Results 1-20 of 1,132,681 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív5 OR speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív15 OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh24 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh18 OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh23 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh29 OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh19 OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív19 OR speaker:Thomas Byrne1 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh17 OR speaker:Jackie Cahill)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I thank the witnesses for coming in front of the committee. I will follow on from Deputy Hourigan’s questions. Ms Agbona explained her experience regarding the lunch break, the social side and transition year. It is powerful to hear this. It is good that we are having this conversation and that it is on the record of the committee. I thank her for that. I will start with a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Can Ms Agbona give an example of that? For people like me who are learning and for those who will look back at this meeting, it would be important to give an example of that stark difference. It is positive to hear this but it should be happening throughout a child or a teenager’s learning experience.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: That is powerful. Thank you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I am aware that we will have the Department in and I want to be able to ask the questions. We are saying it should be incorporated into support plans. Ms Walsh said that different schools do it differently. Should there be something like a circular from the Department indicating what is best practice?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I want to talk about the technology and when it fails, but I wanted to ask another question. As a committee, we went to a school with children who are deaf. The kids would probably call themselves teenagers and they were all taller than me. One of the things that really stood out to me was how they described things like transition year work experience being very difficult. Dr. McCarthy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Excellent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Will Ms O’Dwyer explain how exactly how that works for someone who does not know?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Would anyone else like to come in on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: That is a really good point. I have another question. A friend told me how when she was transitioning from school to third level that there was a massive improvement to access to supports. Why is that? She said the figures qualifying under the DARE scheme had dropped while she was in college. Is that still happening? She found there was a huge difference between school and college. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: That makes absolute sense. Looking at assistive technology, is there enough technical outreach or supports when technology fails? What happens when it does?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: The printer is a classic example.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: That is really important. I have just one more question because I know I am over time. Could Ms Walsh elaborate on how the digital papers pilot could be optimised? How can we make the experience work for children with multiple diagnoses, who may need even more support in availing of the option? Are enough resources being put into this area? That is something I could raise with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Is that being talked about by the Department at all?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: What does Ms Walsh mean by saying they are not allocated enough time? How much time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I still remember my leaving certificate examinations, so-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: That is not very much.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I did not fully understand the response when Deputy Hourigan asked questions about modified papers. Can Ms Walsh explain it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine as teacht os comhair an choiste. I am aware that I have five minutes and five questions to ask so I will try to get through them as fast as I can. They all stem from what we heard in the previous session and the first relates to summer provision. One of the things we heard clearly from our guests during the previous session was that they feel strongly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Yes.