Results 361-380 of 1,038,207 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Josepha Madigan OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Gary Gannon)

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

Norma Foley: I thank Deputy Farrell. I appreciate it is hugely challenging for parents and for schools. Deputy Farrell specifically referenced parents. The Government has been very cognisant of that. The Deputy will be aware of the myriad of measures we have introduced in this regard. For example, for the benefit of parents, there is the free school books scheme, at a cost of €110 million,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Corporate Governance (11 Jul 2024)

Joe Flaherty: After 18 months of existence, the advantages of the CEA being a stand-alone agency are clear. In particular, the flexibility that status brings is readily apparent. Will the Minister indicate how the agency has performed regarding recruitment? Has it secured its own recruitment licence, thereby allowing it to run recruitment campaigns with competitions tailored to suit the needs of a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Corporate Governance (11 Jul 2024)

Dara Calleary: We engage regularly with the CO. The resourcing of the CEA is kept under constant review and the Department is involved in regular engagement to ensure resourcing is adequate for the job we have given it. Filling specialist posts tends to be a challenge for many agencies but we engage closely with the agency on that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Corporate Governance (11 Jul 2024)

Questions Nos. 16 to 60, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.

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

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

Special Educational Needs

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

Sorca Clarke: 61. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions being taken to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students can reach their full academic potential. [29924/24]

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

Mairead Farrell: Will the Minister of State outline the actions she has taken to ensure deaf and hard of hearing students can reach their full academic potential?

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

Hildegarde Naughton: My Department, directly and through the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, provides a range of supports in schools for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This includes additional teachers, specialist equipment and access to SNA support, depending on the child's level of assessed needs. In Ireland, we have two established schools for the deaf. They are Holy Family School...

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

Mairead Farrell: My understanding is that deaf and hard-of-hearing children are getting less support than before under the new SET model. Guidelines for 2024-25 allocate virtually all hours to children who are at the lowest levels in standardised tests. This means the Department now interprets educational needs solely on low scores, without reference to ability or potential. Deaf or hard-of-hearing...

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

Hildegarde Naughton: On visiting teachers, in recent years resource restrictions and associated high caseloads have impacted on the time visiting teachers have per student. However, we are turning a corner in relation to that. For example, the recent deployment of two visiting teachers for the deaf or hard-of-hearing in Dublin has led to a decrease in caseloads in the area of up to 40% in some cases. This...

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

Mairead Farrell: I will pass that on to my colleague, Sorca Clarke. Phase 1 of the scheme for ISL classroom assistants and school advisers was first announced on 2 March 2022 and an implementation plan announced in November 2022. Advocates believe only a fraction of the envisaged 40 posts in phase 1 have been filled to date and the narrow medical criteria are a barrier to many children getting the support...

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

Hildegarde Naughton: The two new roles support the work of the class teachers and complement other teaching and care support provided for targeted students. They will play a pivotal role into the future. As the Deputy said, the positions were originally advertised by the NCSE in 2022. However, there was a poor response to the recruitment campaign and only two advisers and specialist classroom support personnel...

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)

Seán Canney: 62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she intends to increase core funding for primary schools and special schools to ensure that these schools meet their operational costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27214/24]

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

Seán Canney: It is a simple enough question. Does the Minister for Education intend to increase core funding for primary schools and special schools to ensure they can meet operational costs?

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 over €2.8 billion or 35% since 2019, which is significant. This is the third largest budget across government, and the largest ever investment in our schools. It indicates the strong commitment to investment in education by this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: We currently have €230 million transferred to the local authority sector and that will cover the first and second rounds. Once that is disbursed, there will be a small enough buffer left over and, at that stage, we will assess what we can do with it. My focus is that any money that is voted by this House in the budget will be spent by my Department this year, and I am very clear on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I would give a word of caution and perhaps a word of warning. As we came out of Covid, many businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises in retail and hospitality, became somewhat dependent on supports and this continued through the ICOB scheme. I am sure this has been fed into the budgeting process. It is critical that we have a commitment in the budget to ensure the supports...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: We will do our very best to have a strong budget for businesses. That is central to what we are doing in the Department. The benefits of our SME package are now being felt across the country. The reduced rate of PRSI will take effect from 1 October for workers on the national minimum wage. That process will be linked directly to the Low Pay Commission to ensure that minimum wage workers...