150 NHAs and 154 SPAs. One quickly gets used to anagrams in this Department. We will look at the EU targets. It is recognised that in order to meet the needs of the EU strategy at least €20 billion per year should be unlocked for spending on nature and that a...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. Unfortunately, I will have to disappoint her and say it is allowed all year round for road safety purposes and that I do not have any discretion. The dates for the cutting of hedges are set down in primary legislation under the Wildlife Act 1976, as the Deputy knows. Section 40 of the Act prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation with certain...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: -----I will just finish the sentence - such as hedge cutting and clearance for safety purposes along public roads.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The Deputy is answering her own question. Roadside hedge cutting is always allowed for road safety purposes, so the question is a bit of a paradox.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: To be clear, the Wildlife Acts dictate when hedge cutting takes place, which is September to February, and the Minister, which is me at the moment, has no discretion. Roadside hedge cutting is always allowed for road safety purposes and other hedge cutting is allowed for agricultural and forestry purposes.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The biodiversity officer is up to the local authority. I was asked earlier about heritage officers and I know that 31 local authorities have a heritage officer but there are about two or three local authorities that do not have a biodiversity officer. My full understanding is that it is a matter for the local authorities themselves to resource for a biodiversity officer. Recruitment is...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (17 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I appreciate the Deputy's passion for the subject but it does not come not under my remit. It comes under that of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I will relay the Deputy's concerns to the Minister. I do not know whether he was here earlier, but another Deputy referred to the areas mentioned. From my perspective, the 86 National Parks and Wildlife Service parks and reserves...

Presentation of Revised Estimates: Motion (24 Jun 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 215(1) or (2) of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business, the following Revised Estimates for the Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2020, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members on 24th June, 2020, being a date later than that prescribed for the presentation of Estimates: Vote 32...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I cannot deal with the transport issue, but I can tell the Deputy about the July provision. If there has been an issue with a constituent in Galway, I ask her to give me the details in order that I can look into it. This year, 243 schools and a total of 24,000 children across the country, an increase of 9,000, have availed of the July provision. Many of these children have complex needs,...

Future of School Education: Motion [Private Members] (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: In her opening remarks, my colleague the Minister, Deputy Foley, set out in detail the approach the Government is taking to reopening our schools. We have listened very carefully to the contributions in the House tonight. It is useful for me, as a Minister of State, and my colleagues in government to hear from Deputies of the concerns they are hearing in their communities. While the school...

Future of School Education: Motion [Private Members] (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: With respect, I think this is a matter for the Chair, for the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Special schools funded by my Department are classified as primary national schools and are intended, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 64(1) of the Rules for National Schools, to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. Special schools may however seek approval...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department.  Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Accordingly, the question has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply. Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Budget 2020 provided for 1,064 additional SNA posts, for allocation in 2020, which will bring the total number of SNA posts in schools to over 17,000 in 2020. The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The NCSE has published details of SNA allocations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Special schools funded by my Department are classified as national schools and are intended, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 64(1) of the Rules for National Schools, to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. Special schools may, however, seek...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Special Schools funded by my Department are established as special primary schools and cater for children and young persons with complex special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. Provision in our 124 special schools has increased from 6,848 placements in 2011 to 7,872 this year. The National Council for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Summer Provision is aimed at helping children with complex needs prepare for a return to education, particularly after the health restrictions that have been in place over recent months. As work continues on planning for the re-opening of schools, it is important that we take measures to help the prevention of regression among these children in terms of their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jul 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department has now published The Roadmap to the Full Reopening of Schools. This roadmap sets outs how schools will reopen for all students, including students with special educational needs and those who are blind and visually impaired, from the end of August. It envisages what the operation of our schools will look like upon reopening and contains a range of guidance on the measures to be...