Results 4,461-4,480 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

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

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have provided figures for Primary and post primary pupils in main stream classes recieving assistance from Special Needs Assistans at the end of the 2018/19 school year. The information is provided in the table below. Pupils Post Primary 4853 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: 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 had a disproportionately negative impact on the lives and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (11 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: Departmental Funding (11 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (11 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 (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I am very pleased to have secured agreement to open a new special school at the location referred to by the Deputy. This is a much-needed development which will help to meet the demand for special school places in the area. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has identified that appropriate provision is currently required for approximately 40 special school places for students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: My Department recently announced an In-Person Supplementary Programme to support the education or care needs of primary and post primary pupils with complex needs. Full information including application forms has been provided to all schools. This programme of in-person support is intended to supplement the teaching and learning provided by the student’s school and alleviate the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Department of Education provides for an extensive range of resources to support the inclusion of pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority of the Department. In budget 2021, more than 20% of the total Education Budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: 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 this year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 369, 396 and 452 together. My Department is conscious of the fact that closing schools has hugely adverse consequences at individual, family and societal level and that the effect on children with special educational needs can be even greater. Following intensive engagement and input from primary, post-primary and special education partners, a framework has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Guidance documentation regarding the partial reopening of special schools and special classes issued to all primary and special schools by email on the 3rd of February 2021. The special education section within my Department has contacted the school directly and they have confirmed that they received the relevant documentation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 403 together. My Department is conscious of the fact that closing schools has hugely adverse consequences at individual, family and societal level and that the effect on children with special educational needs can be even greater. Following intensive engagement and input from primary, post-primary and special education partners, a framework has now...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: 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 post primary schools and called for the greater proportion of SNAs in these classes to be allocated on the basis of an educational profile of each school before the commencement of the school year in a similar manner to the allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 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 Staff (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: 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 post primary schools and called for the greater proportion of SNAs in these classes to be allocated on the basis of an educational profile of each school before the commencement of the school year in a similar manner to the allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: 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 this year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: It should be noted by the Deputy that my Department does not initiate such proceedings and cases are generally only litigated where no potential settlement is acceptable to both sides and the Government's authority to decide issues of education policy is in question. My Department does not take lightly any decision to defend cases concerning children with special educational needs. Therefore,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 384, 413, 414 and 416 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 have been commenced. The commenced provisions include those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those providing for an inclusive approach to the education of children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 Feb 2021)

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 regarding SNAs including the need for training. A new national training programme for SNAs currently employed in recognised schools was developed on foot of the Review's recommendations. Following a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 391 to 395, inclusive, 397 and 398 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 have been commenced. The commenced provisions include those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those providing for an inclusive approach to the education of children...