Darren O'Rourke
Meath East · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“It is a statement of fact that in recent years we have seen a reduced number of classroom teachers. Budget 2026 led to the removal of 498 classroom teachers, a net reduction of 381 when one looks at the gains. The year 2025-26 saw a reduction of 290 and 2024-25 a reduction of 237. That has a real impact.”
“It has created duplication, inefficiency and a barrier to our natural prosperity. It has left the North underfunded by Westminster’s austerity and battered by the chaos of Brexit while the South has suffered from a fractured market and a divided island. We are both less than we could be. Irish unity is not a burden; it is an investment.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on statements on the fiscal implications of Irish unity. We hear people tell us Irish unity is a cost we cannot afford but the truth of the matter is partition is the cost we have already paid for for a century and more, and it is a price that is too high.”
“I thank the Minister. She said from November that 97% of posts were filled. In real terms at the same time, 996 teaching posts were unfilled, which is almost 1,000. Figures as recent as last week tell us that over 39,000 primary school students were in classes of 30 pupils or more in the past school year.”
“Again, we have those figures from a briefing we had with the Department as recently as yesterday. It is all welcome progress but the question I am asking today is what is the unmet need as things stand? How many children do not have an offer of a school place?”
“I wish the staff and the Minister all the best for the summer. I know it will be a busy summer but I hope that everyone gets a break. I ask the Minister to state the number of children with additional needs who require but have yet to receive an offer of an appropriate school place for September 2026, based on her most recent meeting with…”
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“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important issue for discussion tonight and the Minister of State for being here. This is a familiar issue which is frustrating for residents and business owners in the area of Duleek, Donore and surrounding areas. The issue is creaking water infrastructure leading to water bursts all too frequently. They are unscheduled and in many cases are for many hours. It happened as recently as yesterday, the day before, ten days before that, and the day before that. It is a pattern like that. It has a real impact on businesses, hairdressers, shops, cafés, coffee shops, delicatessens, large industry, small and medium enterprises, medically-vulnerable households and kids. Parents were in contact with me about newborn twins on St. Patrick's Day.”
“Dúirt an tAire go bhfuil sí chun polasaí nua ar an nGaeloideachas lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhoilsiú i mbliana. Tá moltaí iontacha i rún Shinn Féin. Ba chóir don Aire glacadh leo.”
“Mar fhreagra ar cheisteanna parlaiminte, dúirt an tAire leanaí go dtuigeann sí na dúshláin faoi leith atá ann agus go bhfuil grúpa comhairleach i mbun oibre chun plean cuimsitheach a fhoilsiú i mbliana. Ní féidir leis an obair sin tarlú tapa go leor agus, níos tábhachtaí fós agus cuirim béim air seo, go gcuirfí an plean i ngnímh. Sa chaoi chéanna, maidir le bunscoileanna, tá an t-ádh linn Gaelscoileanna iontacha a bheith againn ach tá an iomarca áiteanna gan iad go fóill, Damhliag agus Ceanannas ina measc. Tá cúrsaí níos measa arís ag an dara leibhéal. Níl ach 79 Gaelcholáiste sa Stáit agus, go bhfios dom, níl ceann ar bith sa Mhí Thoir, ceantar an Aire féin. Is léir go bhfuil athrú bunúsach ag teastáil chun gur féidir le gach páiste a chuid oideachais a fháil trí mheán na Gaeilge.”
“Mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta Ó Snodaigh as an rún seo a chur faoi bhráid na Dála. Tá mé ag labhairt mar urlabhraí oideachais mo pháirtí, ach níos tábhachtaí arís, tá mé ag labhairt mar thuismitheoir páistí ar mhaith liom go mbeadh oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge acu. Teastaíonn an deis sin uaim do mo phaistí féin ach freisin do gach páiste. I nDomhnach Seachnaill, áit a bhfuil cónaí orainn, tá an deis sin againn le Naíonra na Ríthe and Gaelscoil na Ríthe, fiú go raibh ar fhoireann, tuismitheoirí agus páistí an naíonra seo, m'iníon ceithre bliana ina measc, agóid a dhéanamh díreach ceithre sheachtain ó shin toisc gur bheag nár chuir an ghéarchéim san earnáil luath-bhlianta brú ar an naíonra na huaireanta oscailte a laghdú. Bhí an t-ádh linn nár tharla sé seo, ach is léir go bhfuil na naíonraí lán-Ghaeilge go mór i mbaol.”
“I ask that question on the back of an issue raised by a local constituent with the Minister's Department which stated there are protections in place. When the person took the parliamentary reply to the local Garda station, gardaí said they could not work with it. There is a need for improvement there.”
“I have been told that the allocation model is based on PULSE data and historical strength. The issue of historical strength is almost like the HSE idea of a block grant being based on what was received last year. We need to be more sophisticated in that regard. The Minister mentioned CCTV. In my experience, having dealt with Meath County Council and local communities, things are unnecessarily complicated. There are many communities that do not have CCTV. Some communities have signed petitions for CCTV for years. There are issues regarding GDPR and data protection which still need to be resolved and those services put in place. I want to raise the issue of online community safety and ensuring that legal protections are in place for people in the area of, for example, catfishing.”
“I want to return to the issue of Garda numbers, as I often do, in regard to County Meath. County Meath is the county with the lowest number of gardaí per head of population, something which has been the case for a long time. By way of comparison, in 2009 there were 315 gardaí in County Meath, with a population at that time of 172,000 people. At the end of 2024, there were 316 gardaí, one more garda for a population of 225,000 people. We can see that there was a massive population increase, in excess of 50,000, but only one extra garda. The Minister will be aware of that. It has a real implication in terms of the ability of gardaí to cover the area well. I have repeatedly raised this matter. I have raised the issue of the Garda resource allocation model and the number of recruits that are coming out of Templemore.”
“I raise the research published today or yesterday by the ESRI, which shows the crucial role of the school completion programme in supporting student attendance and engagement and highlights staffing and funding challenges. Among the major issues highlighted is the lack of referral pathways into therapies. Will that be looked at with a view to potentially delivering school-based therapies? Second, there is the issue of funding. They are not yet back at pre-2008 levels. This is a hugely important programme and service. How will Government invest in it?”
“Anyone interested in the issue will have heard the Taoiseach's previous answer in regard to SOSAD Ireland, which the Minister of State handed to him, ten times over. That reply does not answer the question he was asked. I will ask it again. The question relates to interim funding to keep the doors open on these vital services between now and when SOSAD Ireland can continue to engage in the long-term, sustainable section 39 funding. The question is in regard to the interim funding of in the region of €300,000 that is needed to keep the doors open for the next five months for the organisation. The audiovisual room was packed for its presentation. A number of Deputies from different parties were at the briefing. This is the one question to which we want an answer.”
“I thank the Minister. It is all about action on this issue. In the area the Minister and I represent, there is appetite for this. In south Meath are Gaelscoil na Rithe, Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg, Gaelscoil na Mí and Gaelscoil na Cille. There is a thriving Irish-language community at primary level and yet while we repeatedly built secondary schools in that area, none of them have been Gaelcholáistí. There is a real job of work to ensure that avenue is there for students. Referring again to the area the Minister and I represent, and it is reflected in other areas, there is a challenge for níonraí to sustain themselves and to be supported to ensure that our children have a pathway from pre-school to secondary school and third level. There is a big opportunity. I would like to think that this Government will make progress on the issue.”
“Sinn Féin will bring a comprehensive motion relating to Irish-language education to the Dáil next week. I hope there is a lot in that for the Minister to take and run with. There is enormous opportunity. We all benefit. There is a richness to an Irish-language education that our children have a right to.”
“What is needed is action. I appreciate the action plan and the survey have roles in that regard. I emphasised in my question a number of pieces that were included in the previous programme for Government but are not included in the current one, including increasing the emphasis on spoken Irish in the classroom, working towards the doubling of the number of young people currently in Irish-medium schools, providing a comprehensive policy for the Irish language from pre-primary level to teacher education for all schools, and increasing supports to An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. I hope the commitment is still there and that we see it in an action plan, along with a range of other measures. Most importantly, I hope those measures are actioned.”
“How does the Minister intend to deliver on the programme for Government commitment to expand opportunities for students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí? Is it her commitment, as it was her predecessor's, to work towards increasing the number of young people currently in Irish-medium schools, as was committed to in the previous programme for Government but is not committed to in the current programme? Will she make a statement on the matter?”
“We need to ensure that the system works well and there is a fair level of responsibility between Tusla and the individual schools.”
“I thank the Minister. I believe she will be providing me with the figures. I realise providing figures in tabular form does not always work well when taking oral questions. I am also hearing from school leaders that there has been a shift in protocol in terms of the expectations and demands of schools before Tusla educational welfare officers are engaged. From some of my engagement with school leaders, I have learned this puts an additional burden on schools that they do not have the capacity for. It is not an improvement on the previous experience, whereby they could engage earlier. Could the Minister look into that? I am sure she has heard about it. It may be a matter of tweaking the protocol and ensuring there is better engagement. Perhaps when some of these posts are filled, it might fill some of the gap.”
“I thank the Minister. She mentioned the rate of chronic absence from schools has more than doubled after Covid. More than a quarter of primary schoolchildren and more than a fifth of secondary school students missed at least a month of school days during the 2022–23 school year. As the Minister said, the figure is even higher in disadvantaged areas, with 42% of children attending DEIS primary schools having missed 20 days or more during the 2022-23 school year. I welcome the increase in the number of officers and agree they have an important role to play. The reason I am asking my question is that school leaders recognise the importance of the role and are appreciative of it and also recognise there are absences. When they seek support, it is not available. When does the Minister expect the recruitment to be completed?”
“What is the current number of full-time equivalent educational welfare officer positions across Ireland, by county? How many of these are currently vacant? What is the timeline for filling the vacancies? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?”
“A related matter that has come up a number of times at both primary and secondary level is the likes of issues such as parental leave and the lack of flexibility in that regard. Surely parental leave should be able to be taken one or two days at a time. It would be more attractive for teachers and it would also provide continuity for students.”
“The recognition of experience abroad is important. I encourage the Minister to engage with her colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, on the housing crisis, which is a major issue for teachers and a major driver when it comes to people leaving the country and not taking up teaching here. In responding to the situation relating to recruitment, we must continue to increase the number of training places and look at alternative pathways into the sector. However, we must also look at the position in respect of retention. I ask the Minister to consider two points in that regard and to come back to me on them. One relates to investment in leadership at school level. I refer to posts of responsibility. These are positions that were hollowed out during the years of austerity.”
“I know from the Teaching Council that this was due to happen in quarter 1 but that it been delayed slightly. Is that something the Minister would like to introduce?”
“Will the Minister give us a timeline for those proposals and outline the nature of them? I appreciate that some may require funding. The picture is one of a crisis and emergency. At primary level, there has a shortage of more than 2,500 teachers for the 2024-25 academic year. There are many unfilled posts, and a large number of schools have had to use unqualified staff to cover absences. At secondary level, it was reported in a recent survey that 64% of schools have unfilled vacancies due to recruitment and retention difficulties and that 20% have been forced to drop subjects as a result. One of the measures that was previously introduced, but there seems to be a delay in relation to it this time round, is the likes of a time-bound provision for people who could do their droichead or induction in Ireland if they trained elsewhere.”
“There is a protest at the Department of Education scheduled for tomorrow. It is a 24-hour sleep-out by parents who are demanding appropriate places for their children. They should not have to do that. It is disgraceful and shameful that they have to. I send them solidarity and tell them that I will certainly do everything I can to keep this on the agenda and to push for an appropriate place for every child. That includes a place for this September. The question is then on appropriate places. There are not 126 but 177 children who are on home tuition because they are waiting on a special education placement. I asked whether emergency measures will be needed to deliver this capacity in the timely manner the Minister of State has talked about. For example, will the school buildings be in place?”
“That is the point, and I have not heard from the Minister of State that they will be. The question was about what additional demand for special class and special school places for September 2025 is now anticipated on the back of that new process. The Minister of State did not answer that question. In fact, he spelled out what we knew already, which is what the Department is planning. How does what the Department is planning match with, or not match with, what the actual demand is? We have repeatedly heard from all quarters a real frustration as to how the Department, its agencies and the Government do so poorly at planning despite the fact that we have CSO data, AIM data, reports on children and now the new NCSE forms. Where stands the demand at this stage? How does it relate to the Department's planned roll-out of capacity?”
“I ask the Minister about school places in south County Meath. We will need additional places in Dunshaughlin for this September. What additional demand for special class and special school places for September 2025 is now anticipated at primary and secondary school level? What measures is the Minister taking to ensure the necessary school buildings, staff and resources are in place to meet that demand, if emergency measures are expected, and if she will make a statement on the matter?”
“If it is not going to be ready, there is a real and continuing risk that this is going to be a very negative experience for all concerned.”
“We have spent more time identifying those issues than on spelling out exactly what the timeline will be between now and September for teachers, in the main, and, related to that, for school communities, parents and, most important, students embarking on this new programme from September, if that is the timeline. That detail has to be spelled out to school communities and school leaders at the earliest possible opportunity. If that timeline is not there or there is no schedule to roll it out for this September, the pause button will need to be pressed. I am not convinced from what I have heard so far this morning that such a necessary and detailed plan is there or that a plan for its implementation is in place.”
“I welcome the fact that the Minister has met stakeholders. It is important that she meets all of the stakeholders in the sector at the earliest opportunity. If she has met them, she must surely have heard their concerns. I have not heard that reflected in her response thus far but they will have detailed them to her. They relate to a range of areas, principally capacity and preparedness, whether in terms of the development of curriculums, the readiness of schools in terms of IT, laboratories and the capacity to take on these changes. The Minister said there is a commitment, as I believe there is, to make this happen in the right way but that takes time and capacity. Is she hearing that from the stakeholders and, if so, how is she responding?”
“As this is the first ministerial questions session, I wish the Minister and Minister of State the best of luck in their roles. This is a very important time and I hope we can make progress. Is the Minister aware of the concerns raised by school leaders with regard to the accelerated roll-out of senior cycle reform, if she accepts that the accelerated timeline does not allow enough time for essential preparations and if she will make a statement on the matter?”
“The Minister talked about a new Government and new potential and opportunity. Words count for nothing as far as I am concerned. What we need to see here is delivery. For my part and I am sure that of my party, we will do everything to fight this corner and make sure that progress is made. The Minister will have a willing partner if she is up for delivering that. Time will tell, however. There is a huge need for increasing capacity for additional training places, which she mentioned, as well as a job guarantee, which is something Sinn Féin has committed to, and pay parity. How are we still awaiting pay parity? I meet with representatives from Enable Ireland in Dunshaughlin, for example. It is immediately obvious that part of the reason they cannot get staff is, first, pay parity and, second, workers cannot afford houses in the area.”
“We can talk about policy, and we can talk about plans for the future, but the reality is that we should not be in this place to start with. I can talk and produce figures. One feels incompetent and impotent as a public representative because all we are doing is tracking failure. Every six months, I can stand up in the Chamber and I can go on LMFM Radio and talk about how the promised posts are not filled, how 40% of CDNT posts in County Meath are not filled and how the waiting list is increasing to the point that 700 children in the county are waiting for a first CDNT appointment. Every one of those is a precious child with huge potential, and that potential is being stymied by the systemic failure of our Government and State agencies to provide for them. It is a damning indictment, and something has to be done.”
“The failures in disability services in providing supports and services and dignity for people with disabilities is Ireland's great shame. It is a shameful disgrace, and it is a disgrace that lies on the shoulders of successive Governments. I listened to a very powerful testimony from a couple from Dublin on the "Oliver Callan" show on Friday. They talked about how they were advised to get out of Ireland. I have personal family experience where that is exactly what they did - they went to Belgium. My nephew's mum is from Belgium. She fought with the system here. They lived in Waterford and fought for years until he was 12 or 13 years of age, then left and went to Belgium and overnight that child's - my nephew Dylan - experience was transformed. It is a shameful disgrace. It should not be this way.”
“The message from everybody would be to keep at that work and to ensure that those timelines are met. We must show Ireland, the stakeholders here, and the world that Ireland is going to be a leader in the area of green hydrogen. The potential is there, particularly with the offshore potential that we have but again, that needs to be delivered. The energy security review is ongoing and we await the details of the outworking of that but one of the most important areas is gas storage. My party and I have serious concerns about the prospect of LNG but the potential to store hydrogen is real. The ESB, Bord Gáis and Gas Networks Ireland are looking at some of that potential. Does the Minister of State have an update on that? In the long term we will need to look at hydrogen on our grid and the storage of it will be really important.”
“Concern has been expressed, including by Hydrogen Ireland, that there is an urgent need for progress on the strategy. The strategy was welcomed and we published legislation in the previous Dáil term for it to be prepared. We welcomed it when it was prepared. It is then a matter of making it happen. There is concern that there has not been enough progress to date. While I welcome the pieces that have been progressed so far, they are largely desktop elements. I am concerned that the potential of this opportunity will be missed if the necessary steps are not taken. One of the areas with real potential here is the hard-to-decarbonise transport sector. There is lots of potential and a number of willing partners. Is this something the Government is exploring?”
“In addition, the use of AI research in written projects has not been adequately researched and could have a major impact on some of the proposed augmentative and alternative communication, AAC. There is a red flag in this regard. That is not saying this cannot be managed but what school leaders, teacher trade unions and schoolteachers are saying loudly and clearly to us is that we need time to prepare and plan for this. Rushing and accelerating the senior cycle reform is not the way to do it. I ask the Minister of State to take that up with the Minister for Education.”
“School leaders say that there are increasing concerns around AI and its impact on the academic integrity of senior cycle reform. They further say that the Minister announced research into AI and how it may impact additional assessment components, which are an important part of the proposed reforms, but despite this research not being published, the Department is continuing with the policy of accelerating the introduction of senior cycle redevelopment. These school leaders state there are inherent dangers with this strategy, which could have a disastrous effect on their students. That is a very serious statement from vastly experienced school leaders.”
“I share the concerns of school leaders throughout the country that the Minister for Education is rushing ahead with accelerated senior cycle reforms, not under the original timeline but the accelerated timeline indicated by her predecessor. Real concerns have been articulated. We will all be familiar with the demonstrations relating to this that took place outside schools throughout the State in November. For example, in the area of the impact of the proposals on the examination assessment system, a claim has been made that the State Examinations Commission needs adequate time to design, evaluate and implement assessment methods aligned with the redeveloped curriculum, ensuring fairness and reliability and, importantly, taking full account of AI.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. AI is an incredibly powerful technology. I welcome the appointment of a Minister of State with responsibility for it. It requires a whole-of-government approach and response because this technology has incredible potential but needs to be managed in the right way. There are real risks. We are trying to get our heads around the potential of this technology. We know it is moving far more quickly than was envisaged. I will focus on AI and the risks associated with it as they may apply to the leaving cert, our senior cycle and senior cycle reform. I ask the Minister of State to pick up on this with the Minister for Education.”
“With regard to the commitment from the Government outlined by the Minister and Minister of State here, from Sinn Féin’s perspective and, I think, across the Opposition benches, if the objective is to deliver appropriate school places for every child for September, we will work with the Government every step of the way. We could talk a long time about the barriers that have been identified but the Government will find a willing partner on this side of the House to deliver on that objective. We will persevere and persist on this because these children deserve nothing less.”
“The valid point was made that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in some shape or form have been in government for a long, long time, even before all these children were born. I cannot support the Government amendment. I am disappointed that the Minister tabled amendment in the first place but the first reason I will not support it is that where the Sinn Féin motion includes specific language relating to a commitment for September 2025 while the Government has a commitment to deliver in a timely manner. That is not strong enough for me and we will not support that amendment.”
“I thank everyone who contributed to this debate. Earlier I met people from Waterford with Deputies David Cullinane and Conor D. McGuinness and people from Laois with Senator Maria McCormack. A number of people have contacted us through different forums. What we hear from parents, which is something they want the Minister to hear, is that they feel that their children are being left behind. What they say to me and my colleagues is that as parents they are exhausted, heartbroken and frustrated but they are resolute and determined for the love of their own children to see this through. The Minister needs to hear that. I am sure she is well aware of it but I want to make sure that she is. This situation is totally avoidable had Governments planned, resourced and invested for long enough.”
“This Sinn Féin motion is quite specific. It calls on the Government to ensure every child currently without a suitable school place, and all of those due to start primary or secondary school in September 2025, have access to a suitable school place within a reasonable distance of his or her home. To achieve that, the provision of school places for children with special educational needs must be priority number one for the Minister. It can be done with the right focus and a determination to address the barriers to delivery. The Minister will have my full support and the support of my party, and I am sure others in opposition, to achieve that but the time for broken promises is over. I commend the motion to the House and I look forward to the debate.”
“It is a case of "computer says no." Elsewhere, there are school leaders who want to provide extra places but they will not be ready in time for September because, for example, the school build was delayed and the Department will not sanction modular accommodation in the meantime. There are many more examples. I have no doubt that the Minister will come forward and outline the scale of investment in special education in recent years, and I acknowledge that investment. However, the Minister must acknowledge the shamefully low base it started from due to years of underinvestment. She must also acknowledge the number of children who have to travel too far for a school place, who are on a reduced timetable due to lack of supports, whose school place does not meet their needs and, critically, who are locked out of school completely.”
“It is not just Sinn Féin that has identified these failings - they have also been identified by the Ombudsman for Children, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and others. The Ombudsman for Children said that there "is still no comprehensive and coherent plan to ensure every child with special educational needs has a school place locally in a timely manner". The Department's forecasting model is flawed, just as its approach to data collection and collation is flawed. There is no centralised application system. The basic building blocks for a well managed system simply are not there. We are in mid-February and right across the State there are parents scrambling for places for September. At the same time, there are school leaders who want to provide extra places but are told they cannot do so because of departmental bureaucracy.”
“Our motion specifically calls for places to be provided within a reasonable distance of people's homes. Parents may be told that their child is on a waiting list or that they are being entered into a lottery to see who gets one of the all-too-few local places. No child, and indeed no school leader, should be put in that position. For many people, despite it being a last resort, home tuition is the only option. We know that the number of children with special educational needs who are accessing home tuition has almost doubled in recent years, going from 69 to 135 in the past year alone. At the root of this is a failure to plan, a failure to prepare, a failure to invest and more than anything a failure to deliver. There has been a failure by successive governments to deliver for children with special educational needs.”
“They talk about the incredible impact an appropriate preschool placement has made and how they fear their child will regress if he or she does not get a suitable place at primary school. Parents fear that because other parents have told them about their own child's experience. It is the same, and perhaps worse, at secondary level. We know that despite the commitments from the previous Minister, 126 children with a special educational recommendation were left without a school place last September. All too often in the scramble for school places, parents of children with special educational needs are told to readjust their expectations. They may be told to extend their scope and look further away. Is an hour or an hour and a half too far away? That is not right or proper.”
“I am sharing time with colleagues. I welcome that the senior Minister is joining us now. We were prompted to bring forward this motion after listening to the heartbreaking stories of parents of children with special educational needs who are currently denied a suitable school place. Those parents are hoping against hope and fighting day and night for a suitable school place for their child for September, but this is something they should not have to do. I am very grateful to those parents who shared their stories with us and I welcome a number of them to the Visitors Gallery this evening. Those stories are harrowing. Parents talk about being heartbroken and shattered as they, in many cases, receive rejection after rejection from schools.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: recognises: — the fundamental right of every child to access the education system; — the current and projected demand for special education placements is growing; — the current shortage of special classes and appropriate school places, leaving children, particularly those with additional needs, without access to suitable education; — the trauma and absolute heartbreak endured by parents and families due to the lack of suitable school places; — the failure of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments to adequately plan for, and invest in, the expansion of special education; — the lack of coordination between the Department of Education, the National Council for Special Education and schools, resulting in a fragmented and inefficient system; — the disproportionate impact on children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who face even greater barriers to accessing appropriate education; and — the current state of special education is unacceptable and fails to uphold the rights of children with additional needs; and calls on the Government to: — immediately expand the number of special school places, special classes and special education teaching hours across the State; — ensure every child currently without a suitable school place, and all those due to start Primary or Post-Primary Schools in September, 2025, have access to a suitable school place within a reasonable distance from their home; — enact the Education (Inclusion of Persons) Bill 2023, and the Education (Amendment) Bill 2024, to identify demand, gaps in provision, and to develop a long-term strategy for special education; — ensure meaningful consultation and greater collaboration between education authorities and school leaders in special education planning and delivery, and to address the shortage in special schools and special class placements; — streamline the process for opening new special classes and provide additional funding and resources for schools opening new special classes; — invest in recruitment and continuous professional development for teachers and Special Needs Assistants to ensure they are supported to meet the diverse needs of students in special classes, and this must include addressing the root causes of the recruitment and retention crisis in the education and disability sectors; and — expand the Educational Therapy Support Service, to help build the capacity of school communities to meet student's needs.”
“There must be a fear of getting caught. Those are the words that echo in my mind. I accept that the departmental and ministerial responsibility is cross-cutting. I bring to the attention of the Minister that in 2009 there were 315 gardaí in County Meath for a population of 172,000 people. At the end of 2024 there were 316 gardaí for a population of more than 225,000 people. That is one extra guard for 53,000 more people. The statistics for roads policing are worse. In 2009, there were 30 members in the roads policing unit and at the end of 2023 there were just 16. They are the latest figures that are available and they show the numbers are down from 30 to 16. We need to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Síochána to allow improvement in road safety.”
“I extend my condolences and deepest sympathies to all the families and loved ones who have lost somebody on the roads, in particular in the last year. The Minister spelled it out: there is a large number of contributing factors and there are measures the Government can take in response, be they engineering, roads funding, and the use of improved technologies. However, ultimately the major factor in this regard is driver behaviour – speeding, mobile phone use, and drug and alcohol use. The comments of a senior member of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety who attended a transport committee meeting stick with me. He said the single biggest deterrent is the fear of getting caught. I emphasise that point. We need checkpoints and visibility. Fixed cameras have a role. Mobile cameras also have a role, but we need to see gardaí at checkpoints.”
“They have spelled out in black and white their concerns and, importantly, detailed the resources and time needed to ensure the successful roll-out of senior cycle reforms. The Minister is on the wrong track and it is a recipe for disaster. The people who will suffer most are young students. This is not right or fair and I implore the Minister to reconsider and re-engage.”