Results 901-920 of 8,928 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I understand that this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for their child for September and I would like to assure the Deputy that this government is determined to alleviate the pressures faced by parents when seeking a special educational placement. In relation to the schools referred to by the Deputy, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I understand that this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for their child for September and I would like to assure the Deputy that this government is determined to alleviate the pressures faced by parents when seeking a special educational placement. My department and the NCSE work closely in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement for whom such a placement is not available. Likewise, provision is made for early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21stMarch 2024. Funding of €40m is available and, as in previous years, all of the funding is utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children. All schools have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most. These children can continue to be supported, nurtured and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jun 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is my department’s policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary. My department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an 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). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 66 and 67 together. I understand that this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for their child for September and I would like to assure the Deputy that this government is determined to alleviate the pressures faced by parents when seeking a special educational placement. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: My department secured funding of €2.7 billion for special education expenditure in Budget 2024 which will provide essential supports to children with special educational needs and allow for the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places. Each new special class requires additional funding for staffing and capitation....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: My department secured funding of €2.7 billion for special education expenditure in Budget 2024 which will provide essential supports to children with special educational needs and allow for the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places. An indicative estimate of the cost of repurposing an existing vacant building to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and wish to advise you of the following: The Special Education Appeals Board was established within the EPSEN (Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs) Act 2004. The EPSEN Act 2004 provides for the education of children aged under 18 years with special educational needs. The EPSEN Act 2004, is now in place for more than 20...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy raises a number of issues. In respect of supports for the school involved, I have asked my Department officials to share the contents of your email with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to ensure that this school is provided with any additional supports it may require. The NCSE Support Service manages, co-ordinates and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21st March 2024. The Department of Education also recently announced that funding of €40m has been secured again to ensure that a comprehensive summer programme will be available in 2024. This builds on the successful summer programmes of the last three years. The full funding of €40m is available and, as in previous...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has the statutory responsibility to work with schools to open additional special classes. It is also important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers through the provision of special education teachers and special needs assistants. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: Special needs assistants (SNA) allocations for the 2024/2025 school year are presently being developed by my department and schools will be advised of their allocation very shortly and in line with previous years’ timelines. For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million. This is dedicated to providing supports for children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together. I understand that this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for their child for September and I would like to assure the Deputy that this government is determined to alleviate the pressures faced by parents when seeking a special educational placement. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fishing Industry (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. I will raise this again with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. He has met with representatives of the inshore fisheries recently and is very aware of the challenges they face. He is committed to ensuring we identify and explore all avenues available to us in terms of the funding supports that may be put in place for inshore fisheries. In saying that, we as a member...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. We are in agreement on the need to resolve this issue. I have full faith that the school and the HSE will come to an amicable agreement. I will ask my Department officials to continue to engage with the NCSE and to monitor the issue. The NCSE is available to support the school and the HSE local team in resolving the issues at play here. The local SENO also has acted...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fishing Industry (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. The Minister is very aware of the challenges faced by inshore fishermen. He met with representatives of the inshore fleet recently to discuss them. The European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF, is the primary source of funding for the Irish seafood sector. It provides...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. Enabling students with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for me as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. It is a priority to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to our schools to cater for the needs of children with special...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I hear exactly what the Deputy is saying and I hear from across the country that parents feel anxious and frustrated. What we are doing, and what I am doing in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, is increasing the number of SENOs on the ground, whose role it will be to be visible and active, and engaging and working with parents and schools to help them to...