Results 41-60 of 6,068 for speaker:Michael Moynihan
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The retirement age for school bus drivers has been set by Bus Éireann at 70 years of age, which also applies to all Bus Éireann road passenger services. The policy and criteria also apply to drivers nominated by private operators who operate services...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: This government is 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. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, including...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The government is committed to the provision of additional special school places for children with more complex educational needs. Over 300 new special school places are being provided for the coming 2025/2026 school year. Five new special schools are being established in addition to the eleven new special schools opened over the last few years. Special school capacity is also being expanded...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: While the provision of clinical therapy supports to children is the responsibility of the HSE, it is this government’s ambition, and as outlined in the Programme for Government, to extend therapy supports within the education system, initially in special schools, and subsequently extending to schools with special classes and mainstream provision overtime. This is not to replace...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The Summer Programme is an educational programme providing supports to children with special educational needs during the summer months. All schools are given an opportunity to run a programme, particularly in special schools, for those children who need it the most. The aim of the Summer Programme is to ensure that these children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the allocation of SNAs to schools, I have forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie. It is open to any school which feels like it has...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 306 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. Deputies are welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie. By the end of the year there will be close to...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the allocation of SNAs to schools, I have forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie. It is open to any school which feels like it has...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: My department provides a range of supports for students with special educational needs including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. These supports are provided through mainstream classes, the 25 hearing impairment classes and through the two dedicated schools for Deaf children. The department has in place an Irish Sign Language (ISL) Home Tuition scheme which supports families of...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together. The estimated full-year cost of a new entrant special needs assistant is €35,030 per annum. The estimated average full-year cost of a special need assistant is €44,300 per annum. This includes employer PRSI. The table below outlines the annual cost as outlined by the Deputy. Number of SNAs New...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 104 and 105 together. The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. In the current school year over 173,000 children are transported daily to schools throughout the country, with 68,300 travelling to primary schools and 104,700 travelling to post-primary...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 109 together. The Department of Education and Youth’s Summer Programme is an educational programme which is run during the summer period. Each year, all schools are given an opportunity to run a programme for those children who need it the most. The aim of the Summer Programme is to ensure that these children can continue to be supported,...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised that just over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. This includes a number of new Early Intervention classes bringing the total number of these classes to 160 for the 2025/26 school year. A number of new funding initiatives have been provided to schools this year when establishing a new...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together. I propose to take PQs 115 and 116 together. It is anticipated that the Education Therapy Service (ETS) will commence in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year. Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out to further special schools commencing in the 2026/27 school...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The retirement age for school bus drivers has been set by Bus Éireann at 70 years of age, which also applies to all Bus Éireann road passenger services. The policy and criteria also apply to drivers nominated by private operators who operate services...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs...