Results 3,021-3,040 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I must pop out briefly so I will answer first, if that is okay. We have spoken a good bit about NEPS today. It has published a well-being resource, a toolkit and a webinar. We have 120 NEPS psychologists, who are obviously of assistance because the well-being of children, particularly those with special needs, is important. It is mostly targeted at those kinds of children. The Senator...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: In essence, when I was appointed to this position as the first dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for special education, it was clear and evident to me that we needed to tackle the dearth of special class places in particular pockets throughout the country. I was delighted that I got a commitment from the school building unit to ensure that there will be sufficient accommodation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: We got provision for an additional 17 educational psychologists in the budget. Overall, there are 120 of them. Their work is primarily targeted at children with special needs. When I took over this role, one of the aspects of which I was most acutely aware was that of children with special needs and the extra anxiety and well-being issues that might have arisen for them in terms of going...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Every school should have access to a psychologist and there is no reason a psychologist cannot go to more than one school. It is not based on one school.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: One could say that about any therapist or teacher. With the reopening of schools, we wanted to ensure that we were in a position to replace an absence, and particularly around SNAs. The €14.7 million was there so if, for whatever reason, an SNA was absent then he or she would be immediately replaced. The same applied to educational psychologists and we got an additional 17...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: In general, the allocation of SNAs was frozen for this year because of Covid. The exceptional review process is available for any school that needs additional SNAs, and the front-loading of SNAs will commence from September 2021 in tandem with the rolling out of the school inclusion model. There is nothing prohibiting an SNA moving from one school to another so long as they are wearing PPE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Nov 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...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Regarding SNAs, the Deputy will be aware that on the reopening of the schools, we put in place €14.7 million. This was to facilitate the reappointment of an SNA where there was an absence. We are aware that the role of an SNA is critical in every school if children with special needs are to function in the school environment. It was vital that we ensured immediate replacement of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I am aware of the Fórsa campaign in regard to the wearing of PPE. With the reopening of schools, we have provided €30 million for PPE. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HSPC, advice is very clear in regard to the wearing of face masks for SNAs. What it says is that, in the general course of events, a normal face mask will suffice, unless they are performing a task...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The Deputy is correct that ASD units are extremely important. Within the school building programme, there is obviously scope to provide special educational needs, SEN, classes, which we do. It is worth noting that, in 2011, there were only 548 special classes whereas, for the year 2019-20, there are a total of 1,618 special classes. I am aware of the fact autism in particular is growing...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: A number of meetings between the Department, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, Cork management and the Cope Foundation, which is the patron of Scoil Aislinn, a special school located on Boreenmanna Road, Ballintemple, Cork, have taken place to explore the expansion of Scoil Aislinn. The Deputy may be aware of that. That goes back to my point about working with existing...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: She is the principal, I am just the assistant.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin. To reiterate what I said to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, the advice of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre on the wearing of masks by special needs assistants was issued to schools on 9 October. It states that if an SNA is within 2 m of a child and meeting intimate needs such as washing the child, the face covering used should be a surgical mask....

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Yes. Last June, the previous Minister for Education and Skills wrote to 39 different schools under section 37A of the Education Act 1998. We sent a second notice on 5 November. Not all of the schools are forthcoming. There are genuine spatial reasons that some cannot facilitate extra classes. The majority, between 20 and 25 of them, can facilitate special classes. We want to collaborate...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: A considerable amount of funding has been allocated to ensuring that we have enough ASD units. To me, resourcing is not the biggest concern. We will always be able to find the resources for this. The predictive model will be crucial in preventing a perennial dearth of places in special classes. Most of the Deputies here are parents. We know how difficult it is to look after children in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Obviously schools can apply to the Department for additional capital funding if they want to expand the space within the school to provide special classes or to construct additional accommodation. There are exceptional circumstances where schools cannot facilitate special classes but funding is available. There is a working assumption within the Department that one child in five has a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: There is an extensive range of supports and resources available to schools on the provision of an inclusive education for children with special educational needs. These are available to access on the websites of both my Department and the NCSE. The Deputy will also be aware of my belief that children with special needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is currently undertaking Policy Advice on Education Provision in Special Classes and Special Schools to examine whether placement in specialist settings brings about improved educational outcomes and experiences, relative to their ability, for students with special educational needs. This Policy Advice is to be completed and a report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Educational Needs Staff (4 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by the end of December 2021. This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support children in mainstream classes and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (3 Nov 2020)

Josepha Madigan: Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of this Department. Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has...