Results 3,381-3,400 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (7 Jul 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I have a concern about children who could drift from the education system. In terms of monitoring, we have the educational welfare service but the monitoring of children attending school will become difficult because there will be increased absences, perhaps because children have symptoms or because a parent or child is immunocompromised. Is Mr. Clerkin concerned about this issue and how...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Gabhaim buíochas leis na ceardchumainn go léir as a bheith linn. I wish to put on the record of the committee something I spoke about in the Dáil last week. In many respects special needs assistants and other school staff believe that the efforts they have made during this crisis have not been adequately recognised. They have been shown considerable disrespect by the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will group my remaining questions and ask that all three of our guests respond to them accordingly. It seems that the process undertaken by the Department began too late. Documentation produced in recent weeks has answered some of the questions, but without the Department having provided guidance to them directly, schools were left in a significant vacuum and had to use their initiative to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am afraid I am out of time. If the issues I have raised come up again, the other two speakers might address them. I am sure I can pick this up with the unions at a later stage. I thank the witnesses.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances (30 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 518. To ask the Minister for Health if he will release the findings of the Review of the FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring system undertaken by his Department in 2019; and if he will consider extending the availability of the FreeStyle Libre to all persons with Type 1 diabetes [13403/20]

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I first want to acknowledge and thank the representatives of Inclusion Ireland for their attendance today, and all the speakers throughout today's sessions. For me, some of the hardest stories we have heard in recent months and weeks are from parents and children with autism, intellectual disabilities and special educational needs. Some of the stories are on the loss of learning and in some...

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That reflects the current situation. On the issue of the loss of speech, many parents fought an inch-by-inch battle to make progress. The children and their parents were so proud of the gains that were made. It is very difficult for them to see those gains being lost. On summer provision and the way in which it is laid out, July or other summer provision is typically four weeks long....

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When the scheme was announced, there was reference in the Chamber and the press release to almost doubling its capacity to cater for up to 20,000 children. Yesterday in the House, the Minister referred to 9,200 children having registered for the home-based programme and perhaps 3,400 for the school-based programme. That is a long way short of 20,000 children. I fear that there has not been...

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In terms of the 9,200 children for the homeless programme, the comments made by the witnesses are very valuable. Are they concerned that children and families will be disappointed because they will be unable to find a tutor? Will a large cohort of people be affected?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: My final question is on children with Down's syndrome. The point has already been well made by Deputy Butler about children with Down's syndrome who attend mainstream secondary education and who are not entitled to avail of this programme. There was much hope when the Minister announced that children with Down's syndrome would be entitled to avail of this programme but it now appears there...

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As I have 30 seconds left I will ask a final question. Is the proposed transport grant feasible or workable? Will it assist parents to get their children to the school-based programme?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the witnesses.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the NCSE and Department for attending. Their submissions are very valuable and I thank them for their time. My first questions are directed to the NCSE and the remainder will be to the Department. In our previous session, we heard that a great deal of concern and frustration was expressed by the parents of children with Down syndrome. This is something I have experienced with...

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There is no educational basis, therefore, to draw a distinction between primary mainstream children and secondary mainstream children with Down syndrome. There is no basis for that.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is obvious of huge concern.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It is also disappointing. There is an issue with special school places in my experience, in Cork at the very least. My next questions are for the Department. How many teachers and SNAs will be available to provide the summer programme?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: How about the home-based programme, which traditionally accounts for approximately 70% of the programme? How many teachers and SNAs will be available for this?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am aware of the process. Mr Tattan might say that it is demand-led but he is not giving me an indication. Does he have any idea how many teachers or SNAs are available to deliver the home-based programme?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Did the Department have any basis to support the belief that there would be more available this year than there was last year?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I appreciate that and common sense would have suggested to me that there would potentially be fewer. On that basis, the Minister comes in here and tells us that he wants to double the programme and he is talking about as many as 20,000 teachers. How was that prepared and planned for?