Results 2,041-2,060 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. Next 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. An additional 269 special classes have opened this school-year. This brings...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. Next 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 (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. Next 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. An additional 269 special classes have opened this school-year. This brings...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Autism early intervention special classes are intended to provide early support for pre-school aged autistic children before they start school. Currently, there are 132 ASD early Intervention classes nationwide of which 11 were newly established classes for the 2021/22 school-year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for planning and coordinating provision at both...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Special schools generally cater for children with the most complex needs. Accordingly, these schools have enhanced staffing levels with greatly reduced pupil/teacher and SNA staffing allocations. In general, speech and language and occupational therapy supports are provided by the HSE. On an ongoing basis, special schools also have access to the National Council for Special Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In general, the Department of Education does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any educational textbook or workbook. The current policy within the Department of Education is not to endorse any particular product or publication, including textbooks and workbooks. Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. Equipment is provided under this scheme for children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: My Department is aware of this case. My officials understand that there are conflicting medical recommendations in relation to the type of equipment to be used in the school to support the child’s attendance there. The local SENO is working with the School and the family and other services to resolve the matter and ensure that this child can access his educational placement. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. Next 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 (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. The level of investment in special education, at almost €2 billion, is at an all-time high. An additional 269 special classes have been opened this school-year. This brings the total number of special classes nationally to 2,118. The new classes provide 1,600 additional places,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Nov 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Special schools generally cater for children with the most complex needs. Accordingly, these schools have enhanced staffing levels with greatly reduced pupil/teacher and SNA staffing allocations. In general, speech and language and occupational therapy supports are provided by the HSE. On an ongoing basis, special schools also have access to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE)...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: On the question of substitution in general, I have outlined the measures being taken. There is the question of hours being lost. One of the schemes we introduced is the Covid Learning and Support Scheme, CLASS, at €56.2 million, which is to help children who lost time during Covid-19. That is in addition to the summer provision and the supplementary scheme at Easter. If children...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will always endeavour to respond Topical Issue matters that are relevant to me. This matter is partly the responsibility of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. The special education element comes under my remit. I recognise the challenge that schools are facing regarding the wider issue of substitution. I will come to the special education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Special Education Home Tuition Grant scheme provides funding towards a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement for whom such a placement is not available.  The scheme also provides for early intervention for children with Autism. The application forms and related Circular for this year’s scheme were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.  This year, just under 25% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs.  As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs, special class and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: My Department provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology for students in Primary, Post Primary and Special schools as set out in Circular 0010/2013, details of which are published on my Department’s website, and can be accessed at:  .   The type of equipment provided under the assistive technology scheme is varied, and includes audiological...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. Equipment is provided under this scheme for children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist...

Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality: Statements (20 Oct 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the report of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality. Dr. Catherine Day and the 99 assembly members should be commended on their work on and dedication to producing this report in the most challenging of circumstances. Their work may have come to an end but this report marks the beginning, or in some areas the continuation, of our efforts to set...