Jen Cummins
Dublin South-Central · Social Democrats · Ireland
“However, there is an advantage if their family can buy them one and they can continue their school work at home. It is not good enough to say that schools can make up their minds about that. The Department needs to actually decide and give guidance like it does for other things.”
“Circular 0032/2017 has been in existence for almost ten years and in most parts is not enforced. There is no point in issuing a circular if nothing is going to be done about it. I am delighted the Minister has said there will be a working group to review and hopefully strengthen that.”
“I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. It is very timely. These are the summer months when parents start to think about how we will we stretch our finances to autumn, get everything that we need to ready and then still maybe take a holiday, organise summer camps, etc. The motion is, as stated, very timely.”
“I see it as an absolute disgrace that such a number of people need that support. I welcome that that funding and support is there for those families but I am still shocked that this affects 233,000 children, which is a lot of children, aged between two and 18. I think it goes up to 22 in some cases. There is a digital divide.”
“When parents were told, they had six weeks to pay but most people do not have such a flexible budget to allow them to pay the €160 or however much it is. When things are being reintroduced time needs to be factored in for that. There was an increase in the cost of school transport for families.”
“I will go through a few of the things that I think still present challenges. The capitation grant for schools was increased last year but has still not reached a level which will mean that schools are fully funded. It has not reached the level where it needs to be. In addition, it does not take into consideration the level of inflation.”
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“I thank the Minister of State for that answer but that is not what I was talking about. However, I am glad he has given me that answer because I can go back and let the people know what they already know about the Iveagh Markets. I was asking about the market on Newmarket. Newmarket is an historic part in the Liberties that is not the Iveagh Markets. I am delighted with this answer because I can go back to them but they and I already know this answer. What I am asking the Minister of State about is the market that does not exist any more on Newmarket because planning came in and a big fancy building was built. They have built lots of fancy buildings in Newmarket but part of the planning permission was that a market needed to go in there.”
“We have seen this in Dublin 8 with other areas. Dublin 8 suffers in the context of planning permission. I do not know if the Minister of State has been to my community but there is very little green space, so often access to things like green spaces is cut off when student accommodation or co-living is built. It is part of the planning permission that the developer should have it open to it but it applies for retention afterwards. It is not good enough and it is happening time and again in Dublin 8.”
“They have been told that it would cost €66,000 per annum. That is not a like for like. It is not a culture- and community-based sum being charged. It is a serious amount of money. I would love to know what markets are so successful that they can pay that much rent. People are angry and disappointed and it is wearing the community down. We have this view now that this lovely opportunity has just been taken away from us. What can be done when things are part of planning permission and are granted on the basis of planning permission and then they are being priced out of it? The local community and markets are not able to apply for this. They are being priced out for a reason. The people who own that building clearly do not want to have a market in there. What can be done by the Department to ensure this does not happen again?”
“I have been contacted by so many people about this issue for almost two years, including when I was campaigning before the different elections, and people are really angry. That place is vacant. There is nothing in there. It is completely soulless and there are markets that want to happen in that area. There is an organised outdoor market at the moment. It happens in the summer to autumn time. It was really lovely. People came back and said it was great to have the market back there again. It is outdoor, however, and we all know what that means. Yesterday was boiling hot, today it is lashing rain and I heard it has been snowing in Tallaght. You could not have a market that would be reliable outside. We need indoor markets. I have been contacted by somebody who would love to run the market there.”
“There was a fruit market and a vegetable market, a flea market, and a permanent space where you could go and have a coffee with your neighbours, and it was immensely important to our neighbourhood. Unfortunately, people love building in Dublin 8. They love building hotels, apartments and tourist attractions because the area is very attractive to tourists with all the historic parts we have. However, we live there and we want to have an area that is more than just a tourist attraction. When planning permission was put in for a new building that would go there, part of that planning permission was that a market space needed to be made available there. That has been subject to observations and objections over the last number of years as the place lies idle.”
“I raise an important issue in my constituency, most particularly in Dublin 8, where I live. For many centuries, there has been a market in Newmarket. There is also the Iveagh Markets. There were markets all over this city but, sadly, we have seen the closure of many of them throughout this city. The Iveagh Markets have been closed for some time and Newmarket has become a place that would not inspire people to go and visit it because it is a bit soulless. There was a market there a number of years ago that brought the community together. This is an urban area. There are people who have lived there for decades and people who have moved in. What was really uniting about everything was that this market brought people together. It was an indoor market. There were different varieties of markets that happened on weekends.”
“Deputy Sinéad Gibney - To discuss the closure and liquidation of the Southside Travellers Action Group. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss Gaelcholáiste Mhuire, Parnell Square. Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Catherine Ardagh - To discuss progress on school buildings for St. Seton's, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore - To discuss public transport issues in Wicklow. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss progress on the northern distributor road and Cork city northern transport project in 2026. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú·- To discuss the HSE's failure to offer 76 newly qualified paramedics full-time jobs upon graduation. The matters raised by Deputies Jen Cummins, Tony McCormack, Colm Burke, Louis O'Hara and Sinéad Gibney have been Selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the review of the Garda vetting process. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for a full-time Garda station in Rush. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss childcare provision in Cork North-Central. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the remaining sections of the Athenry relief road. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the significant waiting lists at the Deansgrange driving test centre. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss the demolition and rebuild project for three primary schools on the Navan Road, Dublin 7. Deputy Cathy Bennett - To discuss the Government response to rising energy prices. Deputy James O'Connor - To discuss ambulance provision for the east Cork area. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss repairs and a new building at Dunboyne junior and senior national schools.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss the market that is to be restored to Newmarket in Dublin 8. Deputy Martin Daly - To discuss the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the severe cuts to SNA allocations across schools in County Kerry. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss the need for adequate classroom provision for Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcáin. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí - To discuss north city arterial main, NCAM, project communication failures and public disruption. Deputy Tony McCormack - To discuss electricity grid capacity and connection issues in the Cappincur area of Tullamore, County Offaly.”
“Ideally, teachers in our Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí should be able to do their teaching courses and training through the medium of Irish. One of the targets that has been set in the Civil Service is that 20% of new civil servants will be proficient in Irish by 2030. I am not sure that is achievable at this stage, given we are nowhere near that. Is mian liom gach rath a ghuí ar ár n-iarrthóir i bhfothoghchán na Gaillimhe Thiar ina feachtas. Rugadh Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich i gConamara agus is í an Ghaeilge a céad teanga. Tá sí eolach ar na saincheisteanna a bhíonn roimh dhuine i gceantar Gaeltachta agus, ar ndóigh, ar fud na Gaillimhe Thiar. I wish our candidate in the upcoming by-election in Galway West all the best. Míde grew up in the Gaeltacht. She knows all the issues facing the Gaeltacht areas as well as other issues in the area.”
“Ar ndóigh, ba chóir go mbeadh go leor cúrsaí eile ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá spriocanna ann go mbeidh 20% de dhaoine a bheidh ag dul isteach sa Státseirbhís inniúil sa Ghaeilge faoi 2030. Ní cosúil go mbainfear é sin amach faoi láthair i bhfianaise an luais mhall atá ann faoi láthair. I am delighted to see discussions about issues facing the Irish language over the last year. More and more people are learning it. We see more demand for Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. Irish-language courses are at an all-time high. However, we need to address the gap in educational provision. There is a small amount of provision at third level, with only 0.68% of courses currently available through the medium of Irish. Conradh na Gaeilge wants that target to be 5%, which is still a small amount, anyway.”
“President Connolly herself demonstrated the love of Irish that people have. She learned it as an adult, as so many people do now. Her campaign has really encouraged many people to learn Irish. Tá áthas orm plé a fheiceáil faoi na seancheisteanna atá roimh an nGaeltacht le blianta anuas. Tá níos mó daoine ag foghlaim na teanga. Feicimid níos mó éilimh ar Ghaelscoileanna agus ar Ghaelcholáistí. Tá cúrsaí Gaeilge do dhaoine fásta ar an leibhéal is airde riamh. Mar sin féin, ní mór an soláthar oideachais reatha ag an tríú leibhéal. Níl ach líon an-bheag, 0.68%, de chúrsaí tríú leibhéal ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá sprioc de 5% ag teastáil ó Chonradh na Gaeilge. Is líon an-bheag cúrsaí é sin. Go hidéalach, ba chóir go mbeadh múinteoirí i nGaelscoileanna agus i nGaelcholáistí in ann céimeanna múinteoireachta a chríochnú i nGaeilge.”
“Tá áthas orm labhairt maidir le Seachtain na Gaeilge. Mar a dúirt mé anuraidh, táim fós gnóthach ag foghlaim agus ag súil le feabhas a chur ar mo chuid Gaeilge féin. Ó ráitis na bliana seo caite, tá go leor plé déanta faoin nGaeilge, go háirithe le feachtas uachtaránachta Catherine Connolly. Léirigh an tUachtarán Connolly go bhfuil grá ag a lán daoine sa tír seo don teanga. Cosúil le go leor daoine eile, d'fhoghlaim an tUachtarán an teanga mar dhuine fásta. Spreag a feachtas go leor daoine chun an teanga a fhoghlaim arís. I am delighted to speak on Seachtain na Gaeilge. As I said last year, I am still busy learning and hoping to improve. Since last year's statements, there has been a lot of discussion about Irish, particularly since Catherine Connolly's presidential election campaign.”
“Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss community childcare facilities in Dublin Fingal West. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the review of the Garda vetting process and planned measures for simplification. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the capacity of childcare provision in Cork North-Central. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss the need for neurodiversity early intervention classes in primary schools in Waterford. The matters raised by Deputies Joe Neville, Shane Moynihan and Robert O'Donoghue have been selected for discussion. We will suspend briefly to allow the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, time to get to the Chamber.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss improvement and refurbishment works for older school buildings across County Kerry. Deputy Grace Boland - The national fare structure for train fares and its impact on passengers travelling from Balbriggan and Skerries. Deputy Shane Moynihan - Plé a dhéanamh ar stádas DEIS do Ghaelscoil Lir. Deputy Duncan Smith - To discuss the future of St. Ita's campus in Donabate. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the need to review Circular 0030/2014 with regard to the role of special needs assistants. Deputy Joe Neville - To discuss the completion of emergency works at St. Patrick's Primary School in Celbridge.”
“Yesterday, one of my colleagues in the Labour Party referred to the fact that far more special education places are needed than Government has planned for and that, perhaps, 800 to 1,000 students will be left without appropriate school places. The Opposition party leaders met following yesterday's country-wide protests, and there is a groundswell of public mobilisation against the Government's disastrous handling of this matter. I know that the Government wants to build back trust and do the best it can for every child in this country. How is it going to fix this and how long is that going to take?”
“Special education in this country is decades behind special education other modern countries. In recent weeks and months, we have witnessed the absolute shambles of the SNA cuts and the lack of appropriate school places for children with additional needs. Thankfully, the Government, in a late-night announcement on Monday, conceded to public pressure, and a promise of €19 million, and no cuts, was made. The public accounts committee has representatives from the Department of education before it at the moment. The Department of public expenditure has just stated that it does not know where the money in question is coming from. Where is it going to come from? Did the Government make the announcement because it just wanted to buy itself out of the difficulty it was in at the time?”
“The other thing that is wrong is the fact that they all have to go home tonight because they were not put up for the night in Dublin. They have far to travel, and this is an emotional day. That should not have happened to them either. I congratulate them for the work they have done. They have been amazing. As Deputy O'Rourke has said, they were inspirational. I hope they find some peace today for the remainder of their lives and that the things promised to them are delivered in a timely way. It is three months since they came off the road outside and they have still not been delivered. I wish them the best of luck and I hope today has helped them heal in some little way.”
“Mary, Miriam, Mary and Maurice should never have had to fight this hard to hear the words they did today. We should never have met outside Leinster House when they were outside on hunger strike, in the cold and dark alone, as they were so many times as children. That should never have happened. They should never have had to endure that. I thank them all for entrusting me with their stories. It broke my heart the first time I met them, and it still breaks my heart today. I am sorry for getting emotional, but it is on their behalf. What they endured as children and what they are enduring today is just heartbreaking. As Deputy Cairns has just said, to know that their entry and exit dates were incorrect is wrong.”
“The third thing is that the full redeployment model and the full role of SNAs needs to be moved out. I reiterate the point I made yesterday. Redeployment for teachers works because they teach a curriculum, and they also have a relationship with young people. An SNA's role is relationship based. It is a skilled role. If you do not have a relationship with a child, the social and emotional regulation of that child will not happen. The relationship is fundamental. Redeployment is very important and needs to be nuanced. The Government cannot repeat the mistakes that have happened. It needs to learn from this. This is a really good learning moment. We need to bring humanity back into the classrooms and into the policies. I look forward in assisting in whatever I can with that.”
“The first concerns the circular from 2014. I know the Minister and Minister of State have accepted this needs to happen. We need to move on. The role has evolved. We need to let a new circular come out to explain exactly what that is and the limitations and absolute ability for what SNAs actually do in real life in schools. The second ask is that there needs to be consultation with all stakeholders by the Government. I am thankful to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, for accepting that he will do that. I know the Taoiseach said that yesterday when I asked him during Questions on Policy or Legislation. If I can help in any way to facilitate that, I will. I know people want to talk about this with him. I know there will be respectful dialogue, so I look forward to that.”
“Catch-all is no good for anybody because those students are thriving right now. When we take that service away, that is something that will be an absolute mess. That is something that will come up again in the future. Last night on "The Late Debate" a parent rang in and said she had spoken to so many parents who feel lucky they get an assessment of need, a school place and that they have a SNA for their child. There should be no luck about this. This is a fundamental basic need and requirement that this State should be providing to any child who needs it. When we are not able to do that as a society, we are failing literally everyone, if we cannot look after the most vulnerable in our society. Tonight, there will be protests outside the Dáil and, as previously said, throughout the country. There are three asks.”
“What has happened is they have been forced to make announcements late at night to say there will not be any cuts. This is echoing Covid times, which is quite triggering for a lot of principals, when at five o'clock on a Friday there would be announcements saying they needed to action something by the next week. Announcements late at night are not great. There needs to be meaningful engagement and long-term planning. There are real challenges here with this focus on SNAs. If we move a bit from that, there is a number of things that are glaringly confusing about what is going to happen with special education. When there is no need for a diagnosis in 2027-2028, how is a school going to figure out what the needs will be for a child coming in? What will that mean for the mild, general learning disability schools? Will they no longer exist?”
“I speak plainly about the role of SNAs and what they mean to children, families and schools and why the current situation has caused such anguish and confusion. What special needs assistants bring is “S” for security and safety, “N” for nurture and needs and “A”, they are advocates and assistants in our schools for our children who have additional needs. They are not add-ons to schools as somebody already said. They are not an extra that we might like. They are absolutely essential workers in our schools. I know the Minister and Minister of State know that because we have had these conversations before. What has happened is that the actions the Government and its agencies have taken have eroded all of that trust. The difficulty now is that they will have to earn that trust back. I know they both want to do that.”
“If adverse childhood experiences cannot be prevented, we have to be able to deal with them. If people cannot get appointments because they are not available or too expensive, that will create a challenge for them.”
“Of course, those GPs need to be supported because they are more likely to suffer burnout, similar to other people working in those communities. Of course, GP care is not available often because of pricing or the lack of timely appointments. Some of the responses from the survey that Deputy Rice gathered state, “Trying to get an appointment is like winning the lottery. They are always busy.”. Another individual stated: I actually rarely bother going to the GP as the typical wait time for a chest infection is six weeks. Because of this, I have to go to the out-of-hours doctor. If I were to wait for the GP appointment, I would be healthy again by that time. I should not have to just wait for a bad chest infection to pass and be in pain when I could get antibiotics and be ok within the week.”
“A child who experiences four or more adverse childhood experiences growing up is more likely to die prematurely of preventable diseases. For those who do not know, an adverse childhood experience includes a child growing up in poverty, living in homelessness or an insecure housing situation or being the victim of abuse, whether physical, sexual, psychological or emotional. When this is combined with life choices, such as addictive behaviours or psychological and mental health challenges, it leads to poor medical outcomes for people who have experienced such adversity. It is vital that GPs in poorer areas of the country, where adverse experiences are more prevalent, are trained to understand not only why it happens but how to help and deal with someone who comes to them in adult life for support.”
“I thank my colleague, Deputy Rice, for bringing this motion forward and the huge amount of work he has done in outlining what we should have in this country, that is, free GP care. As already stated, Ireland is an outlier when it comes to free GP care. In Europe, access to adequate GP care, especially in disadvantaged areas like parts of my constituency of Dublin South-Central, is vital in order to have healthy communities. Research from adverse childhood experiences and longitudinal studies like the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing show that ageing populations need greater care and disadvantaged areas need preventative care from an earlier age. Adverse childhood experiences are more prevalent in areas of socio-economic disadvantage because of intergenerational poverty and trauma.”
“We will be doing that tomorrow for things that happened in the past and we cannot do it in the future for what is happening to children today.”
“There was no apology today. Tomorrow there will be an apology for another group of people who were harmed, many moons ago, in our schools. I hope an apology regarding SNAs never has to come. The Minister has time now to rectify the problem and ensure this does not continue to be an absolute disaster. What is important now is that lessons be learned from this. Nothing like this should ever happen again. I am asking the Minister and Minister of State to take stock in order to ensure that the necessary steps are taken and fully considered. I ask them to listen to stakeholders who have experience. I also ask the Minister and the Minister of State to please bring humanity back into the classrooms because what we have seen over the past few days should never happen. We should never, ever have to apologise to children in the future.”
“How will they avoid the erosion of the specialised care they are excellent at providing to children with mild general learning disabilities? A one-size-fits-all approach is going to be a huge failure in this regard. The Taoiseach said earlier that he will work with the Opposition and, as other Members noted, with whoever needs to be worked with to get this sorted. The reality is that this has gone wrong. We have to work together. We have to work with whoever has the knowledge. We do not need to be precious about it; we need to get it done. Therefore, I have written to the Taoiseach and asked, on the basis that one of the requests for tomorrow is for the protest, that he engage with the relevant Ministers and facilitate it. I think he gave me an answer in which he said "Yes", so I have written to him to ask how it can be facilitated.”
“What we can see now is the respect that SNAs have among all parents, schools and those who contacted members of the Opposition. I am aware that the Minister has said she respects them, so she now needs to demonstrate that in action. She needs to prove herself to show she does respect SNAs. In the background is the question of what will happen of foot of the change regarding assessments of need on entering special schools. How will allocation work? This year everything was supposed to be sorted out, but there will be another nuance to consider when children do not need the diagnosis. How will special education places be allocated then? That brings me to special schools for mild general learning disabilities. How will these schools avoid becoming catch-all schools?”
“It is as fundamental as any other part of the school system. You cannot just knock off bits of things because it makes sense to do so in a numbers game. The relationship aspect is so important. The Government needs to rebuild the trust that has been so badly damaged. I do not envy the Minister. I am sure that, from a personal perspective, things have been torturous for her over the past while, but that must not supersede the torture that families, children and SNAs have experienced. She will have to work very hard to restore trust. The Respect for SNAs campaign started in 2019. I was a member of Fórsa at the time. The campaign started because SNAs were not respected and not valued or treated as they should have been within our education system.”
“I really hope the Minister can redeem herself by ensuring it reflects the reality in the schools and the needs of the children. Second, the Department must bring forward all stakeholders. There are experts. One cannot know everything and the NCSE cannot, but there are experts who know many things and they need to be engaged. Third, there must be a full understanding of how redeployment will happen. The reality is that the relationships SNAs have with the children they support are key. You cannot help a child to regulate if they do not trust you and it is not safe. It is vital that redeployment is not treated as a numbers game. This will be the most important thing that happens. Redeployment is not just about one child leaving a school and about knocking off a few hours here and there; it is about relationships.”
“The handling of the issue over recent weeks has been disastrous and consequently it has caused huge distress among families, school leaders and, of course, SNAs. The countrywide protest planned for tomorrow will go ahead. Perhaps the announcement very late last night was a bid to prevent it, but the reality is that it now needs to happen more than ever because this should never have happened. When the protest happens tomorrow, three things will be asked for, the first being that the circular, which is too narrow and outdated, be revised. Meeting primary care needs was what the SNA role was originally created for. However, that role, like many things in education, has evolved. The circular needs to evolve to reflect the reality of the needs of students in our schools now.”
“I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion and the work it has done on it today and over the past while. The Opposition and several Members on the Government side are united on the fact that what occurred should never have happened. The Government has been forced to climb down because of enormous public anger. It is a victory for parents, SNAs, school communities, advocacy groups and others who have contacted every TD, Senator and publicly elected representative. Unfortunately, the Government is now desperate to kick the can down the road for another year. I will come to that in a minute, because what happens the year after will also be a challenge. What has occurred has led to so much uncertainty for SNAs and the children they support.”
“We have seen because of the outcry from the public that they are very valued. This side of the House also values them but we need to demonstrate that and work together to do that. Will the Taoiseach be able to facilitate that meeting?”
“I want to speak with the Taoiseach about SNAs. I know he has been very involved with SNAs and everything to do with education, and I have praised his efforts in the past and will continue to do that because it is really important that we build bridges in this Chamber and work together. Earlier, the Taoiseach offered to work with Opposition. As he knows, tomorrow there are going to be protests throughout the country, and one thing the people from that campaign are asking for is that the Ministers facilitate a meeting with all stakeholders, that is, unions, SNAs, parents, and advocacy groups. Will the Taoiseach be able to facilitate that? Will he work with the Opposition to do that? In 2019, SNAs launched a Respect for SNAs campaign because they did not feel valued.”
“Considering the level of upset, uncertainty and worry the SNA cuts have caused, and the screeching U-turn that was made very late last night when most education workers were asleep, this matter needs to be on the agenda in the form of a debate as opposed to just statements. It is important that the Ministers responsible give a clear outline of the plans relating to what happened in the past week in order to make sure that trust is replaced and that we can have plans going forward that do not make people uncertain.”
“It is vitally important that we are able to explain where taxpayers' money goes and that we are using it efficiently and effectively. I thank Deputy Gibney and Senator Higgins for all their work on this. As their video on Instagram said, this is not the sexist Bill that will come to the floor of the House but it is hugely important and it impacts every part of our lives. When we do not see that every day, that is when it is working well, as Deputy Gannon said. We have so many examples from my constituency, such as the children's hospital, of it going desperately wrong and children ageing out of a service because it has not been effectively managed. I thank Deputy Gibney and Senator Higgins for all their work,.”
“As Deputy Gibney has already said, we see it in hot school meals - a vital universal programme that is rolled out in primary schools. We need to see it in secondary schools as well. The procurement there should not be on the basis of the lowest cost. The cost is the cost. We know what it costs for hot school meals. I would argue that we should increase that, but it has to be about quality. The outcome of public services in this country is vital to the health and well-being of every person. We can see that from education and health. What is really important is that it is not a race to the bottom and it is not a race to make sure that we are undercutting or able to provide the best tender or whatever. It should be about quality because quality public services are what every citizen in this country deserves.”
“We did not think we would be this excited, to be honest, as Deputy Gannon said. I nearly had a heart attack when I thought I was going to be talking on public procurement because it is not something you think about every day but, as the Deputy says, it is vitally important. As education spokesperson, I have to say we can see this in our schools every day. Where we see that is when, for example, €5 billion has been spent on prefabs over the last five years. Prefabs are a stopgap or are put in because things are not going right in schools - where buildings have not been built or are falling apart or whatever. What we see now is prefabs being used for special classes. This is not a good use of public money because it costs €5 billion and they are there for years. We need to see forward planning for school buildings.”
“They are seeking constructive engagement and change in order that similar tragedies can be prevented. The family are due to meet the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in the coming weeks. I urge the Tánaiste to please ensure that the ten learning points the family will bring forward are listened to and that action is taken.”
“Maud Coffey was killed by her partner who was suffering from a severe and enduring mental health condition three years ago. They were a loving couple and life was looking very positive for them. Maud was a lovely, kind, creative person who loved her family. The family have only her best interests at heart in the context of what they would like to see happen. I grew up with Maud Coffey and her family, and I count them among my extended family. This family are coming from a place of care, for their sister they lost and for her partner, who was deeply unwell at the time he killed Maud. The lived experience of this family is vitally important in the context of developing better practices and policies. They are not seeking compensation or to lay blame.”
“Families feel there is a drip feed of information on the plan being put in place for next year, so the speedier that is the better. I am especially worried about those who are going into post-primary who still have not heard where they are going. The transition is very important, particularly the one from primary to secondary school.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for letting me come in. I agree with Deputy Lawless and the Minister of State that the planning is most welcome because there is then an opportunity to foresee what is going to come down the tracks. However, I have raised several times that the 1 October cut-off point has been very detrimental to parents and I am still hearing they are not being given letters of eligibility and are being told the portal has closed. What is the solution to that? I am still concerned. I had a meeting yesterday with a number of parents, teachers and principals about special education and there is still huge confusion. The Minister and Minister of State are doing their best on the forward planning and I appreciate that but a bit of clarity would help.”
“We cannot be taking away services when we know that need is on the increase. That review needs to be paused. We should not be cutting SNAs when the level of need is increasing.”
“The issue in respect of SNAs is coming up in my constituency. When the review from the NCSE comes along, there is a downward turn in respect of the numbers of SNAs. That is despite the fact that when the new students arrive, schools must again increase the numbers of SNAs. Long-term staff are being let go and rehired by another school, or reappointed when the new students come. Everything is a little topsy-turvy. One school in Kilkenny contacted me. It is very concerned because it is going to lose 1.5 SNAs. The way the school is operating will mean there will be one SNA to 140 students in the mainstream. It has a lot of need. The school is in the direction of Newtown and Dunleckney. The Bagenalstown principal was in contact with me. That situation needs to be reviewed.”
“Before I finish, I welcome my transition year students who are up in the Public Gallery and have done great work this week. Well done lads, you have been brilliant.”
“I appreciate that, and I know they do as well. Going back to the human level, however, that Act was enacted in July and they were on strike in the autumn. It is now springtime. They have had decades of recurring trauma based on how this country treated them as children. Some of them are of advanced age and some are not but, with the toll it has taken on them - not only the hunger strike but the entirety of their lives - they have said they do not know how much longer they have. I urge the Minister to be as fast as she can on this and that we never forget. I am hoping the Government will issue that apology sooner rather than later. I know there are technicalities it needs to do but an apology is an acknowledgement of things not being right in the past.”