Results 1,681-1,700 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.  It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion. This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: My Department ran an expanded summer education programme for Summer 2021, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this expansion, students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage had access to an enhanced summer programme of education. The total funding available to provide the programme was €40 million, which was a one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.  Such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Officials in the Department made contact with the Deputy's office to clarify what therapists the question is referring to. His office confirmed it is 3 specific special schools in CHO4 who state SLT, OT are no longer being provided in their schools.  My Department does not have therapists in CHO4 area.  Under the Department of Health, as part of the Progressing Disability Services,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life.  This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.  The Review made a number of recommendations regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 278 together. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.  Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs. This includes additional teaching and care supports.   As a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I wish to advise that all mainstream schools, regardless of their classification are treated equally and fairly in relation to SEN provision. The Special Education Allocation model  was introduced to ensure SET supports are allocated on the basis of the profiled educational needs of schools and SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Special Education Teachers: The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.  In order to minimise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are at unprecedented levels.   Very significant levels of financial provision are made to ensure that children with special educational needs, including those in Kildare, can be provided with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (10 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs. This includes additional teaching and care supports. As a result,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ukraine War (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy. This is a real topical issue at the moment. I want to reiterate the Government's position that the continuing Russian military action against Ukraine is illegal and immoral. As the Government has stated, the priority is a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the Russian military from Ukrainian territory. The Deputy is quite right that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ukraine War (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: As a teacher, the Deputy has experience of educating children. As a country, we need to look at novel, innovative approaches for how we will educate Ukrainian nationals. Teachers who come from Ukraine will be able to teach in their mother tongue, which will be of assistance to these children. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will publish resources to support learners with...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: We are still lawyers, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: That is true although neither of us is practising at present. I thank the Deputy for raising this important Topical Issue matter. He will appreciate that I am taking this today on behalf of the Minister for Education. Transport is not directly under my remit. The Deputy is quite correct, however. A review is ongoing at the moment. I understand that recommendations will be coming...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: That is the briefing I have here. I also understand from the Department's response that there are no plans at present to recognise both as one education centre. The Deputy is correct that there are two post-primary schools in Carrigtwohill, that is, Carrigtwohill Post-Primary School and St Aloysius' College, and four in Midleton, namely, Midleton C.B.S. Secondary School, St. Mary's High...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I hear what the Deputy is saying around this. My understanding from my instructions, to use a legal phrase, is that the Department has no plans-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: -----to recognise one centre. That is not to say it will not, however. I think it will consider this following the Deputy's contribution. There is certainly an argument for a more streamlined approach, bearing in mind the criteria, difficulties and challenges parents are facing and the stress delineated by him. I would surmise that because this review is ongoing, this is something that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I appreciate that. The Deputy and I speak about this outside the Dáil Chamber on a regular basis. I will obviously take that very seriously and look to see what we can do in that regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (9 Mar 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs. This includes additional teaching and care supports. The National...