Results 2,121-2,140 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I wish to advise the Deputy that a COVID Learning and Support Scheme (CLASS) has been put in place to help schools mitigate the adverse impacts of Covid-19 on pupil/student learning loss and wellbeing arising from the periods of school closures in 2020 and 2021. Under the programme, a block of additional teaching hours is being provided to each recognised school, from which schools can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 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 are being opened this school-year. This will bring the total number of special classes nationally to 2,118. The new classes provide 1,600 additional...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. I accept his point regarding the majority of children with additional needs being educated in mainstream schools. That is the case. Obviously, there are special classes that cater for approximately 8,000 pupils and there are 124, or almost 126, special schools that cater for an equal number of children. Each of these educational environments provides a vital service to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The questions the Deputy has posed are valid. The EPSEN Act, which is the main legislation underpinning special education, was published 17 years ago, in 2004, and the focus in respect of the provision of special education has changed substantially since then, from a model that was diagnosis-led to one that is now driven by the needs of the child. Therein lies the answer to the questions...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In 2018, the then Minister for Education and Skills requested the NCSE to advise on the educational provision that should be in place for students in special schools and classes. Ireland is not alone in evaluating its educational provision for students in special education settings. Many European countries are thinking about the future direction they should take. This is particularly...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Deputy's question may be more pertinent to the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Rabbitte, in terms of the progressive disability scheme relating to special schools. I understand this had been paused for a period. The supports the Department of Education gives to special schools have continued and been enhanced during the pandemic. Extensive supports are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: If the Deputy is aware of any special school that has a lack of therapy services as he outlined, he should let both the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the Department of Education know of that. I speak to Deputy Rabbitte and to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, regularly and we have tripartite meetings on furthering the work we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for his question. All of us, especially myself as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, are aware of the difficulties children with additional needs have faced during the pandemic, not the least of which were the difficulties they faced in respect of remote learning. However, it is important to stress that supports were given at the time. There was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 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 additional special classes are being opened this school-year. This will bring the total number of special classes nationally to 2,118. The new classes provide 1,600...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I understand the Deputy is referring to the arrangements for the allocation of SNAs to schools. The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels. The Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 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 are being opened this school-year. This will bring the total number of special classes nationally to 2,118. The new classes provide 1,600 additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I am aware of concerns raised by a number of schools with growing enrolments regarding their special education teacher allocation. There are now over 13,600 Special Education Teachers allocated to mainstream primary and post primary schools. This represents an increase of 40% in the total number of special education teachers allocated to schools since 2011, at which time 9,740 teachers were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels. The Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I am aware of the difficulty experienced by some parents in sourcing teachers to come into their home to provide tuition to their child under the home based strand of the summer programme. In this regard, it is not practical for my Department to maintain lists of teachers and SNAs who are willing to work on the summer programme at a local level throughout the country. For this reason, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 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. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Accordingly your question has been forwarded to the NCSE for direct reply. The NCSE manages the exceptional review process and handles each case...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: In May 2021 the Government announced a package of supports to enable all primary and post primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The total funding made available to provide a summer programme this year is up to €40 million, a one hundred per cent increase on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I understand the Deputy is referring to applications for additional SNA support for the named schools. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 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 are being opened this school-year. This will bring the total number of special classes nationally to 2,118. The new classes provide 1,600 additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile. The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels. The Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs...