Results 801-820 of 8,919 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: The occupational therapists will make recommendations to the schools around what assistive technology they use as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I look forward to visiting the Middletown centre. We had a North-South engagement with it. We are working with it. I will let Mr. Hanlon in on that, if he wants to speak to what we are doing in respect of the centre.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Regarding special class funding, there is a project management framework. We take the administration burden off schools that open up special classes. They are funded. There is enhanced capitation, a start-up grant, provision of furniture and a sensory space is also provided. I apologise to the Senator. I had his other questions there. I am not sure if I-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I completely agree around the teacher training. Even observing is not good enough. I would like to see, as a graded part of teacher training practice, part of the qualification in a special class or in a special school and, through continuous professional development, that teachers have access to these courses and we provide more courses. I outlined earlier what I am doing in the budget to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I was teaching when I was elected to the city council. If the meetings were on during the school day, I could not get cover. I am going into other spheres but it is for local authorities to make it more accessible for people who are at work who have been elected as members. It is a more general question. People who are self-employed can get time off but people working in a school have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is a matter for the councils. The majority of the councillors would be able to decide on the times of meetings. Sometimes women at work are not able to get time off. It depends on the makeup of the council in the context of these decisions being made. That is my understanding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: We want more therapy posts. I want more of them. That is why I made sure of the 44 permanent posts. I am working with the Department of higher education and my colleague the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, on increasing the supply of therapists coming through. Our new therapy service will facilitate placements in schools. We have seen this as part of the summer programme where student...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is part of the workforce planning and I will come back to Senator Carrigy on it. I will get more detail and a better answer for him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will start with the issue of reform. I know we are firefighting here regarding the upcoming school year and I do not want us to be in this position again. Part of how we do that is through building the capacity of the NCSE and addressing the limitations in its resources. That is why, as I said, we are increasing the number of SENOs, reducing the administrative burden on them and reducing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: For primary, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: That is what the NSCE told my officials today. Parents will apply to numerous schools, and we all understand the reason for that. That is right across the board, so there will be a bit of flux in those figures. To answer the Senator’s question, the NCSE will be in contact with the parents and will update them weekly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: They are all in Dublin 15.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: When places become available, the NCSE receives that information. For example, the NSCE will have information about primary schools in Dublin 15, that there is a demand for 12 places and that 15 places that are available. Of those 15 places - I will speak in general terms - let us say that ten, for example, could be already allocated within the school. Children in the school may need that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will add to that. That is just today's update. There is movement on this daily so there will be more places. What the NCSE has said to me is the capacity is there to accommodate the children it is aware of. I know many of those parents have contacted the NCSE but if there are parents who have not, they should make the NCSE aware of any other children who may require a school place....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: That is why I want to streamline the process, so the process does not take this long. The NCSE is engaging with the schools to try and bottom-out that exact question. The Deputy is asking-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I am telling the Deputy. That is what the NCSE is doing at the moment, every day, with schools in this particular area to try to determine what spaces are available. Some of the classes are just sanctioned and the schools need to work through the admissions process now. There is an admissions process in schools and they have to work through that admissions process. That is what the NCSE...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: That is exactly the reason I put the 44 therapists that were allocated to the NCSE on a permanent footing. They were not being hired because they had temporary contracts and that is exactly what they will be doing - going in, working with the teachers and collaborating with them. All the evidence points to a reduction in the need for additional supports in these schools, and better learning...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Coming from my own teaching background, it is up to the board of management and the principal when they are hiring. You have the best interests of the child at heart in making sure you are putting the right expertise in, and making sure that training is provided for teachers where required.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Mr. Brendan Doody might come in on this. There is probably more happening in this space.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Senator.