Results 721-740 of 5,825 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). In 2025 over €2.9 billion will be spent supporting children with special educational needs. This figure builds on previous years and represents over a quarter of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 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. I can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (4 Mar 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. They...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 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. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (4 Mar 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. They...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (4 Mar 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. They...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (4 Mar 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. They...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Patronage (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the criteria for school patronage. He mentioned a specific issue in his own constituency. The reply I have relates to the specifics of how school patronage works. I will outline that and might come back to him later on the specific issue, if that is okay. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to report to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Patronage (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Some of the long-established Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, primary and post-primary schools that have developed across the country in the past 25 or 30 years, contrary to the criteria we now apply, were set up by local groups and in small entities. They have flourished and grown. I take the point that certain criteria are stifling development. I will take this specific...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The Deputy mentioned someone waiting for an ASD class. Since I was appointed just over four weeks ago, we have had considerable engagement with senior officials in the Department and the National Council for Special Education to ensure sufficient places for children with additional needs come September. We have moved the discussion back from one later in the year. Our aim is to move it...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank Deputy O'Reilly very much for the question about additional school places in Fingal West. I thank her for raising this matter, which gives me the opportunity to set out to the Dáil the position with regard to a shortfall of school places at both primary and secondary levels in Fingal West. It is an absolute priority to ensure that every child in the State has access to a...

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

Michael Moynihan: There is no doubt that when lived experiences of being and working in the classrooms is brought to the floor of the Chamber, it brings the matter very much to life in the political forum. Clonlara school applied for major capital works. An application is assessed following the site visit by the Department’s technical team. A brief of accommodation was issued to the board of...

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

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy. I accept the point. In the departmental documents, it is clearly stated there is no direct internal connection to other facilities. The Department clearly understands the challenges in Clonlara. What we have to do now is ensure the project proceeds through the various stages so the building can be got up and running. I commit to working with the Deputy to ensure this...

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.