Results 61-80 of 13,414 for speaker:David Stanton

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: I thank the officials for the presentation, for the work they are doing and for being with us. A huge amount of work is going on. I read the material the Department sent us, which is quite comprehensive. There is a certain amount of déjà vu about this. In the previous NTRIS, there was a review and recommendations for a Traveller education strategy to be reviewed by the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: I thank Ms O'Neill.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: It has been seven years. How many identified or self-identified Traveller children are in primary and secondary school at the moment?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: The submission refers to reduced school days, which caused a lot of concern in the past. There are restricted timetables. Schools have to inform the Tusla education support service when a student is placed on a reduced school day. What are the statistics in that regard? How many students are on a reduced school day? How many of those are Traveller or Roma children?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: That is the second level.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: Have our guests any information as to why those children were placed on reduced or restricted timetables?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: That is good. I know in the past it has caused a lot of anxiety, especially for mothers whose children were in school at 9 a.m. and gone at 10 a.m. There did not seem to be any kind of follow-up or connectivity but I am glad to hear it is being monitored closely now and that systems are in place to ensure that children are not on the streets when they should be in school or at home. How...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: Is there any evaluation of the benefits of homework clubs, after-school clubs or whatever you want to call them, where children can get something to eat, help with homework and have some fun? When they go to school the next day, they can at least be on a par with their peers with respect to understanding what is going on, having had the support to do homework where they may not have it at home.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: It would be interesting to see the statistics on it as well. I have visited one or two of these homework clubs. I was highly impressed by the atmosphere, the work being done and the positivity around it. The way the teachers and others work with the young people in those clubs make them happy places. I saw primary school-age children. It was not a scientific analysis but from going in...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: I could go on for ages on this topic but I will limit myself to one or two more questions. Will Mr. Hanlon please tell me about the access and inclusion AIM model for children with disabilities and how that benefits Traveller and Roma children?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: I was asking about the AIM programme for children with disability.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: In that case, I will move on. One of the issues that comes to us every so often is the importance of people from the Traveller community becoming teachers. I have come across situations where I have seen Traveller teachers. When the Traveller children discover that the teacher is a Traveller as well it creates really positive engagement. Will the witnesses please comment on that? In the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: Again to jump to something else, there is the STAR programme and the home school community liaison pilot with ten new co-ordinator posts in non-DEIS schools as well. Does Ms O'Neill have any indication as to how successful those programme are, with the home school community liaison people in place in particular, and the engagement with parents and the home as well?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: I have two more questions. One is on bullying. I mentioned anxiety earlier on but bullying is an issue. Some Traveller children find they do not go to school because of the bullying culture that can be in a school. I am aware of the programme called Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying. Is that helping and supporting the Traveller children who are experiencing bulling who may decide...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: My final question has to do with counselling and psychological services for Traveller children who are experiencing anxiety as was referenced earlier. It was mentioned earlier that some children do not go to school due to anxiety and there were obviously other issues. Bullying probably would be related to it as well.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: I will be very brief as I have to go to another meeting. I thank the officials for being here this morning. I picked up a really sincere approach to this issue. I thank them for that. I support the Vice Chair in what he said with regard to after-school activities and even in-school activities with respect to sport, art, music and so forth in schools, which are all so crucial. On the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: Quite often, it is the system that has ultimately failed the child when that happens, when the child has to be expelled or suspended. The system has failed the child, not the other way around. On that and where the system might not work to meet the child's needs, can the witnesses talk to me about Youthreach and other such programmes that would be adjunct to the mainstream education system,...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: Is there a breakdown by primary or secondary school?

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: 50. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the way in which his Department assists local authorities to compulsorily acquire derelict properties; the amount, if any, that he has made available to each local authority to acquire derelict properties in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15717/24]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (11 Apr 2024)

David Stanton: 71. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the guidance, if any, given by his Department to local authorities to assist them with compulsory purchases orders/compulsory purchase acquisitions of derelict properties in their respective areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15716/24]