Results 3,141-3,160 of 3,261 for speaker:Gary Gannon

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Testing and Tracing (25 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: How is the HSE using its existing capacity considering the somewhat low demand currently? Is the HSE doing asymptomatic testing in high-risk settings such as meat factories, for example?

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

Gary Gannon: I thank the witnesses. This is my second Covid session today. The first this morning concerned contact tracing and testing. Professor Mallon from UCD gave quite an interesting but worrying presentation in which he talked about the expectation of a second wave of the virus at some point in the autumn. Should such a scenario arise, what lessons would the Department of Education and Skills...

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

Gary Gannon: Given the lack of guidelines that we have at the moment, and I know we are expecting some today, is Ms Dempsey confident that when we reopen schools in September or even in a couple of weeks for the July summer provision programme that will be done in an effective manner that meets the needs of students, particularly those with special needs?

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

Gary Gannon: I thank both of the witnesses. I want to go through some of the comments Mr. Tattan made in his opening address. I imagine that supporting special education provision while minimising the risk of spreading Covid-19 infections both during the summer programmes and as we reopen schools in autumn will require an increase in the amount of sterilisation of rooms and cleaning staff. How many...

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

Gary Gannon: I fully appreciate that it is the schools that hire the cleaning staff but it is the Department that allocates the funding. I have worked in many schools throughout Dublin. Most schools have cleaning staff for two hours a day. When we leave this Chamber, it will be sterilised before another group comes in. Does the Department anticipate an increased level of expenditure on the provision...

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

Gary Gannon: That is excellent. On the second page of Mr. Tattan's opening statement it says, "Additional ICT grants and the creation of new resources have also been part of our response." Will he go through those funds? Is he referring to the €7 million allocated to secondary school and the €2 million allocated to primary schools or have additional funds been allocated?

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

Gary Gannon: That was not an additional grant. It was a grant that had previously been made available for schools that had high-performing or good ICT strategies. It was not an additional grant; it was just a grant that was brought forward. It worked out at €2,900 for a school of 160 students. That would pay for approximately three devices. A school of 750 students would have got approximately...

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

Gary Gannon: The Department will have to give it real consideration. During the committee's first session today, a professor from the school of medicine in UCD talked about the expectation that the virus will re-emerge in August. We should be pre-empting that and having a budget available which can be used to support the students and their families who are affected. In regard to the summer provision...

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

Gary Gannon: Does Ms Tansey anticipate having NEPS staff on the ground in certain schools where more complex situations will arise?

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: As I have a statement full of questions, if there any time at the end I will get to them.

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: I am conscious that some of the questions in my statement may be addressed in the guidelines that are being issued tomorrow and so I cannot understand why we did not get them in advance. This was also a frustrating aspect of the July and summer provision that was announced last Friday week, in that we had a debate on the Wednesday on the July and summer provision and then the announcement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay by the National Council for Special Education regarding the SNA allocation review; and when a date for the review will be published. [11394/20]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 284. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the SUSI requirement will be reduced for students who have applied for asylum, subsidiary protection or leave to remain here from three years in a school here to two years reflecting the duration of the leaving certificate. [11399/20]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National Advocacy Service (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 389. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will act urgently regarding Magdalen survivors who are still institutionalised particularly those in a nursing home (details supplied) which is due to close; if survivors in the care of religious congregations will be referred to the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities as requested by a group; and if...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 958. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be made a qualifying payment for the back to education allowance. [11398/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 1016. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports that will be provided for family members who have lost a loved one from Covid-19. [11400/20]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Inland Waterways (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 1106. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a designated walk and cycleway will be created on the Grand Canal between Ongar and Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. [11396/20]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Inland Waterways (16 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: 1107. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if toilets will be installed for public health and hygiene along the Grand Canal. [11397/20]

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: The Minister's comments differ somewhat from what is in the document. On page 5 of the document, under the heading of physical, social and emotional well-being, it states that students should be supported to be healthy, stay physically active and eat nutritious foods. There is a lot of guidance on well-being. These measures to support young people may be sufficient for the general support...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Gary Gannon: The Minister used the phrase, "in the main". It is not just the exceptional cases, however, where these schools are experiencing trauma. The only document given to the schools on Tuesday highlights some real problems that are not just happening in one or two individual cases. They are being reported from schools across the board. They include a lack of digital voices, students not having...