Results 1,021-1,040 of 9,040 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

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...

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

Hildegarde Naughton: It is for that reason we are investing €2.7 billion in special education, a third of the overall Department of Education funding. A lot of very good work is happening across the country. We want to improve and increase the resources of the NCSE, which is happening on a weekly basis. It will have those 120 SENOs on the ground and visible from this September. They are already on the...

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

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I understand that it is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for their children. I reassure the Deputy that this Government is determined to do all it can to help families that are seeking a special educational placement for their child. My Department is working closely with the National Council for Special...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2023 (without debate) - Statements on Ireland’s recognition of the State of Palestine (not to exceed 3 hrs 47 mins) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Local Authority Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: At the outset, I want to assure parents that this government is determined to help families when seeking a special educational placement and alleviate the pressures that can arise. I understand that this can be an anxious time for parents who are seeking enrolment for their children for September, and I want to assure them that work continues to provide the appropriate school place for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 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. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised that the local special educational needs organiser...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I understand this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking a school place for September. I would like to assure parents that this government is determined and committed to alleviating the pressures faced by families seeking a special educational placement and we are working hard to make the process easier. Over 320 new special classes have been sanctioned by the National Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I understand that this is an anxious time for parents who are seeking enrolment 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 works closely with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in relation to the forward...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Hildegarde Naughton: I want to thank the Deputy for the question. The allocation model for 2024/25 distributes the total available number of Special Education Teaching posts in line with each school’s profile of need. The model makes an allocation on the basis of a number of inputs, including enrolment numbers. It also uses school-level data from standardised tests in order to reflect levels of overall...