Results 161-180 of 468 for speaker:Liam Fitzgerald

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: With regard to special educational needs, the Government has a proud record on the delivery of services.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I will not go into the details of this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: With regard to the recent announcement, a special needs assistant is assigned to an individual schoolchild. No mechanism exists for redeployment. Discussion is ongoing on the redeployment of the 70 or 75 special needs assistants referred to and the matter should not be trivialised. On the resignation in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I am not debating but ask the Leader of the House to assist me in clarifying a point. Would the Leader agree that we all share the deep concern expressed on the resignation of the principal of Coláiste Mhuire, who is held in esteem throughout the education sector? We are also disturbed at the statements from the only Christian Brother on the teaching staff at that college and from Mr. Ó...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (4 May 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I call on the Leader of the House to ask the Minister for Education and Science to ensure that the important educational needs of the students at the college are met. That is a primary concern.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I thank everybody who contributed to the motion tabled by the Government side. Senator Ulick Burke and his colleagues at least tabled an amendment and set out to address some of the key issues in this area, as distinct from the Labour Party which did not think it worthwhile to table an amendment or even be associated with the amendment.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: That is a matter for the Mullingar partners, however. Whether the relationship is on or off, or hot or cold is a matter for them. Far be it from us to interfere.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: We are doing very well, thank you very much.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: It was remiss of me not to welcome the Minister of State to the House, so I wish to do so now. I wish to refer to a few aspects of the amendment. One such is the rubbishing of the general teaching allocation model for children with disabilities.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: That is one of the messages coming through from the amendment. The speakers on the Opposition side, particularly those in Fine Gael, tended to rubbish this model as if it had no merits. I will go back briefly and carefully over some of the merits even though I realise it is an imperfect model.I acknowledge that the Minister has already started a review of this matter in consultation with some...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I acknowledge that they should know that as soon as possible.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: I remind the Senators on the other side of the House of some of the merits of the proposal because it is important that we do not rubbish it. Some of the concerns expressed are met by this model, although it is imperfect and there are serious concerns about smaller rural schools. For example, the special needs which the model proposes to address are spread throughout the country.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: The weighted system, imperfect as it is, attempted to address that in an effort to put a permanent system in place. With such a system, all schools would know how they stand as early as possible in the school year.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: The corollary was that the system would reduce the need for individual applications and for supporting psychological assessment, a matter which I recognise is vexed and not yet fully resolved. We on the Government side face up to its many imperfections. The national scheme of psychological assessment is not working perfectly or satisfactorily.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: The many teachers to whom I speak bring the matter to my attention. With the greatest respect, Opposition Members should remind themselves of where we started in 1997 with regard to resources. Some of the statements tonight baffle logic and belie the fact that all Senators live on the same planet.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: Facts are facts.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: Regarding the progress between 1997 and today, the facts show that massive and spectacular resources were targeted at key areas throughout the area of special education and disadvantaged areas.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: That targeting of resources was backed up very effectively by landmark legislation.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: With regard to the rights afforded to parents to enable them to go for judicial reviews——

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Liam Fitzgerald: Any legal opinion will confirm that under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, there is, for the first time in the history of legislation of this nature, a legal onus on the Minister for Finance to take account of the limited resources——