Results 4,761-4,780 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (1 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As a small aside, it is a bit peculiar to make reference to districts given that the new operating model is based on the divisional model, as the Minister of State has mentioned. The districts are not really the metric any more. Making a comparison with 2015, which was the lowest point, is something of a distraction. In any event, we are focused on a particular part of the district, which...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I add my voice to those of the preceding speakers. It is vital that we ensure the redress process moves forward but the way this is being circumscribed is unacceptable, unconscionable and unreasonable. It is quite arbitrary in lots of ways. A man came to visit me in my constituency office on Monday. He wanted to tell me about his experience. I told him that typically when we instance...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she and her Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, have identified the number of places in special schools and special classes that will be required next September; if so, the number; and the number of places above and beyond what is currently available that will be required; and if all named parties are now...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In the late summer of last year, a lot of time was dedicated to ensuring there were adequate places in special schools and special classes. At the time, we all agreed it was important that this year we would be as far ahead of that as possible. That said, I have already heard from four or five families in my constituency, and I was just speaking to Deputy Clarke about Athlone and various...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There was a bit of that. It was fairly broad brush strokes. I have acknowledged and welcomed some of it in the past. The question is specifically about the number of places. As things stand, the NCSE should know how many places are available in special schools and special classes. It should also know how many children require those places. Anecdotally, on the ground, it seems that this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister of State offered to provide numbers. Given that such information was sought in the question, I would welcome some numbers in her final response. I am aware of one particular child who is in a special junior school, who has applied to five or six different schools. The child does not have a place for September. I know other families whose children are in unsuitable places,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if free schoolbooks will be available to primary schools in September; if so, when the payment schedule will issue to schools; and if she will outline the discussions she has had with booksellers and publishers. [5253/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Sinn Féin has been talking about free school books for primary school for many years. It has been in place in the North for approximately 70 years. I certainly welcomed the announcement in the budget that it was to be considered for this September. Schools are beginning to wonder how they get themselves organised. I received a written answer from the Minister recently that put a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I ask the Minister to repeat the last part of her answer and outline exactly what is happening after the Easter break. That is relatively late in the school year for some primary schools. I agree with a lot of what she said. She certainly will not find me saying that this is a bad idea. We have been talking about it for long enough and it is a good idea. It will reduce the burden on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I agree that there must be consultation, and I was saying that before Christmas, but there is a balance to be struck in that regard. Hopefully, we can get a payment schedule for schools as soon as possible so that they can go out and buy the books. Has the Department looked at the question of e-books? They could play a role in the context of parents' concerns about the weight of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister and the Minister of State may have seen reports over the past year, particularly in the Irish Examinerin December, about the situation of Fiacre Ryan, who is quite an inspiring young man of 21 years of age. He became the first non-verbal autistic person in Ireland to write a book. That was possible because he had the use of the rapid prompting method, RPM, which is a technology...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am glad that the Minister of State is quite familiar with RPM, has had engagement with families on it and can see the benefits of it. That is encouraging. I take the point that you have to cut your cloth to measure and that different children will require different things. No one is suggesting that it will be a silver bullet but a request has been made for a pilot programme to be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It seems to me that a discussion needs to happen behind the scenes on this. A pilot would potentially be of benefit. The point about empirical evidence is fair enough but some of that might be down to a lack of research so a pilot might help to establish an evidential basis. The Minister of State can talk about schools being at liberty to use RPM but that is not necessarily to say they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Briefing on Current and Future Plans for the School Building Unit: Department of Education (31 Jan 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Mr. Loftus for his presentation. I also thank him and his colleagues for coming before the committee. The appendix Mr. Loftus has provided is quite useful. My first question relates to an issue I raised previously with the planning and building unit. It has to do with the provision of school halls. Approximately 10% of post-primary schools do not have a hall. I have come...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Briefing on Current and Future Plans for the School Building Unit: Department of Education (31 Jan 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: What I am hearing is that a school building project needs to pass a certain threshold and if a school might need a complete retrofit, the Department is not at the moment looking at a hall. I will give three examples. I will not name them because I do not have permission to do so. It will give a sense of the kinds of situations we are talking about. I am thinking of a city centre school...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Briefing on Current and Future Plans for the School Building Unit: Department of Education (31 Jan 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Is it not possible to give an overall figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Briefing on Current and Future Plans for the School Building Unit: Department of Education (31 Jan 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Mr. Loftus.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Briefing on Current and Future Plans for the School Building Unit: Department of Education (31 Jan 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I agree very much with the points made by the Deputies from the east Cork area and the pressures that exist there. I do not require a response on my next point, which is on patronage. It is something we will really have to consider. It is very clear that the process for identifying new patrons creates difficulties for Irish medium schools. If we rely on new schools to do so we will not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 88. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how she intends to ensure that the 10% of post primary schools without school halls can be provided with same. [5248/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 96. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the recent change in position with regard to funding for an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5250/23]