Results 461-480 of 1,058,034 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan) in 'Committee meetings'

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...

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]