Michael Moynihan
Cork North-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot emphasise enough the respect that the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and I have for special needs assistants and the contribution they make to education. In March, we met the SNAs to have further engagement and consultation with them and to understand their roles.”
“We are very conscious of the issue. A huge number of groups that I have met over the past while, particularly on the dyslexia side, have all been discussing assistive technologies. That is also the case for children who are non-communicative and non-verbal. Assistive technologies are extremely important for them.”
“By way of background, 85% of the applications processed for assistive technology between January and June have been approved. We are always conscious of those who fall outside the scheme.”
“The approximate cost to the State per mainstream pupil is currently €1,400 annually, while the cost to the family is €100 per pupil. The total cost of the school transport system in 2025 was €537 million, equating to almost €3 million being spent on the provision of school transport per day.”
“I thank the Deputy. We are looking at ways to ensure that if there is a ticket issued, it will be used. Anecdotally, the Deputy and other colleagues tell us about school routes the length and breadth of the country that have spare capacity but, when we look at the system, all of the tickets on that particular school route are occupied and…”
“Under the current scheme, schools receive funding towards computers and specialised equipment required for educational purposes. To qualify, a student must have a diagnosis of a physical or commutative disability and a professional assessment confirming the equipment is essential to access the curriculum.”
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“I remember with great fondness those who drove the buses, the contractors and Bus Éireann , which made it all possible. Implementation of the recommendations of the review will continue to be planned, subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand. Under the current terms of the school transport system, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from their nearest national school, which they must be attending. At post-primary level, a pupil must reside not less than 4.8 km from their nearest post-primary school or education centre, which they must be attending, as determined by the Department or Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.”
“A number of approaches are being examined, including the use of a geographic information system, GIS, to identify how many additional children would become eligible and where they are located. A digital mapping project of all existing school bus routes has been developed. There is ongoing collaboration with the Department of Transport, Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority with regard to the planned expansion of public transport routes to explore where integration may be possible. This is not always possible in specific rural areas, as the Deputy noted. It occurred to me a moment ago that I travelled to both primary and secondary school using the school transport system. The service provided he length and breadth of the country is second to none.”
“A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024-25 school year. Following the publication of the review, the Department will test the feasibility of a number of approaches through a series of pilot programmes. These pilot programmes will be held in conjunction with the Department and Bus Éireann. A total of 14 pilot projects are under way in the current school year and are currently being evaluated. It is intended to continue current pilots for the upcoming school year. They will be monitored, and a further evaluation will take place at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The findings from these evaluations will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national roll-out of a revised school transport system. Work is under way to identify where further pilot programmes can be conducted.”
“I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the issues regarding how Bus Éireann manages the school transport system on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. As the Deputy may be aware, the school transport 2030 report was published in early 2024, following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the scheme include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards greater integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money for the Exchequer. It is proposed to expand access to the scheme in order that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030.”
“There is a growing population and challenges remain in many communities to ensure we have adequate school places. In respect of special schools, there is a huge amount of work to be done in my Department with regard to school places and so forth. We are working as hard as we can to ensure that work is done. The announcement of this funding today is welcomed by school authorities the length and breadth of the country. They are delighted to be getting it. It is important we acknowledge the amount of funding put into schools. We will continue to support schools in every way we can into the future.”
“There is constant engagement between school authorities and the Department. A number of schools have been in contact with the financial unit in the Department and issues have been resolved. I assure the Deputy we have moved to have the funding in place for the 2025-26 school year for the ICT and minor works grants. These grants are hugely important. When it comes to engagement we are not isolated from what is happening at schools. The senior Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I are acutely aware of the massive work being done at the school gate and by school leaders, school teams and boards of management, all of which have a hugely important role, which they take on diligently. We understand the challenges. The Department has provided record investment over the past five years, with more than €6 billion spent on schools to bring up standards.”
“Payment of the minor works grant along with the ICT grant next month will provide valuable support to schools for their maintenance and technology needs. I pay tribute to all schools for their amazing work and the many challenges they face at the school gate. I am aware from engaging with a lot of schools and visits to many schools over the past number of months of the importance of these grants in ensuring funding is available for minor works and ICT.”
“This will allow school communities to address issues at a local level and support their operations for the coming school year. This will give schools time to consider their plans and priorities for how best to use the funding. In Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was given that the minor works grant would be paid to primary and special schools in December or January of the school year. In recent years, the Department’s approach has been to ensure the minor works grant is paid in advance of the following school year to facilitate a better lead-in period for schools to plan maintenance or minor works during the summer period, which must be welcomed. Minor works grants totalling €30 million were paid in April 2024, as the Deputy said, to primary schools and special schools for the current school year 2024-25.”
“Minor works and ICT grants for schools are important elements of the record level of capital investment in school infrastructure. As the world around us changes rapidly, it is vital that schools can instil students with the skills they need to reach their full potential in our modern society. My colleague, the Minister, has announced €35 million in ICT funding that will empower schools to harness the opportunities technology presents and to support children and young people to become competent and engaged learners. Furthermore, minor works payments are vital in supporting our primary and special schools. I am pleased to say that the Minister has confirmed that €30 million in funding will be paid to schools in June.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth to outline to the Dáil the current position in relation to ICT grants and minor works grants. I am delighted to confirm that my colleague, the Minister, this morning announced that both grants will be paid to schools in June, with a combined €65 million investment in our schools to help them with maintenance and improvements as well as helping schools to embed ICT into their teaching, learning and assessments. Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested approximately €6 billion to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost 1 million students and more than 100,000 staff who learn and work in our schools every day.”
“If it is not doable, we will have to look at the alternative sites proposed by the Senator. I will ensure we liaise with him and the school authorities as soon as possible to make sure this project is moving forward.”
“I thank the Senator. As I understand it, they are looking at the decant option within the existing site, if that can be achieved. That is one of the options. The Senator has outlined a number of other options available within the greater Renmore area and I will reflect those back to the planning and building unit. This is a major piece of infrastructure and it is important that Scoil Chaitríona junior and senior school projects move forward. A lot of work and discussion has gone into bringing it this far; it is important we get it moving and to construction. I will take the issues raised back to the Department but, from what I understand, the Department is looking a decant option within the site. If that is feasible, it would be the preferred option.”
“I will take the issues back and ensure there is adequate correspondence and visits between the Department, the design team and the school authorities to move the project forward.”
“The design team is also conducting a review of all decant options within the red-line boundary of the current school and is preparing to submit its revised report to the Department for consideration. The design team and Department officials will advise the school authorities of further developments in respect of these decant options and the progression of the stage 1 review. It is important to reflect on what the Senator has suggested regarding sites and the visits with the Department and the design team. I will liaise with the Department and take his concerns back to it. This is a major piece of infrastructure for the education system in Galway city. It is a significant development and I understand the Senator has been interested in it for a long time.”
“The ADAPT programme uses professional external project managers to co-ordinate and drive the design team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the projects through the stages of architectural planning, to tender and construction. The brief for the joint major project for Scoil Chaitríona includes the demolition of the existing school buildings and the development of two new replacement 24-classroom schools, plus classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, at the current site in Renmore. The stage 1 site assessment and proposed design options are currently under review by the design team and a revised report is anticipated to be submitted to the Department for consideration at the end of quarter 2 of 2025.”
“I thank Senator Kyne for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position regarding the major building project for Scoil Chaitríona junior and senior schools in Renmore, Galway city. This project is included in the Department of Education and Youth construction programme, which will be delivered under the national development plan, NDP, as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework. The major building project for Scoil Chaitríona junior and senior schools will be delivered under the Department's accelerated delivery of architectural planning and tendering, ADAPT, programme.”
“I thank all of those in the House for their contributions and look forward to working with Deputies, along with my colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to ensure we can improve the system of education and that we have timely places for children. We do not want families going into May, June or July not being sure of a school place. Next year, we will bring back the dates to ensure we have consistency and information for families earlier in the school year.”
“In a number of schools we have visited over recent months, there are anomalies in that excellent teachers who have trained in a different jurisdiction have difficulty being recognised by the Teaching Council. We are committed to rectifying that. We need to make sure that the people who are providing a massive service in school communities can be retained in the roles they have. That is an issue that has arisen frequently because many people have qualifications from outside of the State. Education is important for everybody. People talk about ableism and everything else. We have to make sure that we have the best system in place because we understand the importance of early intervention for children. We need to make sure we have the best possible education system integrated into existing services.”
“The Government recently took a decision on the development of a national therapy service to ensure that the therapists are employed by the NCSE and work in special schools, in the first instance, and special classes. Therapists are hugely important. For children with complex needs special schools, families are struggling to do the best they can for those children and to meet their needs not just during the school day but 24-7. We are putting the burden on parents to go to therapists after school, but it is important that we have therapists in schools and we are working to make sure that happens. That is an important ingredient. Where we have therapists in schools, the whole school community learns from them and the work feeds into best practice and what can be done to de-escalate issues.”
“We are very satisfied that we will be able to deal with them and that the facility will open in temporary accommodation this September. It will move to permanent accommodation during the school year. We need to work to ensure that happens. The NCSE workforce has increased by over 50% since 2020, with the recruitment of 160 additional staff. This has allowed the NCSE to complete over 1,700 school visits this year, which will be vital in establishing special school provisions. That is important because, as we have more SENOs in the field who are out among communities liaising with families and school authorities, we need to build trust between them. That will be a vital piece of the infrastructure as we go forward.”
“There is huge engagement with the Department of education and the NCSE nationwide on this provision. The numbers show we will have to open further classes in the 2026-27 school year. A number of special schools have opened and will open across the country. Some are in temporary locations, in Monaghan, Cork and elsewhere. I visited Belmayne today for the opening of a special school. The facilities are fantastic in the Educate Together school. Those classes are opening to make sure we have places for children with additional needs and children who need support in a special school. Deputy Kenny referred to Carrignavar. We are working extremely hard and are very confident that we will be able to address any matters arising there.”
“Over 20 years ago, I chaired the education committee in the Houses of the Oireachtas. At that time, we discussed provision in mainstream education. We have embraced that over the past two decades. A large number of students are in mainstream education. However, we have to make sure that those children for whom mainstream education is not suitable have proper resources in terms of special classes. In the coming school year, there will be over 400 extra special classes. They are being worked through at the moment and sanction has been given to 399. One comes under section 37A. At the moment, it appears that we will have capacity within those 400 classes, but if necessary we will exceed that. We will have to work through to make sure there are teachers, SNAs and school buildings.”
“We have great people in the school leadership and teaching staff including the SNAs, caretakers, secretaries and all in the school communities. The work they are doing is second to none. A number of issues that still need to be resolved were raised across the floor. In many debates since my appointment, I have told the Dáil that I will work with might and main to ensure long-term improvements are made to special education provision over the coming years. I am as committed as the ink is in the programme for Government to making sure those changes take place. The majority of children and young people with special educational needs are supported in mainstream education with their peers thanks to the substantial investment in special education over recent years.”
“One of the presentations that was made on the wall in one of the schools we visited today was that the kids would love to see longer school days and would like to spend longer in school. That is completely unusual. It is certainly alien to me from when I was in school; the faster I could get out the door, the better. That is the point we have to take from that. One person from the school leadership spoke to us about how children will come up to them for a hug. We really have to go under that. We have to understand the importance of our days in school and what school communities are providing for in really disadvantaged areas. In any discussion we have on education, it is important to remember that we have many challenges but we have great participants.”
“There is no doubt about it that the school communities are working extremely hard. The commitment that they have to education within their school and within the wider community is evident in every classroom we go into or when we meet them. Much discussion has been had regarding disadvantaged education and how important education is for those who are disadvantaged. The education system is the great enabler. Tributes were paid to the enormous initiatives in education going back over the decades, nearly since the foundation of the State, as being one of the great enablers. We have been talking to representatives from some of the schools over the last while. Some of the schools are in really disadvantaged communities, and the kids have such a love of their school communities.”
“I have been working with families, children, schools and school communities in this regard over many years. I understand only too well the challenges that are faced by many families throughout the country. Since my appointment to this role in January, I have travelled almost the length and breadth of the country. I have been in many counties visiting a range of schools, whether mainstream schools with special classes or special schools. I thank the school communities for the work they do. I thank them sincerely for welcoming us but as well as that, for putting the issues they face daily out for us, as some Members have said. I see the work the school leadership, teachers, SNAs and all in the school community do to make sure we have a vibrant education system.”
“I thank colleagues right across the House for their contributions, not just during the discussion this afternoon on making Ireland's education system a world-class system and making sure every child can reach his or her full potential. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue and I thank Deputies for their contributions on it. I also thank thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for the huge amount of work and co-operation over recent months with regard to the many issues we face in the Department of education. I am delighted to be working with the Minister on these issues. As Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, my priority is to support all children with additional educational needs to reach their full potential.”
“The Minister and I will work night and day to ensure we have the best possible education system for people with special needs into the future.”
“I am deeply passionate about it and I believe we have an awful lot of work to do. We are almost at May Day and we still have families who do not know where their children will go in September. One of my driving forces is that, over the past year or two, I met a family whose child was finishing up in primary school. I met them at the school gate and they did not know where their child would go in September. As a parent first of all but as a public representative, I walked away from that saying we had to do an awful lot better. It should not be the case that the family did not know. They had to fight right through the summer. Everybody else knew in September or October of the previous year where they would be going. My commitment to this is extremely strong. I will work with all Members of the House on any queries or challenges they have.”
“Sometimes, when transport is provided for a family, it takes a number of months for that to be put in place. That is hugely frustrating and challenging. We have to make sure that we and the school transport section of the Department are working hard to ensure that it takes less time and is dealt with in a timely manner. A number of issues were raised about several schools. On Danu Community Special School, work will commence in May this year. Members spoke about the assessment of need. I know from my previous role that the Government is buying private services. I believe approximately 2,500 private assessments of need have been paid for over the past while, but I will get those facts to the two Members who raised the issue. All I can say in the minute that I have remaining is that I am deeply committed to my role.”
“Needs have been identified to the National Council for Special Education and it has been working through those. We have been trying to provide places in the areas where the need is greatest, in so far as possible. There are a number of matters. We are looking forward to the SNA workforce development. A lot of work has been done by the Department, education bodies and education partners over the past while in that regard. Mention was made of the EPSEN Act. We are looking forward to the review of that Act. That will be fundamental to education. School transport is an important part of this. All the Deputies will know that parents of children with additional needs who have school transport, be it through a transport grant or a transport place, will be contacting Deputies to engage with the Department. We must do an awful lot better on it.”
“Unfortunately, there is still a level of culture and attitude out there that we have to break down and continue talking about. Sitting here over the past two hours and listening to the genuine passion and concern shown by Deputies of all colours and creeds has been refreshing. I encourage in every way, shape and form that they continue to do that, not just here in Dáil Éireann, but across the country because we have to continue breaking down the barriers that are still out there in terms of disabilities and the attitudes towards disabilities. Over the past number of months, we have worked with the National Council for Special Education. As the Minister said, we have met weekly to ensure that the special classes are in place and there is a weekly progress report on special schools and the identification of the challenges we face.”
“Unfortunately - or fortunately, I am not sure - I am long enough in this House to remember when the special needs assistant was a community employment, CE, worker, way back in the day before special needs assistants were established. The work these special needs assistants do in every school community the length and breadth of the country is simply breathtaking. It is on their backs we have built an integrated special education system in special classes. The work that is being done by the special needs assistants, but also by the teachers and the school leadership, has to be recognised. I chaired the disability matters committee in the previous Dáil and I used two words regarding the challenges that were facing people with disabilities, namely, "culture" and "attitude".”
“More than a quarter of the Department of Education's budget is now dedicated to supporting children with additional needs. That is simply how seriously we are taking it. I know the Minister provided important updates on special educational places, the common application system and teacher training. Of course, there are now new therapists going into special schools and special classes. That is an important piece that was agreed by the Government recently. Special needs assistants were mentioned. The school communities that have engaged with special education have been completely enriched by it. All students have embraced special education and it will build into society and life. These special needs assistants have been a huge resource right through.”
“It has been 80 years or more since that was conceptualised. That theory showed that it was not just not food and shelter that we needed, but an education system that would develop us to our full potential. I believe that we need to have a system in place that will fulfil the full potential of children with additional needs in order that they can become members of their communities, whether those be urban or rural. It is vital that we recognise the importance of resourcing this area, as it is with resources that we will make sure that there is improvement throughout the system. I emphasise that we have made significant financial commitment. I know Members have said that they do not want to listen to statistics, but we have.”
“I assure the House, the people listening in and the people in the Gallery that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I are working as hard as we can to ensure that we have the proper services and education systems for the children of this country that they so badly need. I want to put a number of issues on the record. The Government has been working hard on a number of issues. Building on my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee's earlier contribution, I want to welcome and outline the Government's unwavering commitment and to highlight some of the significant steps that we have taken in recent times to ensure that children and young people, particularly those with educational needs, are genuinely supported to reach their full potential. I refer to the 1940s, when Maslow's hierarchy of needs was written.”
“We have to make sure that we are driving as hard as we can, that we take the pain, suffering and challenges from the families, that there is certainty in it. In the role I have had over the past number of weeks, I have worked extensively on the 400 extra classes. Section 37A was mentioned earlier. We have agreement on 399 classes and one is outstanding. That is the one in which we will have to go with section 37A because we were unable to get agreement. These are places that will be additional from 1 September. We have a huge amount of work to do regarding special schools and to ensure that people have places in it. I am committed. I do not say it lightly, but since I got this role, I have worked night and day on this. I have had many sleepless nights thinking of the challenges that are faced by families.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute on the debate. I thank the Labour Party for this motion. I also thank my colleagues across the House for their meaningful contributions. I welcome parents and guardians to the Gallery. I know the challenge, anguish and difficulties they are facing to try to ensure that there are places for their children in September. Long before I took on this role, I worked extensively with people with disabilities, but from a personal level over recent years, I know full well the challenges that many families are facing. I want to bring that personal story. I want to bring the passion that I have in this regard to the job that I hold. Many contributions have been made about providing education for our children.”
“We will be working throughout the summer to ensure we have the best possible service. We had a number of meetings with officials from the Department yesterday to outline the issues we have.”
“They are hugely important for children going to school and for the identity of the area but we must make sure are doing the best with the resources that are available to us to make sure we accommodate every child insofar as it is possible. I will endeavour to work with the Deputy on this issue. The Department and Bus Éireann are evaluating all the pilot projects around the country. When that is done, we will look at how best we can face the future in terms of providing a better service. We are unable to share that information until it has been pulled together and studied. When this has been done, we will share the information. I will keep in close contact with the Deputy over the next number of months. The closing date for payment is in June while the closing date for application was last week.”
“I look forward to more visits to east Cork over the next number of years. When a rural school closes, there is a void and almost a grieving process within the community in which the school is located. One guarantee that was given way back when the amalgamations took place was that there would be an adequate bus service to get students from that location to the central school. It was always indicated that at primary level, we would guarantee that a bus service would be available. Boundaries, catchment areas and different regulations have developed over the past 50 to 60 years regarding transporting children to school so we must make sure we are looking at the here and now. School communities are hugely important.”
“Rural areas do not have the public transport that is often sighted in urban areas or large towns. We are predominantly dependent on the school transport system. We are evaluating the 14 pilot projects, of which Kilcredan was one. I understand that the Deputy and others have raised this issue each year over the past number of years. When the pilot projects have been evaluated, we will try to find the best possible solution for students, parents and the entire community of Kilcredan National School.”
“There may be more demand than availability for concessionary seats. In such cases, Bus Éireann will use a selection process to allocate tickets for the spare seats. The school transport system is over 55 years of age since it began with free education. The Deputy raised the issue of Kilcredan National School. A number of pilot projects were initiated over the past year or so. It is one of the pilot projects. We have to allow the full year to go through. The Department and Bus Éireann are evaluating all the pilot projects where they provide a valuable insight into the impact of increasing demand for the schemes and the potential for integrating public transport with the school transport system where it is possible, which is not always possible in rural areas.”
“At post-primary level, they are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post-primary school or education centre. Distance is determined by the Department-Bus Éireann and rules having regard to ethos and language. Eligible children who complete the application process and pay or enter their medical card details on time will get a seat on a school bus service if a service is available. Children who are not eligible for school transport but who complete the application and pay or enter their medical card details on time will be considered for any spare seats available after eligible children have been accommodated. These spare seats are called concessionary seats, which are constantly discussed here every August, September and October when the schools reopen.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak about Kilcredan National School. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 172,500 children are transported daily in almost 8,000 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. The purpose of my Department's school transport scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Under the current terms of the school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school.”
“We can only look on aghast at what is happening in the Middle East at the moment and the huge humanitarian crisis that has developed. Sometimes when we look at it, as the Senator said, we feel like throwing up our hands. However, we have been very vocal about it. It is hugely frustrating to see this happening in our world in what we believe are enlightened times.”
“I accept the genuineness of the issue, and I understand that on a number of fronts, the family is well-integrated into Irish society and will be into the future. It is a complex area that we have to work on. Notwithstanding that the family is in Egypt, we will work with the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs and Trade, and if there is other information the Senator has and wishes to pass on to us, we will get it to the Department and try and issue a more detailed response. However, I accept the bona fides of the case. There is a complex web of bureaucracy we will have to try to get through. I am committed to taking the case back to the Minister and I will relay the seriousness of it. At 57 years old, Jehad is the same age as myself, so I understand. We have to think of the family in the long term as well.”
“The Embassy of Ireland in Israel is actively engaging with applicants, gathering the required documentation and ensuring the visa division of the Department has everything it needs to progress this issue. I will convey the seriousness of this case and I will ask the Minister and the Department of Justice and indeed other Government agencies as well, to look into this case. I accept the genuineness of it and I accept the bona fides of what has been put before me. I will certainly liaise with the Department to see can we further assist.”
“The initiative was organised under the EU civil protection mechanism, though it is the Department of Justice, supported by the Department of Health and the HSE, that facilitated the evacuation of children out of Gaza via Egypt. The first group of children arrived safely in December. This was a very complex international operation, which required significant input and resources from a number of Departments, and indeed from countries and international organisations. I am advised by the Minister that unfortunately, his Department is very limited in the assistance it can provide to Palestinian nationals who wish to resettle in Ireland, unless they have an entitlement to move here under the existing legal migration pathways.”
“I am advised by the Minister for Justice that his Department is acutely aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that his officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department of foreign affairs to ensure a co-ordinated national response to this volatile and evolving situation. This includes work to evacuate Irish citizens and their families, who may require visa assistance. Medical evacuation operations are extraordinarily difficult. In September last year, the Government approved Ireland's participation in an initiative to evacuate a number of sick children from Gaza for treatment and care, following an appeal from the World Health Organization.”