Results 381-400 of 1,101,731 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Brendan Smith OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Pearse Doherty) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I thank the Deputy very much for the question. The National Council for Special Education is the statutory agency with responsibility for the provision of special education places. The National Council for Special Education has sanctioned 407 new special classes for the coming year, bringing the total number of special classes in our schools to 3,742. Combined with 300 new special school...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister of State knows how to build the tension. He has given us some general points but we are still on tenterhooks as to what is happening in this particular school. I believe the Minister of State has a little bit more to say, so I will allow him to complete his answer.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: The NCSE is working intensively with the parents and schools concerned. The school the Deputy has referred to is one such school. The NCSE engaged with the school to secure agreement to open classes. The NCSE visited the school in September 2024 and, with the support of the school patron body, it worked to sanction two classes. We can now confirm that the issues that were the subject...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Minister of State. I welcome that clarification. He spoke about intensive work having taken place around the country to support the opening of new classes. I know very intensive work took place between parents, the school leadership team, the principal, the deputy principal and the chair of the board of management over the last two weeks. I have met parents, as have other...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: It is very important to be fair to the NCSE, the Department and ourselves. A deadline of February was put in place. Parents needed to make contact by that deadline. We worked to those figures. A number of children have come forward post the February deadline in recent weeks. We are actively engaging with those families and with schools in their communities to ensure children are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Irish Language

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: 83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider introducing a three-week mandatory Gaeltacht course for every student studying Irish at leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40612/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I will touch on the inability of so many Irish people to converse in our national language on leaving secondary school after 14 years of education. This is obviously something a lot of people talk about but I am concerned about whether we are actually addressing it and enhancing the ability of all of us to communicate as Gaeilge. Will the Minister consider introducing a three-week mandatory...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: In line with the 20-year strategy for the Irish language, my Department is committed to improving the teaching and learning of Irish in primary and post-primary schools. I share the Deputy's concern. We all went through school and would like to have better Irish than we do. While there are no plans to make attendance at a Gaeltacht summer course mandatory, my Department is mindful that we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (17 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: We waited a long time for the review. To be clear, it stated that reducing the distance criteria would enable more children to be eligible for transport, increasing uptake and thus facilitating greater access to the labour market for working parents. This is mainly women. There are obvious benefits in terms of the environment, socialisation and meeting our climate action targets. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (17 Jul 2025)

Michael Moynihan: I take the point on starting the process earlier. I always say that from 15 August it becomes school bus ticket time. A large number of tickets are processed every day by the Department and Bus Éireann. A great deal of work is being done on this . A lot of work has been done on the entire school transport system and expanding it. I take the point that a large number of students...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Departmental Strategies

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Jen Cummins: 81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on implementation of the youth work strategy, opportunities for youth. [39687/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Jen Cummins: The opportunities for youth strategy for the period 2024 to 2028 outlines 18 priority actions to be delivered by the end of 2026, including the establishment of an interdepartmental group and a review of the Youth Work Act 2021. Will the Minister provide an update on the implementation of the strategy?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector. It was published in September 2024. The purpose of the strategy is to provide a platform for an effective, data-driven and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services. The implementation of the strategy will be reported on via the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Jen Cummins: Youth work is indeed fundamental to our society. I stand here as a TD who came through youth work and youth theatre. I was a youth worker for a very long time. I see in my community the importance of youth work. Responsibility for youth has come within the remit of the Department. We very much need to keep it as a priority. There is a lot in education, and I would not like youth work,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge, as she has, the fantastic work done by our youth workers. So much of it is unseen, and it contributes. We have spoken here many times about challenges in school and making sure children are in school. Youth workers in particular support bringing people back to school and making sure they are happy and they are active. My role and my intention, now that youth is under the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Jen Cummins: When we know how well youth work works, we can see what happens when it is absent. In my community in Dublin South Central the Donore Avenue community centre burnt down four years ago. A number of voluntary and paid youth work services were based there. Their absence has meant more young people do not have constructive things to do, and this has led to antisocial behaviour and challenges....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Strategies (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is a body of work still to do on just this and identifying where are the gaps. This is separate work that is happening in the Department on mapping exactly where the services are and what types of services are being provided. This is so we can identify where the gaps are and link up better with the education portfolio and identify what resources are needed. I want to make sure...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (17 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: The Minister will guess what my supplementary question is going to be. It will be the same as my initial question. It will be the same question that was put to John Kearney, the head of the NCSE, at the committee's meeting on 2 July, to the Minister of State at the committee's meeting on 18 June and to the Minister at the committee's meeting on 12 June and in the Dáil on the same day...