Results 6,421-6,440 of 6,598 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Over 148,000 mainstream tickets have issued for the 2025/26 school year to date, which is already almost 5% more than the total tickets issued for the full 2024/25 school year. Over 6,300 mainstream tickets have issued for pupils attending schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (23 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I want to thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Officials in my Department are aware of this programme and the proposal as outlined in the details supplied and are currently considering the possibility of establishing a programme to utilise the expertise of the graduates. I will revert to the Deputy following these considerations.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. Deputies are welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to support and advise parents on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. Deputies are welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie. The NCSE has advised that the local special educational needs organiser is working closely with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. My department has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools by helping to ensure that these students can access an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools by helping to ensure that these students can access an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools by helping to ensure that these students can access an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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. SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools by helping to ensure that these students can access an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 Sep 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 Department of Education and Youth works closely with school's patron who provide high-quality special education in their schools. My department has also actively engaged with...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (30 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I am delighted to be here to share an update on school transport with Seanad Éireann. As the House will be aware, the school transport scheme is a hugely significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. As a TD for many years and now as Minister of State with responsibility in the area, I have seen at first hand how important the...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (30 Sep 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Senators for their contributions on the school transport system. In the first instance, the school transport system as it stands carries over 178,000 children, with 8,200 vehicles travelling over 10,000 routes. I pay tribute to the bus drivers the length and breadth of the country who are up early in the morning to make sure children get to school. What they do is important. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for raising this sensitive matter before us. I assure him that clarity was brought on the issue of the SNA guidelines but there were some concerns in relation to them. Nothing has changed. We are working off the circulars for 2014 and that will continue to be case. I would like to allay the fears that some people have in relation to the guidelines and the letters issued...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I take the Deputy's point and thank him for putting the matter relating to Tiernan and his care needs on the record of the Dáil. I could give him a long-winded answer, but I take the point he has made and I assure him I understand the importance of SNAs in enabling students like Tiernan across the country to access education and get better outcomes. I undertake to consult the NCSE and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The question was about the impact of the delays in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I can speak to the amount of work being done by SNAs, which I have spoken about in response to Deputy Ó Murchú's matter, and the commitment of the Government to SNAs. Special education is built on the huge commitment by SNAs the length and breadth of the country...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy. First, when a child is in preschool and is availing of the AIM programme, something I noticed when I got this role was that in the Department of children and the Department of Social Protection the information that was across the system was not being shared. Children who are in preschool and availing of the programme should be very much taken into account when they start...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Youth Services (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the crisis in the youth services in the north inner city, which gives me an opportunity to set out the position regarding these services. Supporting youth services is an absolute priority for the Department of Education and Youth, ensuring that young people in the north inner city of Dublin and across the country have access to valuable resources...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Youth Services (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for his second contribution. As outlined, the Department provides significant support to the UBU scheme for youth services that support young people in the north inner city. Many communities across the length and breadth of the country are looking for the same intervention as has happened in the north east inner city and north inner city. They are looking at resources...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the question. The guidelines that were issued last week in relation to the SNAs were reaffirming the 2014 circular that forms the basis of SNAs being employed within schools. There was some misinformation last week in relation to it. I can assure the Deputy that the allocation of two SNAs for the special classes, of whatever form they are, is sacrosanct. It is...