Results 2,281-2,300 of 3,649 for speaker:Michael Collins

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank Inclusion Ireland for being with us today. Covid restrictions have had a serious effect on all children but particularly those with special needs. Routine is of paramount importance for children with special needs and the disruption to their supports has caused distress for many children and their families. Many parents fear the lack of schooling during the past four months may...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: On 5 June, the Minister opened the summer provision programme for this year to include children with Down’s syndrome. It looks like there is no distinction between those attending preschool, primary school and post-primary school. Is this the case?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Does Inclusion Ireland have concerns that, over the course of the coming week, the Minister, the officials and the Department will produce guidelines for the summer provision programme which may discriminate against a certain cohort of students with Down’s syndrome and are certainly not in keeping with the declaration made by the Minister on 5 June?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Many feel the summer provision programme proposed by the Department of Education and Skills is becoming more and more difficult every day. Many parents report that even though their child and primary school may be eligible to participate in this programme, they will not be able to avail of the opportunity if schools are not running the programme due to lack of guidelines and teacher and SNA...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank our guests here today. On 5 June the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, opened the summer provision programme for this year to include children with Down's syndrome, making no distinction between those attending preschool, primary school or post-primary school. Will Mr. Tattan explain how, over the course of the following week, the guidelines produced for the summer...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: The summer provision programme proposed by the Department of Education and Skills is leading to more and more confusion every day. Many parents report that even though their child at primary school may be eligible to participate in the programme he or she may not be able to avail of the opportunity as schools are not running the programme due to a lack of guidelines or maybe teacher or SNA...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Is a bus transport service being made available? Deputies have been contacted quite a lot by constituents who worry there is no bus transport being made available for those attending the July provision services.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: The budget for cleaning schools, and especially national schools, is at its best very low. I know this because I am on a school board of management and I see how difficult it is for us to meet annual budgets. Given the current Covid-19 crisis and the need to keep schools meticulously clean from September onwards, will the budget for cleaning schools be increased?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I shall now turn to the emergency works grant budget. Some emergency works may need to be completed because of Covid-19 or just general emergencies. Some schools in west Cork, including Dreeny national school near Skibbereen and Scoil Mhuire na nGrást in Belgooly, need this grant aid scheme. Are these funds affected this year? Is the budget the same as last year or what is the story?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I would appreciate that. It is of vital importance to these schools and to many more out there. I have other questions but they do not relate to the crisis we are in at the moment. Perhaps Mr. Tattan will get his colleagues to contact me on one further query, if he cannot answer now. The calculated grades system, which replaced this year's leaving certificate exams, was the best...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I would appreciate that. I thank Mr. Tattan.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Why was the Federation of Early Childcare Providers omitted from today's meeting? It is a huge organisation which represents a cross-section of the sector we are looking at today. I feel very strongly about this, especially as it represents a lot of rural childcare providers facing serious survival issues and it is not here before us today.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Yes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank Ms Ní Sheaghdha and Mr. Bell for appearing before the committee today. Shortly after the beginning of the Covid crisis, the Taoiseach and other Ministers made announcement after announcement that the childcare issue for front-line health workers was to be resolved. No matter how often the promise was publicly announced - in some cases the public were told it would be resolved...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: There is also a worry that Covid-19 may strike again. If that happens, does Ms Ní Sheaghdha think we are prepared for a childcare service for front-line workers?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Does Mr. Bell think a package should be put together for front-line workers who have had to use all their annual leave?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank the witnesses for being here before us today. My first set of questions is for Ms Teresa Heeney. Is she a childcare provider? Many providers are on the Covid social payment. What are her thoughts on that? Was she surprised when the Department of Children and Youth Affairs pulled funding from the childcare schemes? How many providers does Early Childhood Ireland represent as a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Does Early Childhood Ireland represent providers and staff? Does Ms Heeney believe it is possible to represent both providers and staff?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: Ms Quinn may also be able to answer some of the questions I asked.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

Michael Collins: The Department's flagship service is the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme for seasonal services but it is barely sustainable for providers. If childcare closes down in a village or town, that learning in the community is lost. I have a number of questions for both Dr. Lynch and Ms McNally. I will read them out and they might be able to answer them now but if not they might...