Results 5,361-5,380 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Violence Against Women: Statements (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Annie Lennox sang four short and yet immeasurably powerful lines to encompass perfectly the grief of victims of sexual and violent assaults: And so I face the wall Turn my back against it all How I wish I'd been unborn Wish I wasn't living What some people fail to understand is that the consequences and repercussions for those who experience a violent assault are multifaceted....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.  This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs.  The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.  This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs.  The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and reviews. The NCSE have published the SNA allocations on their website www.ncse.ie.  The SNA scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life.  This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.  The Review made a number of recommendations regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 244 together. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.   This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: In light of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of the new Frontloaded Allocation Model for SNAs for students in mainstream classes in primary and post -primary schools was  deferred for a further year to the beginning of the 2022/23 school year.  In order to minimise disruption for schools, in the current circumstances, and to provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: A new model for allocating Special Education Teachers to mainstream schools was introduced from September 2017, based on the profiled needs of schools. The allocations were updated for schools with effect from September 2019, with limited readjustments being applied for at that time. The allocations have remained in place for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years, with some adjustments made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Keeping all schools open for in school teaching and learning continues to be a priority for Government. Extensive guidance and supports are in place to support schools in this regard.  My Department recognises that schools will continue to require additional substitute cover in the period leading up to the mid-term break to assist in dealing with absences during this phase of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government The State currently spends in excess of 25% of its annual education and training budget (€9.2 Billion) on making additional provision for children with special educational needs. This includes funding for a wide range of schemes and supports including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I am very conscious that students who are due to take their Junior Cycle/Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022 have experienced a degree of disruption to their learning.  My Department will continue to engage with all partners in education on all matters relating to Leaving Certificate 2022 examinations. A meeting of the Advisory Group on State Examinations is planned for later...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government The State currently spends in excess of 25% of its annual education and training budget (€9.2 Billion) on making additional provision for children with special educational needs. This includes funding for a wide range of schemes and supports including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Throughout the pandemic and over the Christmas period, my Department continued to engage with the public health authorities and the education stakeholders in relation to the public health advice and the implementation of important infection prevention and control measures in schools so that they can continue to operate safely during Covid-19.  Schools are continuing to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government The State currently spends in excess of 25% of its annual education and training budget (€9.2 Billion) on making additional provision for children with special educational needs. This includes funding for a wide range of schemes and supports including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: While the Department has provided supports to schools to allow them to support their operation during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department also recognises that given the current high case numbers schools will continue to require additional substitute cover. In the period leading up to the mid-term break (to 23rd February 2022) a range of measures have been put in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I wish to advise the Deputy that schools notify the NCSE of enrolments in special classes and special schools each year. The NCSE resource these special classes and special schools with teachers and SNAs in line with notified enrolments. Schools are requested to provide this information to the local SENO by 18th February 2022. The NCSE then processes these notifications and...

Leaving Certificate: Motion (25 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: On behalf of the Government, I welcome the opportunity to close what has been a very insightful and informative debate on this very important matter. The many contributions made during the debate will feed into the Department's continuing engagement with members of the advisory group on State examinations in planning for these examinations this year. It is important to hear and understand...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter today, which is relevant at the moment, particularly for my own Ministry for special education. The role of the SNA is critical. The Deputy has very eloquently set out the non-exhaustive list of duties they undertake daily. In my visits to different schools throughout the country, I have met many SNAs. I have spoken to them...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. Again, it is important to stress that, through the education partners and the mechanism of the Department, there is ongoing engagement with SNA representatives. I know Fórsa has put in a claim to the Workplace Relations Commission. Any review of the SNA contract will happen through the Building Momentum national pay agreement, which would the be appropriate...