Results 121-140 of 5,432 for speaker:Michael Moynihan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: We are deadly serious about making sure there are special places and special schools open in Cork-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputies for the question. It gives me an opportunity to outline the issue from the side of the Department. It is under the remit of the Minister, Deputy McEntee in this regard. I am conscious that the leaving certificate can be a very stressful time for students and their families. This includes the stress of the examinations themselves and the decisions for students in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the question. I also thank him for the work he does in this sector and the support he has given me since I took up this role. I greatly appreciate it. The majority of children with special educational needs are supported by mainstream classroom teachers, special education teachers and SNAs to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children have more...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: First, I wish to reassure the Deputy that the Department and the design team within it, the NCSE and the local ETB will continue to review the accommodation options available to allow the special school to grow and expand. While it is initially for 18 students in the coming year, we want to ensure we have available space to meet the growing need that we anticipate within the Monaghan...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I met a number of the parents who were here last week. I know only full well the battle that all the families and parents are going through, not just from being a public representative but also from personal experience as well. I am fully aware of the challenges parents face daily with regard to special needs, particularly the battles around the country for special schools. I refer to a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputies for the questions. I turn first to the issue in north-east Kerry. I have no difficulty in taking the details from the Deputy and following through on the specific issues. On Deputy Gould's point, the NCSE has been looking at the number of pupils who have come forward. The closing date was in February. We are doing everything humanly possible to make sure there are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I will respond directly to Deputy Conway-Walsh with the details. On the issue in north-east Kerry, there have been extra SENOs put into the field since last September. My experience to date is that they have been working extremely well with families and school communities to ensure that the need is being addressed as locally as possible. There was a circular earlier in the year relating...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy. The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to reach their full potential. In the programme for Government, we have a number of commitments in that regard. Dedicated working groups have been established by the Department of Education to work through the details relating to the establishment of the five new special schools for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I was in Kerry and visited a number of the special schools there in recent weeks. I visited Nano Nagle Special School in Listowel, St. Francis Special School in Beaufort and St. Ita's and St. Joseph's Primary and Post-Primary Special School in Tralee. These were very insightful visits and showed the tremendous work being done by principals,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the question. This Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential, and the programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. Up to an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special classes for, on average, six children each, and 300 special school...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy for the supplementary questions. I met a number of parents and have met with them over many years in respect of special educational needs. I know the stress they are under. I cannot overstate how hard the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I have worked over recent weeks to ensure we would have a place for every child in September. We are working extremely hard with the NCSE...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: There is absolutely no policy change in relation to SNAs. We have more SNAs working in the education system and more budgeted for the school year 2025-2026. I take this opportunity of acknowledging the enormous work the SNAs do in the entire school communities. The work they do in special education, the dedication they put into it and the connection they have with the children and families...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: No change.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Funding (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Senator. First, I welcome the students from Ballyvourney, in my constituency of Cork North-West, to the Gallery. I hope they will have a very enjoyable trip around Leinster House and see how things go here. It is always a great day when students come to Leinster House. Sometimes, people remember it forever. I congratulate Senator Kelleher and wish him well in his role. I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Funding (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: There are a number of issues involved, including site constraints and the building itself. Notwithstanding the commitment of the board of management and the school community to additional special classrooms, it is important that we commend anybody who raises a hand looking for these. Not everybody does that. We have to acknowledge that. This year alone, 53 additional classrooms are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: As the Deputy is aware a taskforce to support the forward planning of special education provision in the Dublin 15 area was established in October last year. The area has seen significant demographic growth in recent times. It covers 5 local school planning areas in which there are 47 schools - 32 mainstream primary schools, 13 post primary and 2 special schools. There are 11 different...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The majority of children with special education needs are supported by their classroom teachers, special education teachers and SNAs to attend mainstream classes with their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: Article 24 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, to which Ireland is a signatory, requires us to provide education to children which is as inclusive as possible. The majority of children with special education needs in this country are supported by their classroom teachers, special education teachers and SNAs to attend mainstream classes with their peers. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: My Department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. The provision of clinical therapy supports to children is the responsibility of the HSE but as Minister for Education I am also interested to ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Michael Moynihan: This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. At...