Results 6,521-6,540 of 6,598 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (15 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The first thing I will say is I will not be giving any wild commitments. I understand the frustration and accept it absolutely.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (15 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The design team has finalised the tender documentation. The review of the documentation is in the Department. The commitment I will give is we will make sure it is not delayed within it. There was a commitment given for 1 September. We are now heading for the end of October. That is six weeks of a delay. Every week and day is a delay. I accept people's frustration. As public...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Last Thursday, Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan contacted me about St. Gabriel's Special School and the information it had given to parents. It is a very challenging and distressing situation. On Friday morning, the Department and the National Council for Special Education made contact with the school and a very extensive meeting was held in the afternoon. Thankfully, the position taken by...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The budget for special education is over €3 billion this year. The Deputy will recall that following the budget last week, we will hire over 1,700 additional SNAs and over 860 teachers in special schools and special classes. The first thing I would like to say is that the work being done by the teachers and the teams working in special schools or special classes helping children with...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I move: To delete all words after "That" and substitute with the following: "Dáil Éireann declines to give the Education (Amendment) Bill 2024 a second reading consequent on Dáil Éireann's passage of the following motion on 16th October, 2025: notes that: — a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I listened to both Deputies. I acknowledge the complete sincerity of the work Deputy Ó Murchú is doing. Others must judge my character but I would like to think that I am open. I do not have a monopoly on wisdom but I have a monopoly on experience and want to make sure that we are doing the best we can. I will outline a number of things we are doing. I outlined the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 413 together. 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 Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 422, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430 and 431 together. 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. Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Oct 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 School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Eligibility is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) issues guidance each year to schools regarding special needs assistant (SNA) reviews and the guidance for 2025/26 school year issued on the 12 September 2025. It is important to clarify some of the concerns raised since publication of the guidelines. The process for allocating SNAs has been in place since 2014 and is not changing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (14 Oct 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 will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 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: School Transport (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 447 together. The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Bus Éireann are required to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. The scheme is made up of three separate schemes, the school transport scheme for primary, post primary and for children with special educational needs. Transport is also provided for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and those residing in IPAS/EROC...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (14 Oct 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. As the matter raised relates to a NCSE process. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 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. As the matter raised relates to a NCSE process. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. SNA posts are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (14 Oct 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. As the matter raised relates to a NCSE process. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455, 456 and 462 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their...