Results 2,941-2,960 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputies for their contributions, and they are correct in saying that I have met with a number of different groups in respect of the issue of ASD units and special classes. Indeed, in Dublin 6W there are four special educational needs, SEN, classes and four ASD classes, in Dublin 8 there are eight SEN classes and eight ASD classes, and in Dublin 12 there are 17 SEN classes and 17...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. My Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of autistic students in mainstream schools to the greatest extent possible. As we know, autism is a spectrum condition, so some autistic students require relatively little support in school and are largely independent in their learning, while others require significant levels of support. There is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I appreciate the sentiment expressed by the Deputy and the fact that he has a particular person in mind in this regard. I stress the fact that, in addition to the Covid-19 response plan, which each school has, schools also have at least one lead worker representative whose role is to represent staff and people in the predicament the Deputy outlines. The role of an SNA in particular is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I can take the question if it relates specifically to SNAs. My understanding is that it does.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: There is an occupational health service provision specifically for teachers, and that would include SNAs, as essential workers. Those who are at very high risk can take Covid leave, but those who are at high risk should be at work. That is the position. Every school has a lead worker representative whose role is to represent staff. Somebody should not miss work for Covid reasons if he or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I appreciate the sentiment of what the Deputy said. That is one of the reasons we provided €30 million in the school reopening plan for personal protective equipment, PPE. PPE is critical for the role of the SNA and for the SNA to carry out his or her functions not just adequately but safely. Often the SNA moves from room to room and he or she needs a medical-grade mask when he or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The Deputy will appreciate that I only recently published my action priorities. As I said, one of those priorities is to conduct a review of the EPSEN Act in its entirety. The premise of the review is that in the 16 years since the enactment of the Act, we have moved substantially away from the diagnosis-led model to a needs-based model. One of the reasons that some provisions of the Act...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Taking Deputy Tully's questions first, the review I intend to conduct of the EPSEN Act will be a review of the legislation in its entirety, including the Parts that have been commenced. It is my view that section 2, which relates to inclusive education, still stands. It states: A child with special educational needs shall be educated in an inclusive environment with children who do not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Several sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced. The commenced provisions include those establishing the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and those providing for an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. As the Deputy stated, the remaining sections of the Act have not yet been...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: At this point we cannot rule anything in or out. The National Council For Special Education, NCSE, is due to come back to me with its conclusive policy advice on an inclusion model for the Irish system. I like to talk about the Irish model as distinct from any other model. The Deputy will be aware that in this budget we secured funding for the expansion of the school inclusion model into...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: 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 is consistent with the provisions of the Education for Persons with...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The policy of the Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is to explore, find out and discover how many special needs places are needed whether it is in special classes, special schools or a child with special needs being integrated into a mainstream class. The Deputy mentioned Cork. St Mary's Special School in Rochestown accommodated an additional six or seven...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: As the first-ever Minister with responsibility for special education, I am determined that specialist educational placements are available to meet the needs of children with special educational needs where required. We are fortunate in Ireland that most schools accept their responsibility in this regard and are very willing to enrol children with special educational needs and open special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: My Department is committed to supporting every child with special educational needs to receive an education. Next year we will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of the total educational budget, on making additional provision for special educational needs. The manner in which special education teachers are allocated to schools is based on the profiled needs of schools. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the trojan work of school communities in keeping schools open during this pandemic period. School leaders, teachers, Special Needs Assistants and parents have worked together effectively in managing the risks presented by Covid-19. We are grateful to them. A range of essential control measures have been implemented to reduce the risk of the spread...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

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, the question has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Schools were notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21 in April 2020. The arrangements include the following provisions: - 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations were frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020 (published on 24 April 2020), and automatically rolled over into the 2020/21 school year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. Next year, over 20% 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 and special class and school places are at unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: As the first-ever Minister with responsibility for special education, I am determined that specialist educational placements are available to meet the needs of children with special educational needs where required. We are fortunate in Ireland that most schools accept their responsibility in this regard and are very willing to enrol children with special educational needs and open special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Dec 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. Next year, over 20% 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 and special class and school places are at unprecedented...