Results 341-360 of 5,432 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank Deputy Crowe very much for the question on Clonlara. I can confirm to him that the Department is in receipt of an application for funding for major capital works from the school in question. The application has been assessed under the Department's additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme. For background, since 2020, the Department has invested more than €5.7 billion...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: As we understand it, the plans we have in place and the placements we are working on with school patrons and schools right across the country will exceed the demand and there will be sufficient places. However, we will have to work with all families and school authorities to make sure they are in place in a timely manner. We have to be better at getting information through the AIM programme...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Everything that is needed is being put in place. This includes school buildings and spare capacity in schools. If necessary, section 37A will be invoked to ensure we have places. The Department and the NCSE are extremely serious about making sure that this is done. They have been working very hard over recent weeks to bring that about and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the question. My clear understanding is that there is no proposed reduction in special education teaching, SET, hours for the school referred to by the Deputy for the 2025-26 school year. This school has seen a reduction of over 2% in enrolments since the 2024-25 school year and its SET allocation remains at 22.5 hours for the 2025-26 school year. The special...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I come from a very rural community myself and I see the fantastic work that is being done right across the education sector in both rural and urban areas. Practitioners at school level, teachers, SET teachers and special needs assistants, make an enormous contribution. The method of allocating SET hours is very carefully monitored and has been over many years, going back to the time of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: It is vitally important that all schools, including rural schools, are protected. Many smaller rural schools provide fantastic facilities. Where children who have additional needs go to rural schools, the school community is smaller. Those schools work extremely well. I take the point that these schools support everybody. As the population grows, it is important that rural schools and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I have no difficulty with that but our information clearly states that there is no reduction in SET hours for the 2025-26 school year.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the question, and I look forward to working with everybody in this role for the betterment of all because there are, as always, huge challenges in education, which is the bedrock of our society. The Government is fully committed to children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the programme for Government makes a number of commitments to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: At present, there are 14 reading classes and 4 special schools to support students with severe dyslexia and I want to acknowledge the excellent work they do. It is important to note they were established at a time when there were much fewer additional supports in schools. We are working to develop a more inclusive education system, and therefore we want to support students to attend...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: It is important to recall that the majority of children are supported by mainstream class teachers, special education teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children have more complex needs, special classes are provided and for children with the most complex needs, special school places are provided. Budget 2025 provides for an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The Government are fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now just over 28,000 students accessing special class and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. The vast majority of children with special education needs attend mainstream classes and are supported to do so by their mainstream teacher and close to 15,000 special education teachers and 12,500 special needs assistants (SNAs). The National Council for Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The development of the National Therapy Support Service is a standalone commitment in the programme for government and is a cross-department initiative. It will ensure that a coordinated approach will be employed to increase college places for health and social care professionals. Work in regard to this important service has already been rolled out in some special schools, through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Providing inclusive education to children with special educational needs is a fundamental principle of the education system. This principle is observed through Department policies, Teaching Council requirements for initial teacher education, curriculum provision and the range of supports provided to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Oide. Teachers undertake...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). As you are aware five new special schools will be established for the next school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Of the 3,336 special classes nationwide, 98 are in County Kerry, 7 were sanctioned for the 2024/25 school year, 5 at primary level and 2 at post-primary level. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Providing inclusive education to children with special educational needs is a fundamental principle of the education system. This principle is observed through Department policies, Teaching Council requirements for initial teacher education, curriculum provision and the range of supports provided to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Oide. Teachers undertake...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs. To meet this need, eleven new special schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: It is my ambition, and as outlined in the Programme for Government, to extend therapy supports within the Education system, over time. This ambition is reflected in the establishment of the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) within the NCSE in June 2024. This expansion of NCSE therapy services is expected to build on the achievements and impacts of the School Inclusion Model...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. My department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and...