Results 6,061-6,080 of 6,598 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Under the current terms of the scheme, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) actively encourage expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate and commend the efforts taken...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 499 together. As you are aware the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. During the planning process a number of schools may be approached to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I have forwarded this issue to them for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie. During the planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: This Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I have forwarded this issue to them...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: While the provision of clinical therapy supports to children is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), it is this government’s ambition, and as outlined in the Programme for Government, to extend therapy supports within the education system, over time, initially in special schools. This is not to replace HSE services but rather to compliment existing supports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I am delighted to be here this morning to discuss the important topic of inclusive education for persons with disabilities. I am not sure whether it is gamekeeper turned poacher or poacher turned gamekeeper but I am at the other side of the table here. I really enjoyed my term as Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters in the previous Dáil. Mairéad and all...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for her questions. I will start with the SNAs. A lot of work has been done by the Department on the workforce development programme for SNAs. At the outset, I note the hugely positive impact that SNAs have within school communities and in making sure that children with additional needs attend and flourish in school. SNAs have developed into a hugely important part of...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: "Lived experience" is one of the phrases we constantly used when I was Chair of the disability committee. Many people may have various theories on how policy should be developed but it is only when we walk in the shoes of the people affected that we understand the challenges they face. Over the past couple of months, I placed a particular emphasis on meeting as many people as possible. I...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Many rural schools have come to us that have room and capacity. A total of 80% of the special classes that we have opened this year have been opened in existing facilities while 20% of them were modular or had to be added on to. We are trying to match the location of the school with the need within the community. In the first instance, we get the figures from families who would have...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Since this time 12 months ago we have increased the number of SENOs by up to 120. This is hugely important. Going back over many years since the Education Act 1998, the Department inspectors were the ones on the ground but now we have the SENOs. We have to embed the SENOs into their communities in order that they are the contact and are liaising between the families and schools. We need...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: It is in single figures. We started out with a huge number of them, and the NCSE and Department of Education worked extremely hard. We are now in single figures in terms of the number of children who do not have school places. There is constant engagement between the NCSE, the families and the Department to ensure we are able to provide those places for children.

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: We do not want to get into a political argument regarding those figures given in July. They were calculated on the basis of the number of children who had been notified to the NCSE in February or March. It was over 3,000 children, and 92% or 93% of them had been allocated places by early July. The calculation was done and came up with over 200, but that was not the case at that time. We...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: It is fewer than ten - single figures. The Senator is passionate about disability. I assure him that the NCSE, the Department and ourselves are working extremely hard with the families to find a solution for those affected. It is fewer than ten.

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I do not have the individual's name. There has been a huge amount of collaboration between the Department of education, the NCSE, the HSE and the Department of children and disability. Last year, 39 therapists were put back into special schools across the country. They were at the highest level. We had a constant debate at Government level and right across the Departments on how this...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I will get that information.

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I can get that information, but I would prefer to provide details of the structure that is in place with regard to who is signing off on it, if that is okay with the Senator.

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I will begin by speaking about the decision in relation to therapists within the education system. There were therapists within the education system going back over many years. When the therapists were in the special schools, the staff said they were empowered by having therapists on site. The decision to put the therapists back into the education system was the correct one. It will take...