Results 4,781-4,800 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (11 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 475 and 485 together. The Government has approved the provision of significantly expanded summer education programmes for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage, as a Covid-19 pandemic response measure, for summer 2021. This is an incredibly important Government decision, which ensures that for...

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

Josepha Madigan: My Department's policy is that students with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are provided for. As the Deputy is aware, Minister Foley and I...

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

Josepha Madigan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the allocations for Special Education Teachers, for all primary and post primary schools were updated with effect from September 2019. Schools which were due to receive additional allocations, based on the profiled needs of schools, as set out in DES Circulars 007 and 008 2019, received additional allocations at that time. Schools which had rapidly developing...

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

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. This 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: School Staff (11 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: My Department is aware that the National Principals’ Forum has published a report on its Critical Analysis of Supports for Pupils with Additional Educational Needs and their School Leaders in Irish Primary Schools. My Department will review the report in detail and will take account of its findings and consider the recommendations made in this report. In the meantime, it should be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (11 May 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 provided either in-school, or home-based supports by teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) during the summer holidays to help to prevent regression among children with SEN. The programme's aim was to support children to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (11 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The School Inclusion Model (SIM) 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 and test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allows for early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (11 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The School Inclusion Model (SIM) 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 and test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allows for early...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (11 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. It is important to say that enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government and for me as the first ever Minister of State with responsibility special educational needs. As the Senator will know, this year, in excess of 20% of the total education...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (11 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Senator may be aware that I have met Autism Equality Dublin Bay, Involve Autism and AsIAm. I commend them on the work they do in this regard. It is important I hear from parents and families on the ground. One of the things I have tried to do since assuming my role has been to take the sting out of trying to find a place in a special class or special school. City Quay National School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In light of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of the new Frontloaded Allocation Model for Special Needs Assistants for students in mainstream classes in primary and post -primary schools is to be deferred for a further year to the beginning of the 2022/23 school year. The disruption prevented the delivery of the necessary training and information workshops to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In light of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of the new Frontloaded Allocation Model for Special Needs Assistants for students in mainstream classes in primary and post -primary schools is to be deferred for a further year to the beginning of the 2022/23 school year. The disruption prevented the delivery of the necessary training and information workshops to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In December 2019, Government approved the national roll out of a new frontloading model for the allocation of SNAs support to primary and post-primary schools for students in mainstream classes, as part of the phased roll out of the School Inclusion Model (SIM). In light of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of the new Frontloaded Allocation Model for Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In light of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of the new Frontloaded Allocation Model for Special Needs Assistants for students in mainstream classes in primary and post -primary schools is to be deferred for a further year to the beginning of the 2022/23 school year. The disruption prevented the delivery of the necessary training and information workshops to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2021)

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. The SNA scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: 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 NCSE and those providing for an inclusive approach to the education of children with SEN. The remaining sections of the Act have yet to be commenced. The Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (13 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for this question. It gives me an opportunity to respond on what we are doing with the expanded summer education programme for people with complex special education needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage, as a Covid-19 pandemic response measure for summer 2021. This is an incredibly important Government decision which ensures for the first time that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (13 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I reassure the Deputy that guidance has been given to schools in relation to this programme, particularly for the supervision of final year students, which was a key component of our interactions with schools. One of the things we wanted to make sure of this year was to remove any impediments schools felt existed to their participation. Last year, 804 schools were able to apply to provide...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (13 May 2021)

Josepha Madigan: All these issues have been raised with the schools and dealt with by the Department. The level of investment has doubled from last year. Teachers and SNAs working on the programme will receive an additional weeks' pay for each week of the programme. If these staff have existing full-time contracts of employment with their school already paid during the summer, the summer programme payment...