Results 6,121-6,140 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I will try to answer as best I can. Obviously, any proposal the Department comes up with would need to be in agreement with the special education consultative forum I set up that comprises advocacy groups and other stakeholders. Any proposals, effectively, would need the forum's sign-off. On the legislation and the planning, the Deputy will be aware that even the Ombudsman for Children...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: If a behavioural practitioner is required by the school, it should contact the NCSE in the first instance. The Deputy has asked me about the Our Lady of Hope School a number of times. I took a note of most of the Deputy's questions. I believe one of them was on the school inclusion model, which is concerned with providing the right supports at the right time. It has a number of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: That is going ahead this year. We are expecting to have significantly more children availing of the programme this year than last. We made a number of adjustments to July provision this year to ensure that the administrative burden was less difficult for schools, particularly in terms of payment and the employment of different staff to be in schools, be they teachers, SNAs or other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. What was his question about the NCSE? Did he say that the school had contacted the NCSE-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Absolutely. That is how it should be. Vis-à-visthe Deputy's question on access to special classes and special school places, I will discuss it with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. As the Deputy conceded, it is primarily under her remit. The nature and level of the education response in terms of special classes is based on the professionally assessed needs of each child. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: As a former Minister for Education and Skills, I take Deputy McHugh's contribution seriously, as I do with all members of the committee. I note his experience in the area. In Donegal there are 94 special classes and two special schools. I have responsibility under the derogation order from the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, for special education. It is not the first time I have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank Deputy Harkin for those questions. On the question of forward planning, there is a range of strategic initiatives we are building on and some of the recommendations were set out in the ombudsman's report. We have been building on those anyway for the past two years. As I said, he acknowledged that there has been much work done over the past two years with the Department, the NCSE,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Bringing in childcare workers for the July provision is something we are already looking at. We are reaching out beyond the traditional education staff. We will engage with other Departments and agencies as part of the planning for 2023. We had an inspectorate report that informed our summer programme this year. We listened to the feedback from various stakeholders and we can build on it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I will try to answer the questions. The question the Deputy asked on vision is very important. Whatever about the work we are doing about the transit we need to know what the endpoint is. The Department has a core alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and particularly Article 24. We have a triple-track approach with mainstream classes, special classes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I have outlined the various continuing professional development options available through the Department of Education, the NCSE, the professional development service for teachers and teacher professional learning. There are also bespoke in-school supports and the national induction programme. If the Deputy has additional suggestions he can give them to me after the meeting. Schools need...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Chair for his comments. Around the summer provision, there has been a 64% increase in special schools and classes availing of it between 2019 and 2021. It has increased over the last three years. However, I accept what the Chair is saying. We want to increase that into the future. I would like every school to provide summer provision where they can. There were 377 special...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Senator for her comments on Our Lady of Good Hope school and some of the work we are doing there. As regards early intervention, as she is aware, the ECCE scheme provides two years of preschool for all children at no charge. The access and inclusion model, AIM-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Okay. I was just putting it into context. The AIM enables full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with SEN. Diagnosis of autism is not required to access the AIM scheme and those supports.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I would encourage all schools that wish to open special classes to engage with the NCSE as soon as possible. It is heartening to hear that schools are willing to open special classes. They should not be refused unless there is some major reason.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Josepha Madigan: There is a mandatory inclusion module that all teachers do before they are qualified to teach. The NCSE has said that only experienced teachers should teach in special classes and special schools for obvious reasons. There are many postgraduate training programmes, including diploma programmes and graduate certificates as well as professional development supports and teaching professional...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (14 Sep 2022)

Josepha Madigan: 111. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department is considering the installation of solar panels in schools as a form of energy for schools for heating and water and as a potential cost-saving initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44935/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Sep 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: 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 a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Sep 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: 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 a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Sep 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: 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 a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Sep 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act), which was commenced in April 2016, put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons. The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs, contracts, permits or places a person...