Results 1,321-1,340 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for his comments. In terms of the allocation of SNAs generally, there was provision for an allocation of 1,165 in budget 2022. For the information of the Deputy and the committee, 623 of those SNAs have so far been allocated, with the balance of 542 to be allocated by the end of the year. That probably will be done through the exceptional review process and there will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: If I may, Chairman, I will answer Deputy Ó Laoghaire's question now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I will. It would be impossible to remember all the questions. I assure the Deputy that the review will be done this year. Although we are looking for a review of the SNA contract first, there is a separate ongoing discussion with UCD. We do not necessarily have to wait for agreement on the contract; there is a separate conversation going on with UCD around the minimum qualifications. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Clearly, I would like it done as expeditiously as possible. It is my personal preference that there would be accreditation for SNAs. The role they play in our schools is extremely important and, in fact, children's additional needs simply would not survive without their assistance. To a certain extent, over the years they may have been undervalued and I want to change that, but there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: That is a very pertinent point. Clearly, children with the greatest level of needs need to be looked after, and that is the role of the SNA. It is primarily at the discretion of the school management authority how it deploys the SNAs within the school, but it is vital they are used for that purpose and only that purpose. It can be difficult to be prescriptive as to exactly the role of an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Schools that are prioritised, particularly around the exceptional review, are developing schools and also schools that have no SNAs. As the Senator knows, the allocations have not changed since 2019. However, approximately 1,000 extra SNAs were given in 2020 and also an extra 1,000 in 2021. The exceptional review process is there if a school feels it does not have sufficient allocation. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The Senator asked for number of SNAs. Since 2011, there has been an increase of 81% in the number of SNAs. By the end of the year we will have 19,169. There are 15 special classes in Galway and five in Roscommon. I have figures from 31 May. We have 11,174.79 SNAs in mainstream education, 4,613.92 in special classes and 2,775 in special schools. This gives an indication of how they are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I already gave my personal view. I said I think SNAs should be accredited. My personal view is important, but it is not everything either. There is a process that must be followed. As Deputy Ó Ríordáin knows, the issue around the minimum requirements is already with the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and the Department is engaging with that process. Of course, if a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: It was the first national training programme for SNAs. It is a four-year contract. Some 3,500 SNAs will take part in it. The first cohort of 500 began in January 2021. I understand approximately 460 of those met the programme requirements in full. Some 900 have completed the programme since May of this year. In September, another 1,000 will commence. Recruitment has been under way to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: It is more than ten months. They take part in six modules, which comprise inclusive education of children with special educational needs, language and communications, autism, medical and complex needs, promoting positive behaviour and self-regulation and professional development. Those are the different modules they study. Each module consists of six two-hour online sessions over a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I do not have that detail. The only detail I have is that 460 of the first cohort of 500 SNAs completed the programme in full. All that detail is in the report that the officials are currently considering. More than 42% of them have more than ten years’ experience in the role, a further 44% have between three and ten years' experience, with the remaining 14% reporting less than two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I do not believe that is the case. There is an SNA industrial relations forum. The system and Departments will follow through on the normal processes available to them. The Deputy is a lawyer and he understands due process sometimes that has to take place. It provides a structured process to manage any industrial relations issues that arise in this particular sector. It is a dedicated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: That is my expectation. I can never guarantee anything, but I am expecting that. I hope that will be done in early course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I think that they should both be done around the same time, which will hopefully be this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: With regard to personal assistants, I will bring that to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Harris.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: UCD can offer accreditation. As I said, that is currently under review. The Deputy is correct. There was a procurement process and the contract was awarded to UCD in the first instance. There was a public procurement competition. The outcomes are being reviewed by the Department, with a view to seeing what further training programmes we can introduce. It is important to emphasise that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: There is no impediment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: There is no impediment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: A contract was not going to be awarded to a higher level body that would not have been in a position to offer accreditation down the line, if that was something that would be deemed appropriate for SNAs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Exactly.