Results 4,221-4,240 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. In this year's budget, more than 20% of the total Education Budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special needs, an increase from €1.9bn last year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. In this year's budget, more than 20% of the total Education Budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special needs, an increase from €1.9bn last year. Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. Next year, over 20% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special needs. This investment will support the provision of over 1,200 additional special class places. Notwithstanding the extent of this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. In this year's budget, more than 20% of the total Education Budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special needs, an increase from €1.9bn last year. Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) was published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018. The Review made a number of recommendations including the need for a national training programme for SNAs currently employed in our schools. Following consideration of the recommendation including engagement with stakeholders, it was decided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. In this year's budget, more than 20% of the total Education Budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special needs, an increase from €1.9bn last year. Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. In this year's budget, more than 20% of the total Education Budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special needs, an increase from €1.9bn last year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and co-ordinating 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 (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: 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 some areas of the country, including areas of South Dublin where my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 to 193, inclusive, together. My Department is committed to supporting every child with special educational needs to receive an education. The Department next year will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget annually, on making additional provision for children with special educational needs. This represents an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (15 Oct 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. It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in...

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

Josepha Madigan: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels. My Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 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 co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I would like to reassure the Deputy that ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is an ongoing priority for my Department.  While the NCSE continues to experience difficulty in securing special school placements in certain areas of Cork, I am aware that a placement had been secured for this child in a special school.  I also understand that the local Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (20 Oct 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. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (20 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional SNAs for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by December 2020. This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support children in mainstream classes and the transition to the new allocation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (20 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent statutory agency which has been established in accordance with the provisions of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. The Act sets out the responsibility of the NCSE to coordinate and plan for the provision of education for children with special educational needs nationwide and to advise the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Oct 2020)

Josepha Madigan: It has been a priority of this Government to ensure that schools could reopen in a way that is safe and sustainable. A financial package of over €375 million has been provided to support the reopening of schools, which includes provision for additional staffing, reconfiguration of classes, enhanced cleaning, Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) and access to additional psychological...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 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...