Results 41-60 of 582 for speaker:Jen Cummins

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: 727. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure international students on stamp 3 visas can access SUSI supports to continue their studies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53198/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: 752. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plan to ensure that people living here on stamp 3 visas can access SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53588/25]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Issues Affecting People with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia: Discussion (2 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: The witnesses are all very welcome, especially Sive. It is not easy coming in to a committee even for us on this side of the table. It is great she is here. I thank her for sharing her experiences. My child is in senior cycle. I have her permission; I texted her earlier to ask if I could speak about this. She has dyslexia. It is not just the struggle with reading and writing and all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Issues Affecting People with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia: Discussion (2 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: Well said. That is really amazing, thank you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Issues Affecting People with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia: Discussion (2 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: I thank the witnesses for being here. I am quite cross. I have a child who is in sixth year and this will not benefit her. As her mother who has advocated for her for such a long time in the education system, I can say the system does not support children with additional needs. This is an example of it. Ms Feeney just mentioned fairness for all students. I will tell her now that the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: I raise the deeply concerning issue of student contribution fees. Freshers week across the country is wrapping up and students have started lectures, and yet families across Ireland are none the wiser as to what they will be paying in fees. The rumour mill around the Government's budget is that the decrease will only be €500. The confusion and concern about student contribution fees...

Abolition of Carer's Allowance Means Test: Motion [Private Members] (1 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: The Social Democrats have brought forward this motion to abolish the means test for carers, which was promised by this Government, and I am very happy to see there is no amendment to the motion. Carers and people with disabilities cannot wait any longer for the Government to fulfill this election promise. One area that is often overlooked when we speak about carers is education. Family...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (1 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: I am sorry I was not here; I was in the Chamber. How can apprenticeships be advertised or sold not only to young people, but to their parents, because sometimes the blockage to apprenticeships is parents not understanding it is great to do an apprenticeship? We often think the only way to third level education is paper and pen in a lecture hall. When I meet young people who have done...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (1 Oct 2025)

Jen Cummins: Youthreach and community training centres have an important place in the move from students doing QQI level 3,4 or 5 or whatever, and then moving into apprenticeships. The models are very complementary. There needs to be more emphasis not just on mainstream education, but on Youthreach and community training centres and the students progressing into apprenticeships or sitting in lecture...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (30 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: Thank you very much.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Student Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. It was really interesting to listen to each of them. Having met with student union representatives over the past number of months, accommodation is obviously the key issue. I will say thank you in particular to TU Dublin and to Dr. Lillis. My husband graduated with a PhD last October at a lovely ceremony. There were people from all over the...

Use of Vapes and Nicotine Products by Young People and Adolescents: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: Vapes and nicotine products are the absolute bane of parents' lives. I have been contacted many times by parents asking what can be done about vapes, their contents, how they look and how they are sold. I am speaking not only as a TD but as a mother and somebody who has worked with children and young people for many decades. As previous contributors have said, school principals and school...

Child Poverty and Homelessness: Motion [Private Members] (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: This House can talk about many different things. Today we are talking about child poverty. I thank the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward. I have to say that talk is cheap and action is limited when it comes to child poverty and this Government's record. I worked in some of Dublin's poorest communities for close to 30 years. I do not need to remind people in this House that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: I thank the witnesses for coming in today. I am delighted to see them all here. As some of the witnesses know, I was a Fórsa member so I have had plenty of engagement with SNAs over many years - I do not know how long at this stage. At the outset I will say that I have had many people contacting me with regard to the SNA review. I brought that up yesterday in the Dáil and I will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: I thank the witnesses. If anyone else would like to comment, there is a bit of time. I have spoken enough. Does anyone else want to say anything?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: I thank the witnesses for coming in today. There is a huge amount of confusion, as already outlined. Could the witnesses write to us stating exactly where in the document it is stated that mainstream will not take away from special classes. A number of education experts I have encountered, including SNAs, parents, principals and teachers, cannot find it in the document. The difficulty...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: Earlier somebody mentioned a reduction in care needs. I cannot understand how there will be a reduction. As somebody else here said, if you start in junior infants and have a number of needs, they will just stay the same, or increase. The officials are jumping the gun. Changing this review system ahead of all the other things is not helpful to the schools and it is causing huge stress...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: That is changing, and that is going to affect things.

School Transport: Statements (23 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: I am glad to have the opportunity to speak about school transport, but in particular the urgent issue of accessibility for children with special educational needs. The transport system we have was set up in 1967 to bring children to school safely and reliability. It is managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. However, it not working for every child....

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Sep 2025)

Jen Cummins: I raise the issue of the new SNA review guidelines with the Minister. At a time when we should be increasing the support for our students, the Government - despite saying disability is a priority - seems determined to make it more difficult for children to get adequate support. The new SNA review guidelines appear focused on gatekeeping and rationing and not supporting children. The review...