Results 101-120 of 5,825 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Most of the 30 mild general learning schools have worked extremely well with the National Council for Special Education over the past while to broaden their profile and to accept students with autism and more complex educational needs. Both the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I have worked extraordinarily hard over the past number of months on making sure that we have a place for every child...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: At the outset, I recognise this project has been ongoing for some time. The major building project for the school referred to by Deputy Connolly will provide a new 16-classroom primary school with additional classrooms for pupils with special education needs. Following planning conditions imposed in 2018, a redesign was necessary. At that point, additional capacity was added to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the question. The Government is committed to the provision of additional special school places for children with more complex educational needs. Over 300 new special school places are being provided for in the coming school year, 2025-26. Five new special schools are being established in addition to 11 new special schools having opened over the past five years....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I take the point, but it is important that special schools, special classes and special places for children with additional needs are as local as possible to pupils' own communities. In various debates on special education, we constantly talk about people who are travelling long distances, be that in urban or rural Ireland, for those places. That is something we really are very serious...

Seanad: Delivering a World-Class Education System: Statements (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I welcome the opportunity to be here for statements on education. In recent months, I have worked extremely closely with the Minister to deal with the many challenges we have faced in terms of special education and school places. We have worked with the NCSE and the Department during that time to ensure we will have a place for every student come 1 September. There are some challenges...

Seanad: Delivering a World-Class Education System: Statements (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: In the time I have, it is important to say the experience we have and the disability issues we have learned about are going to lead us to putting actions in place to make sure people with additional needs can say the Irish education system really did them proud, whatever role they had.International studies show that for people with additional needs, one of the great things is nature. Some of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: As you are aware, the School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. In the current school year over 173,000 children are transported daily in approximately 8,200 vehicles across 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The retirement age for school bus drivers has been set...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education sand Youth. In the current school year over 173,000 children, are transported daily in approximately 8,200 vehicles across 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. Applications for the 2025/2026 school year closed for payment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I know the central role that our SNAs play in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. That is why the number of SNAs available for allocation has continued to increase annually resulting in more SNAs than ever now being employed in our schools. Budget 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The Government are fully committed to ensuring that every child with special educational needs is supported to achieve their full potential. 399 new special class have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year - of these 112 are at post-primary level. These new special classes were announced earlier this year than in previous years and will add to the existing 997 post primary special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). By the end of the year there will be close to 21,000 special educational teachers and over 23,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) in our mainstream classes, special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: As you are aware five new special schools will be established for the next school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the country. The new special schools will operate under the patronage of their local Education and Training Board (ETB). Dedicated working groups are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The school referred to by the Deputy is currently located in interim accommodation on a school campus site in Citywest, Dublin. Bus transport has been provided for the school to this location by the Planning and Building Unit. This is a private arrangement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. It is important to remember that 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: School Transport (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The school transport scheme is a demand led scheme based on the number of children who apply. The scheme is operated using a mix of Bus Éireann owned vehicles and directly recruited drivers, and private contractors who recruit their own drivers to operate on the scheme. As part of the operation of the scheme, Bus Éireann manages the procurement tender process and contract...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 174 together. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). It is my department’s policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. The taskforce to support the forward planning of special education provision in the Dublin 15 area was established last October. The Dublin 15 area has experienced significant increases in population growth in recent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Jun 2025)

Michael Moynihan: National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. As you are aware 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 supports, special classes...