Results 4,301-4,320 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 61. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of her plans to encourage as many schools, teachers and special needs assistants as possible to facilitate the summer provision programme in 2022; if the early payment of all staff involved will be guaranteed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23692/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The summer provision programme is vitally important. Eight weeks and more is an incredibly long time for children who are autistic or have profound intellectual disabilities or other special needs not to have any contact with education. That is why the programme is so crucial. Very often, parents find that the programme does not last long enough or that they are unable to find a tutor or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I welcome the review of the programme. Some of the measures outlined will indeed assist. Last year, a significant number of schools contacted me about delays in providing details of the summer provision programme, which prevented them from being able to provide the programme to students. The timeframe meant they did not have time to prepare and organise summer provision. I wrote to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The issue of lower levels of pay for SNAs, and their significant disparity, has been raised on several occasions. I urge the Minister to look at that because SNAs are very often crucial in providing the programme. A significant issue raised each year is that of the late payment of staff who volunteer their time to facilitate summer provision. This comes in the context of many schools and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will establish an expert review group to examine the minimum qualifications of special need assistants; if recommendations will be issued in relation to same; if she will delay contract negotiations until this review has taken place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23693/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We spoke earlier about SNAs and the respect shown to them. One of the key demands they are making now relates to respect and their qualification criteria. The request is not big or excessive. It is that there would be an independent review to examine the minimum essential qualifications of SNAs. Will the Minister of State commit to such a review and the implementation of its recommendations?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The short version of the Minister of State's answer is that the Department will look at this matter in a few years. I am trying to imagine an alternative discussion. Imagine the UCD course did not exist. We might figure out exactly what we are asking SNAs to do before we design a course. The course is very beneficial. There were difficulties with accreditation and we had many debates...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Again, this is pushing the issue down the road for a few years. Let us play this forward. The Department carries out the review and there are public sector pay talks, followed, I presume, by an agreement. I then come back and raise the question of holding an independent review in, say, a year and I am told there was a review of the contract and it is the way it is. The public sector pay...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It is not dismissed. Can I correct that?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Ba mhaith liom cuidiú le mo chara agus leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta Gould. Is scéal dearfach é sin. D'éirigh go hiontach leis an scoil in ainneoin nach bhfuil foirgnimh aici le breis is 30 bliain. It has been a very long and difficult road for this school, but despite that it has thrived. I am encouraged by what the Minister has said, but I hope...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bullying in Educational Institutions (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I wish to address the issue of the development of a new RSE-SPHE curriculum, which seems to be progressing extremely slowly. There are a number of issues tied up in this. There is a need to expedite divestment but even within that, we need to ensure there is a bare minimum standard in terms of RSE that every school can expect. The Minister will know that attention was recently drawn to a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will put on the record, on behalf of Deputy Tully, that she also shares some of the concerns that I previously raised about summer provision.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure that all Ukrainian children and young people arriving in Ireland have access to adequate education and schooling; and the resources that she has provided to facilitate same. [23699/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Thousands of school-aged children and young people have arrived into Ireland from Ukraine over recent weeks. I am seeking an update on what is being done to ensure all Ukrainian schoolchildren receive a school place, and on the supports they will have.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: With the limited time I have, I want to flag that children and young people arriving here from Ukraine have had their whole lives uprooted. I acknowledge the huge work that has been done by schools to try to facilitate them by going to significant lengths. Is there a specific funding stream in place for schools and Ukrainian families for the purchase of uniforms and schoolbooks for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Sometimes there is a need for cash too.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 80. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that lodged an appeal to be reconsidered for DEIS status; and when schools will find out whether their appeal has been successful. [23700/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of her plans to ensure that there is uniform, comprehensive and inclusive relationship and sexuality education in all schools; and if she will provide an update on the review by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment of the relationships and sex education curriculum. [23698/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of forward planning undertaken by her Department to ensure that all children with special educational needs receive a suitable school place in their local area. [23697/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the roll-out of the front-loading allocation model of special needs assistants; and if she will publish the criteria used to determine this allocation. [23696/22]