Results 2,141-2,160 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

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...

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

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 271, 273, 275, 278 and 282 together. It is my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school. This approach...

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

Josepha Madigan: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools. DES Circulars 007 and 008 of 2019 set out how the allocations for schools were updated from September 2019. The Special Education Teacher allocation process provides a single unified allocation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 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. 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...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Tánaiste did not interrupt Deputy Ó Broin.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 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. 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: School Admissions (21 Sep 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 special school places are at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (21 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 (21 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. 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 (21 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 determinations in individual cases. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (21 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Guidelines for schools on reduced school days were published on 16th September 2021. A copy of the guidelines is available on the central portal for government services and information website:

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Schools, Cork Life Centre, School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion. (21 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I echo the congratulations to Senator Flynn and Deputies Ó Laoghaire and Pádraig O'Sullivan on their good news. I thank the committee for the opportunity to update the members on important measures to address the continuing the impact of Covid-19 on the education experience of children and young people. Even though Covid-19 has impacted on all parts of society, we must always...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Schools, Cork Life Centre, School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion. (21 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Acting Chair. He has raised a really important question. From my perspective, it is a question of CLASS, which involves an allocation of €52.6 million in respect of what we call the autumn programme. This is the last in a suite of measures we put in place for this year, not just for children with additional needs but also for children from a Delivering Equality of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Schools, Cork Life Centre, School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion. (21 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: First, the Department will take any feedback from schools that have had a less than satisfactory experience regarding summer provision. As the Minister alluded to earlier, this year was the first year that all schools in the country could avail of it. What I know so far is that approximately 34,000 children participated in summer provision, which is a big increase on last year. Some of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Schools, Cork Life Centre, School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion. (21 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The CLASS Covid scheme will be of great assistance to children with additional needs and, as the Minister said, it will help with well-being. I thank the Senator for her acknowledgment of that. As for the additional accommodation scheme for the school in her area, namely, St. Teresa's Special School, I wish it the best of luck with that.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (16 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Deputy will be aware of my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school. This inclusive approach is consistent with the provisions of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 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...

Confidence in Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence: Motion (15 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Deputy McDonald and her party throwing crass accusations across this Chamber represents the height of hypocrisy. We all know that people make mistakes. To err is human. That Sinn Féin would seek to bring down this Government on an issue about which there has been a full acknowledgement and apology is cynical in the extreme. The governance of our country at this crucial time is too...

Confidence in Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence: Motion (15 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: Sinn Féin refused to take seats in Westminster at any point during negotiations on a deal, when its votes might have been crucial to avoiding a hard Brexit. Even now, Sinn Féin seeks to weaken this country's voice internationally at a time issues with the protocol and the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly are in the balance. That does not even start on the economic wreckage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Sep 2021)

Josepha Madigan: The Deputy will be aware of my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school.   This inclusive approach is consistent with the...