Results 3,401-3,420 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Teachers or SNAs are needed to deliver the programme. If the Department is talking about doubling the number of students who would be able to avail of the programme, there would have to be a concurrent increase in the number of teachers or SNAs.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: What I am taking from this is that the Minister came into the Dáil and said we would try to double the programme with no evidence to suggest that was possible.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I recognise the importance of the programme being expanded and being as inclusive as possible but my concern is around when the capacity planning happened. What was the extent of the Department's capacity planning for delivering this programme?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: How many schools was that?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is the number that are registered. How many indicated to the Department beforehand that they wanted the programme to be run?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: How many meetings happened to try to gauge what the capacity would be?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This is an important programme and I want it to succeed but I fear that the preparation has not happened and that many students and families who want to avail of it will not be able to access it and will be disappointed. They have had their hopes raised and I fear those hopes will be dashed. I hope I am wrong. I want to ask a number of questions on some of the related issues. Some of...

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We were promised the roadmap 13 days ago. Is there a date for the publication of a roadmap, even if it does not contain everything and if it is still contingent on public health advice as everything is? We were promised a roadmap and there is no sign of one. When will a roadmap be published?

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That was hardly a roadmap. That was an outline of things that might happen and that the Department was not going to pursue.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank our guests from the Department but I am disappointed with some of the answers. I very much hope that summer provision is a success and that as many people as possible can avail of it. I am concerned, however, that this may not be the case.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It is not what I said. The Minister can check the record.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Tá, leis na Teachtaí Martin Browne agus Patricia Ryan.

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

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes. I will speak in one passage and the Minister can then respond. Before I begin on my main topics of the reopening of schools and provision, I want to touch briefly on two other issues. The first is external candidates. I have written to the Minister in the past week giving him two very tough examples of students who will likely not get calculated grades. I echo Deputy McAuliffe's...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I note the Minister did not contradict me. My understanding is that only five or six schools have signed up at this stage. More may come forward but I have similar concerns in respect of teachers. I have spoken to some who ordinarily participate but who are not prepared to do so now because they are unhappy about the lack of detail and feel uncertain. Another issue for schools is that...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I was vocal previously on the issue of planning for the reopening of the schools and wish to comment briefly on it again. It occurred to me when the Minister was speaking earlier about dates that it is three months since the schools closed. In all that time, as I said on the last occasion, schools have not had any direct communication from the Department on what they should be doing to...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: A dollar short. Bhíos ag caint le príomhoide le linn na seachtaine, and they asked me why children with special educational needs are never the highest priority for the Department, which is a fair point. If ever there was a time for them to be the priority, it is now. Children with special educational needs and those suffering educational disadvantage are those who have lost...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister will be aware of the Sinn Féin policy document on forestry published last year. It was based on viewing forestry not only as a commercial enterprise, but as a way to ensure biodiversity and provide an amenity for communities. I have written to Coillte regarding Oldcourt woods at Garryduff in Rochestown. It is an area of considerable biodiversity in spite of its relatively...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Communications (9 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 24. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has or will communicate to the President of the United States of America the alarm and anger regarding incidents of racist police brutality and killings, the use of violent force and plastic bullets against protesters, threats to use the military against protestors and at the use of force against members of the press; and his views...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be an additional budget provided for schools to ensure that the increased hygiene needs of schools when they reopen will be met, including greater cleaning, sanitiser and so on; and if he will provide for the deep cleaning of schools. [10182/20]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (9 Jun 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional provision will be made for online access and access to devices for teachers and students; if an element of schooling will take place remotely after September 2020; and the strategies he has for tackling the digital divide beyond the additional funding already provided (details supplied). [10183/20]