Results 341-360 of 1,041,479 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Under section 18 of the Maternity Protection Act 1994, an employee who is pregnant or breastfeeding may be granted maternity health and safety leave from her employment where, following a risk assessment by her employer, a risk has been identified which is not possible to remove from the work environment and where it is not possible to move the employee - an SNA, in this instance - to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Pauline Tully: Thank you, Minister. Time is up.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Fitzpatrick: SNAs are being denied equal health and safety leave provisions in employment. The potential risks for injury are greater for SNAs due to the physical element of their job. There is a clear disparity between the provision afforded to teachers and that afforded to SNAs. SNAs work with children with a range of care needs, many of whom exhibit extremely challenging behaviour that requires...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the enormously positive work carried out every single day by our SNAs. The Deputy referred to two different types of leave. I have outlined the situation with regard to maternity health and safety leave. For clarity I will reference the second type, which is assault leave. Where an SNA is injured as a result of physical contact from a third party, causing physical injury in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Fitzpatrick: I thank the Minister for her reply. A lot of good work is being done in education. There are a lot more teachers and SNAs. There is a lot of early intervention and children with problems are being diagnosed early. I appreciate the Minister's response but all the SNAs are looking for is the same treatment as teachers. As I have said, they play a very important role in the future...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I am fully appreciative of the excellent work that is done by teachers, SNAs, school secretaries, caretakers and school leaders every day in our schools. If a member of staff is pregnant, under no circumstances would we want them to be challenged in any way in the school environment. Therefore, we have the health and safety aspect of it and, equally, the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Pauline Tully: Thank you, Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (11 Jul 2024)

School Transport

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (11 Jul 2024)

Michael Collins: 65. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be extra funding for school transport for the 2024-25 school year. [30880/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (11 Jul 2024)

Michael Collins: We have been pleading with the Department for a long time for an answer for the students who are requesting a bus from Bantry to Schull Community College. Thirty-one children need this bus service. Will the Minister announce today that this bus service will be made available, giving relief to parents and children from the Bantry area?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023-24 school year more than 161,600 children, including 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine, were transported on a daily basis...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Seán Canney: The overall spend is very high, and rightly so, because this is about education, which is fundamental to every person in the country. Focusing on primary schools and national schools, the big problem is that there was a cut to the capitation grant. Basically, that cut has not been restored. Looking at the capitation grant for national schools compared to what is available for secondary...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I appreciate there are challenges right across society and particularly in our schools. In recognition of that, we have seen, as I have outlined, an almost 35% increase being made available to the Department of Education in the budget. We currently have €10.9 billion, which is the third highest allocation across Government Departments. On foot of that, we have seen a considerable...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Seán Canney: While I appreciate that, I will say again that the funding for primary schools, and their capacity to be able to run the schools, has fallen back seriously based on the capitation grants they have now. Part of that is because inflation has come into being. Heating, electricity and insurance costs have all risen substantially. While I acknowledge there was a one-off payment, schools need a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputy Canney. I appreciate his personal engagement on this matter. In the context of permanent increases, €21 million was secured in the budget. From 2024, that €21 million is ensuring the rate goes from €183 per pupil to €200 per pupil at primary level. That is a significant step forward in terms of a permanent increase in the core. Equally, other...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

School Funding

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Sorca Clarke: 63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will conduct a full and independent analysis of the level and effectiveness of primary and post primary school funding. [29925/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Will the Minister, Deputy Foley, be conducting a full and independent analysis of the level and effectiveness of primary and post-primary school funding?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department’s voted Estimate for capital and current expenditure for 2024 stands at €10.9 billion. This represents an increase of more than €2.8 billion, or 35%, since 2019. As I said previously, this is the third highest allocation to a Government Department. It indicates the commitment of Government to education. In the lead-up to budget 2025, as Minister for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Mairead Farrell: We need to have a frank conversation about this. Parents are really struggling every single year when they are bringing their kids to school. What we are seeing now, and what we have seen from the report of the Irish League of Credit Unions this week, is that parents are spending approximately €1,400 per secondary school child and over €1,000 per primary school child. As for...