Results 4,161-4,180 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD). This includes provision for the establishment of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. A total of 63 Specific Speech and Language Disorder special classes in mainstream primary schools have been provided for the 2019/20 school year. This compares to 60...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Following a meeting between my Department and the HSE in September 2018, it was agreed that where children identified by the HSE Audiology Review have a special educational need arising from their hearing impairment, my Department would provide support, in line with its various schemes. Supports provided would be based on children's individual needs, irrespective of the cause of those needs....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 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. Children with special educational needs are supported through placement in mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. At school, they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 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 year; with...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Autism Support Services (9 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I take this opportunity, first, to congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on her appointment. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to outline the current position regarding provision for children with special needs including autism. Enabling children with special educational needs, including autism, to receive an education appropriate to their needs is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Autism Support Services (9 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. I reassure him that the legislative process that is under way is fully transparent. It is published on the departmental website where the Deputy can look at it at any stage. I do not disagree with him. I am aware that one particular child in Dublin North-West is looking for a place and that the NCSE is engaging regularly with the child's parents. While it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of this Department.  Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (15 Sep 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. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (16 Sep 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. As part of that responsibility, applications for the exceptional review process for SNA support are made directly to the NCSE.  I will forward the Deputy’s question to the NCSE for its direct reply. It is expected...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Special classes are part of a continuum of educational provision that enables students with more complex special educational needs to be educated, in smaller class groups, within their local mainstream schools. They offer a supportive learning environment to students who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all of their school day. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387, 407, 408, 409 and 410 together. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. Currently, almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn is invested in supporting children with special needs. Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (22 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Each child has a right to education to enable them to live a full life as a child and to realise his or her potential as a unique individual. All pupils who are enrolled in a school should attend school for the full day, unless exempted from doing so for exceptional circumstances, such as medical reasons. Where schools apply a shorter school day in relation to a child, such arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Very significant levels of financial provision are made to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. In 2018 my Department invested over €1.75 Billion on making additional provision for children with special educational needs. This increased to €1.9 Billion this year, almost 20% of my Departments total...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 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. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The policy of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) is to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. The Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The enrolment of a child...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 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...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: DEIS Scheme (24 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: As the Deputy will be aware, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, is the main policy initiative of the Department of Education and Skills to tackle educational disadvantage at school level. The DEIS plan sets out the vision for interventions in the critical area of educational disadvantage policy and is based on the findings of an extensive review of the DEIS programme, which...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: DEIS Scheme (24 Sep 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I hear the Deputy's frustration and I understand that. It is important to stress, however, that there is no application process for a school to receive DEIS status. The underlying principle for inclusion in the DEIS programme is evidence of the need to make provision of supports to schools catering for concentrated levels of disadvantaged pupils. The identification process for DEIS status...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (24 Sep 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. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (24 Sep 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. As part of that responsibility, applications for the exceptional review process for SNA support are made directly to the NCSE. I will forward the Deputy’s question to the NCSE for their direct reply. It is expected that...