Results 4,321-4,340 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 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 (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Schools were notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21 in April 2020. The arrangements include the following provisions: - 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations were frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020 (published on 24 April 2020), and automatically rolled over into the 2020/21 school year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 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 educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: As the first-ever Minister with responsibility for special education, I am determined that specialist educational placements are available to meet the needs of children with special educational needs where required. We are fortunate in Ireland that most schools accept their responsibility in this regard and are very willing to enrol children with special educational needs and open special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 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 educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the trojan work of school communities in keeping schools open during this pandemic period. School leaders, teachers, Special Needs Assistants and parents have worked together effectively in managing the risks presented by Covid-19. We are grateful to them. A range of essential control measures have been implemented to reduce the risk of the spread...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department is committed to supporting every child with special educational needs to receive an education. Next year we will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of the total educational budget, on making additional provision for special educational needs. The manner in which special education teachers are allocated to schools is based on the profiled needs of schools. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 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 educational needs. This investment will support the provision of over 1,200 additional special class places. Notwithstanding the extent of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 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 educational needs. This investment will support the provision of over 1,200 additional special class places. Notwithstanding the extent of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 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 educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department has allocated a post to a small number of schools who have students enrolled with significant hearing impairments as confirmed by professional reports. The post holder is required to have relevant professional qualifications. They are employed on similar terms and conditions to SNAs and there are no plans to review this matter at present. The purpose of these posts is to enable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Nationwide, there are 69 new special classes opened in secondary schools for the current school-year, of which 65 are ASD classes. Additional classes may also be created in areas where there is an identified need between now and the end of the school year. Next year, over 20% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (1 Dec 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 SSLD special classes in mainstream primary schools have been provided for the 2020/2021 school year. This compares to 60 such special classes in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. NCSE is actively working with primary and post primary schools in the Dublin 1, 7 and 9 areas to establish special classes. At primary level, there are currently 2 ASD Early Intervention classes and 13 ASD classes in this area. NCSE has also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department has published a Roadmap to Support the Full Reopening of Schools, which is currently being implemented. The Roadmap includes specific guidance and a dedicated financial package for the Special Education Sector. There is extensive guidance available to assist and guide schools in relation to the decision making required during this pandemic period. Pupils in special classes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: It is my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school. This approach is consistent with the provisions of the Education for Persons with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: In relation to information requested by the Deputy please see information set out below: Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 special needs assistants (SNAs) which brings the total provision to 18,014 for 2021. These posts will be allocated to primary, post primary and special schools. The total number of SNAs available has increased by over 70% since 2011, from 10,575 in 2011, to over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of autistic students in mainstream schools to the greatest extent possible. Autism is a spectrum condition, so some autistic students require relatively little support in school and are largely independent in their learning, while others require significant levels of support. There is therefore not one preferred...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) carry out very important care functions for children with care needs in the school. The purpose of their role is to enable children with significant care needs to attend school and participate in school activities to the maximum possible extent. The aim of the role is to address the immediate care needs of the student and encourage their independence. Over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are employed by the managerial authorities of individual schools or by Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The Board of Management/ETB is the SNA's employer and the recruitment and deployment of SNAs within schools are matters for the individual Principal/Board of Management, subject to Departmental guidelines. Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support is...