Results 4,441-4,460 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (8 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I welcome the opportunity to address Senators in the House. We are all aware of the challenges and difficulties faced by all sectors of society over recent months as we tackle the threat of Covid-19. Restrictions, although necessary, have not been easy and the burden has been particularly heavy on those who are most vulnerable. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (8 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: It is hardly sufficient time to try to answer many of the queries, but I have done my best to try to take a note. In my opening remarks I repeated our collective welcome that students with special educational needs will start to return to their classrooms from Thursday of this week. This will be an important milestone from which we can build towards a full return for all students. I thank...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (8 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Government's commitment to special education has been clear from the start of this pandemic. It is the first time that the public health advice was not taken on board. This has been a difficult time for families of children with special needs and we must ensure we try to get all of them back to school as soon as possible. It is positive that some of them will be back into a school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I am aware of the impact of Covid-19 on teaching and learning in our schools. During this period of school closure, students are supported on a remote basis. Later this week we all see the partial return of students in special schools to in-school teaching and learning and special classes in primary schools will resume from next week. A new supplementary programme of in-home tuition/care...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Education Review (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 together. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. The Department of Education will spend approximately €2 Billion or over 20% of its total educational budget in 2021 on making additional provision for children with special educational needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) continues to accept applications by schools for exception reviews of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations and each application will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis. A core recommendation of the NCSE Review of the SNA scheme concerned a change in the way that SNAs are allocated to mainstream classes in both primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: My Department is very conscious of the particular strain that school closures place on children with special educational needs and their families. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has created a dedicated phone line for parents to get advice and support from Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), which has been operational since the 11thof January. The SENO will provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The School Inclusion Model is based on policy advice from the National Council for Special Education based on the principle of providing the right support at the right time delivered by a range of personnel with relevant qualifications and skill-sets. Its purpose is to help students achieve better outcomes. Independent evaluation is a central part of the project and the outcome will inform...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: My officials have advised that the home tuition grant application in question was sanctioned. Correspondence to this effect issued to the applicant on the 8th of February 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: A significantly expanded Summer Programme was provided in 2020 for children with the complex needs as a discrete response to Covid-19. The programme included a number of strands and options from which parents could choose, involving either in-school, or home-based supports by teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to help to prevent regression among children with SEN. The role of Tutors...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 to 447, inclusive, together. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. The Department of Education will spend approximately €2 Billion or over 20% of its total educational budget in 2021 on making additional provision for children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: A significantly expanded Summer Programme was provided in 2020 for children with the complex needs as a discrete response to Covid-19. The programme included a number of strands and options from which parents could choose, involving either in-school, or home-based supports by teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to help to prevent regression among children with SEN. The programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 and 460 together. My Department is very conscious of the particular strain that school closures place on children with complex special educational needs and their families. While most children reportedly adapted reasonably well to remote learning, there is a developing body of evidence which indicated that the absence of school and other supports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Teaching Council is the independent regulatory body with statutory authority for the professional regulation of teachers in this State. Registration with the Council is necessary in order to be recognized as a teacher for employment in a state funded teaching post. Registration ensures that standards of entry to the profession are maintained. Teachers may apply for registration in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Department provides for a range of supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with dyslexia, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, she will have access to an appropriate education. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Inclusive education is at the core of my Department’s policy which requires differentiated teaching approaches to cater for the varying levels of ability in the classroom, including providing additional supports to those experiencing difficulties in learning. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Support Service now include the Special Education Support Service (SESS),...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In recognition of the fact that remote learning is particularly challenging for children with complex special educational needs, my Department is putting in place a supplementary programme to support the education and/or care needs of pupils with complex needs. Information has been provided to schools who are in the process of contacting the families of eligible pupils to assist them with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 475, 476, 478 and 481 together. My Department is very conscious of the particular strain that school closures place on children with complex special educational needs and their families. While most children reportedly adapted reasonably well to remote learning, there is a developing body of evidence which indicated that the absence of school and other supports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In recognition of the fact that remote learning is particularly challenging for children with complex special educational needs, my Department is putting in place a supplementary programme to support the education and/or care needs of pupils with complex needs. Information has been provided to schools who are in the process of contacting the families of eligible pupils to assist them with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (11 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 to 133, inclusive, together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the planning and cordination of education provision for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNA posts. The following table outlines the number of SNA posts allocated to schools at September 2019. In addition, 2,556 SNA posts...