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 thank the Senator for raising the issue on behalf of Jehad Sabah. I welcome his daughter to the Visitors Gallery. I know and appreciate that this is a very difficult time for everybody. While I have an official response that I will go through, I will also address the seriousness of the issue. I will liaise with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on this Commencement matter. I express my sympathy to the Sabah family on the incredibly difficult circumstances they are encountering. There is no justification for the devastating loss of life and the attacks on civilians and healthcare services in Gaza. It is simply not justifiable.”
“The timelines for further removal of the post-marking adjustments and the exact level of future adjustments after 2025 will be informed by the 2025 experience. It is appropriate that we take the time to review the 2025 experience before making any adjustments to the time required for a full return to normal marking processes. The Department of Education is working with the Department of further and higher education on this matter. The Department has been working over many years with the higher and further education and training sectors to provide increased opportunities and pathways to help reduce the pressures on students. I have been advised this morning that the CAO and higher education institutes are working to address any challenges and respond to student demand, ensuring that students have access to the opportunities they deserve.”
“I thank the Senator. I am acutely aware and conscious that the leaving certificate can be a stressful time for families and students. There is the stress of the examinations and of the decisions for students as they determine their pathways into work and continued education. We are taking a gradual approach to the return to pre-pandemic outcomes. I note the point the Senator made. Everybody accepts that we must work through this with the gradual approach that has also been taken in other jurisdictions. Students sitting their leaving certificate examinations this year will still benefit from the adjustment to assessment arrangements and the post-marking adjustment that the State Examinations Commission will implement. We are acutely conscious that this is a complex issue with no simple solution.”
“This return is being done in a gradual way to minimise the impact on students in so far as possible. The State Examinations Commission has been a successful organisation. It is an independent body with considerable credit. Huge store has been put in it by the entire education system - the students, parents and education practitioners - over many years because of the excellent work it has done. Those are the points I wish to make.”
“The second intervention - the post-marking adjustment - has ensured that results in the aggregate have remained the same on average since 2021. Aggregated grades rose significantly in 2020 by 4.4% and by a further 2.6% in 2021. As is widely recognised, we must return to pre-pandemic levels. In April 2024, it was announced by the then Minister for Education that this would be done gradually in line with the commitment that there would be no cliff edge relating to the overall results. In 2025, the State Examinations Commission will again apply a post-marking adjustment after marking is completed. This will bring results, in the aggregate, to a point broadly midway between the 2020 and 2021 levels, resulting in an aggregate in 2025 that is expected to be above 2019 levels by at least 5.5% on average.”
“Regarding the leaving certificate, following the implementation of calculated grades in 2020 and the dual approach of the examinations and accredited grades in 2021, two types of intervention have been implemented in recent years, namely, adjustments to the examination and assessment arrangements and the post-marking adjustments to outcomes. The first of these - the adjustment to assessment arrangements - assists students by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations while incorporating additional choice for students. In some cases, the adjustment measures provide more time for tuition by, for example, reducing preparatory work for practical examinations. The adjustments to assessment arrangements that have applied in recent years continue to apply in the 2025 leaving certificate year.”
“The Department of Education has been working closely with the Department of further education on this matter. I am aware that the Department has been working over many years with the higher education and further education training sectors to provide increased opportunities and pathways into further and higher education to help reduce the pressures on students. The Department of Education has been advised that the proportion of higher education entrants who completed their leaving certificates in the previous year typically around 13%. There are no indications at this time that the proportion of students applying with pre-2025 leaving certificate results varies significantly this year compared with previous years.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this issue. It is a topical issue at the moment because of the concerns that have been raised. I welcome the opportunity to address the House. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has said that she is conscious of the stress relating to the exam periods. As Minister of State in the Department, I understand the serious challenges facing students and I do not want to add to that stress. While grade inflation must be reduced, it must be done in a way that is as fair as possible. The CAO system is distinct from the operation and accreditation of the leaving certification by the State Examinations Commission. Access to higher education is a matter for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.”
“The new programme for Government commits to the publication of a new action plan for insurance reform, with a focus on encouraging further competition in the market and working with the stakeholders to enhance transparency and affordability across all types of insurance. The Cabinet subcommittee on insurance reform will continue to monitor the effects of the action plan for insurance. Over the years, the issue of insurance premiums, payouts and the constant issue for some businesses of even finding insurance is a really concerning one for Government, for the Minister and, indeed, for me because we have worked on it over many years. I will relay everything the Deputy has said this morning to the Minister and to the Government.”
“I again thank the Deputy for raising the matter and providing me with an opportunity to go through the issues. I listened very closely to the points the Deputy made and I am aware of the views expressed by some stakeholders that the proposed increase will have the effect of increasing premiums. This is something we have to consider in the future in terms of how the Act operates. Members of the House will have an opportunity to discuss this in fuller detail when the resolutions are presented. On a more general level, the Minister for Justice is acutely aware of the issues with insurance reform and it continues to be a key priority for Government.”
“The Oireachtas will have an opportunity to debate the matter once the resolutions proposing adoption of the guidelines are tabled. I must stress, however, that the legislation passed by the Houses last year does not provide for the amendment of the guidelines by the Oireachtas. When the resolutions have been approved by the Houses, the Judicial Council will then meet to formally adopt the guidelines. This is in keeping with the 2019 Act adopted last year.”
“The draft guidelines submitted to the Minister by the Judicial Council propose an across the board increase of 16.7% in compensation amounts. This figure aligns with the increase in the harmonised index of consumer prices over the period from when the guidelines were last agreed in 2021. Section 7(2B) of the 2019 Act requires the Minister for Justice to lay the revised guidelines before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as is practicable. The Minister will, therefore, shortly be laying the draft amendments before the Oireachtas after which a resolution regarding the draft amendments can be considered. The legislation provides that the draft guidelines must be approved by a resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas before they can be brought into operation.”
“The first issue of the personal injuries guidelines came into effect in April 2021 and these guidelines have had a clear and significant cost saving impact since their introduction. That being said, the guidelines were challenged in the Delaney v. PIAB case, in which the Supreme Court upheld the guidelines, but identified deficiencies in the underpinning legislation which was amended by the Oireachtas in the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024. In accordance with the 2019 Act, as amended, the Judicial Council has conducted a review of the guidelines and submitted draft amendments of the guidelines to the Minister for Justice to enable the laying of the draft amendments before the Houses.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this hugely important Topical Issue and convey the apologies of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, who regrets he cannot be here due to another commitment. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter here today and for giving me the opportunity to provide clarity on the manner in which the personal injuries guidelines are drawn up and implemented. I state at the outset that it is not a matter for the Minister for Justice to approve the adoption of the guidelines. Under the Judicial Council Act 2019, the Judicial Council, which, as I am sure the Deputy is aware, is independent in its functions, has the responsibility for drawing up and reviewing the personal injuries guidelines.”
“It is a statutory responsibility of the National Council for Special Education to work with schools to provide sufficient special education provision each year. As already outlined, budget 2025 provides funding for 400 new special classes and up to 300 additional special school places for the 2025-26 school year. This new provision is announced as the locations are confirmed. The Department and the NCSE are then looking to the 2026-27 school year and will continue to monitor the need for additional school place provision based on demand.”
“I thank the Deputy again for raising the question and giving me the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education suitable to their needs. The Department of Education continues to engage intensively with the National Council for Special Education in relation to forward planning for new special provision for the 2025-26 school year and future years to ensure every child has a place in an educational setting best fitting their educational needs. There are now more than 28,000 children being supported in special schools and classes with the number of special classes increasing by 100% since 2020, only five years ago. There has been huge investment by this Government and the previous Government in special education.”
“The Department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special school placements remain available for children with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation in County Wexford and nationwide as to where new special schools are required.”
“In planning for increased special school places, the Department and the NCSE are reviewing all of the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand. Part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansions are required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE holds at local level on the number of children seeking a special school place in the region.”
“When it is looking to provide additional capacity, the Department's preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the Department and the NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school. Where existing capital owned by the Department can be repurposed, it makes sense from a time, economic and environmental sense to do so. However, each building is evaluated on its individual merits for its suitability. Of particular relevance is the development of an inclusive environment that promotes the integration of children with special education needs with their mainstream peers to the greatest extent possible. In that context, campus solutions for new special schools are prioritised.”
“To meet this need, 11 new special schools have been established in recent years and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. As the Deputy referred to, Gorey Hill School is one of those established in recent years. We welcome that development. Five more special schools will be established in the 2025-26 school year: one in Cork, two in Dublin, one in Monaghan and one in Tipperary. The new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our larger urban areas, in Cork and Dublin in particular. The Department and the NCSE have begun planning in relation to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026-27 school year. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year for the coming years.”
“I thank the Deputy for his Topical Issue. I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for me and the entire Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure that all children have an appropriate school placement and that all necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper. Of the 400 special class places provided for in budget 2025, the NCSE has advised that more than 390 have already been sanctioned for the 2025-26 school year. Eleven are in Wicklow and 12 in Wexford. They will be added to the 3,330 classes already in operation across the country. There continues to be an increased need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs.”
“There are a number of issues involved, including site constraints and the building itself. Notwithstanding the commitment of the board of management and the school community to additional special classrooms, it is important that we commend anybody who raises a hand looking for these. Not everybody does that. We have to acknowledge that. This year alone, 53 additional classrooms are being made available in County Cork - 35 at primary and 18 at post-primary. I will continue to liaise with the school authorities to look at the issues, take the report that has come back from the technical team in the Department and work with the school community to try to find a resolution of the issue the Senator raised, but that will be in the long term rather than short term.”
“School building projects in my Department's pipeline will deliver 11 additional and replacement special classrooms at primary school level in Ballincollig this year. While the priority in the first instance will be to use existing available accommodation capacity within Ballincollig, the Department is also engaging with schools on a potential requirement for modular accommodation to meet the near-term needs for special classes. I spoke in the Dáil and to a number of colleagues on this matter. I will liaise with the school authorities. I have spoken to some of the school leadership on this. I will continue to liaise with them to find a suitable solution because I understand Scoil Eoin is eager to deliver special classes, for which it is to be complimented. I commend the work it is doing.”
“The application was for funding for the provision of three special education classrooms. The Department of Education's school building technical team carried out an in-depth review of the school site in 2021, as alluded to by the Senator. The review confirmed that the school and site were at maximum capacity and it would not be possible to provide the required accommodation on site unless a vast amount of the existing accommodation were demolished and replaced with two-storey accommodation. Considering all the relevant implications for delivery of the brief of accommodation and the site constraints, the project was not deemed viable. The Department of Education continues to engage with the NCSE regarding the provision of special classes at primary schools in the Ballincollig area.”
“When assessing the needs in the local area, the NCSE identifies schools in the neighbouring vicinity with available special class vacancies or capacity and assesses their capacity with consideration to the demographics and data it has. The National Council for Special Education acknowledges that circumstances may change, and these schools will remain as potential options for future classes. I compliment the SENO team right across the country, but in County Cork in particular, on the work it has done over the last while. The local SENO team remains available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. In respect of Scoil Eoin, the Department of Education received an application in 2021 under the additional school accommodation scheme.”
“I thank the Senator. First, I welcome the students from Ballyvourney, in my constituency of Cork North-West, to the Gallery. I hope they will have a very enjoyable trip around Leinster House and see how things go here. It is always a great day when students come to Leinster House. Sometimes, people remember it forever. I congratulate Senator Kelleher and wish him well in his role. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to outline in Seanad Éireann the issue related to Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig. To give a brief outline, the NCSE actively encourages expressions of interest from all schools to open special classes. I appreciate and commend the efforts taken by the board of management in expressing its interest. However, it is not always possible to open special classes in every school that expresses an interest.”
“Yes, there were significant challenges, particularly in the leaving certificate, and there have been significant challenges in recent years because many students did not sit the junior certificate because of the way we had to deal with the pandemic. It is important that we do. I take the points raised but I believe we are working correctly and the information we have been given is correct in respect of gradually getting back to the pre-pandemic level of the leaving certificate.”
“There is a gradual reduction to get back to where we were pre-pandemic. It is important we ensure everyone is catered for. The Deputy will accept many people have benefited from the HEAR and DARE programmes and have excelled in their field once they went on to third level education. We all will have encountered families that approached us to make sure they could get on those programmes. It is important that we reflect on that and ensure it is taken into account as well with regard to how we gradually get back to a pre-pandemic level in the education system. It is also important we stand up for the leaving certificate.”
“I thank the Deputies and I understand their concerns. There are several issues here. Regarding therapies, there are additional places being provided in higher education for therapies and that is a commitment in the programme for Government. It is also an acknowledgement of the huge shortage out there within the State and I stated this in my previous reply. In any discussions we have regarding the leaving certificate, we must also acknowledge the State Examinations Commission has done an excellent job. Over the decades and in respect of how it has been run by the State, the leaving certificate has stood the test of time in any challenges it has faced. Yes, there are issues regarding how we will get back to where we were pre-pandemic. It is one of the overhanging issues.”
“The Department has also been advised the proportion of higher education entrants who complete their leaving certificate the previous year is typically approximately 13%. There currently are no indications of a significant variation this year in the proportion of students applying with pre-2025 leaving certificate results when compared to previous years.”
“The CAO system is distinct from operations and accreditations of the leaving certificate by the State Examinations Commission and access to higher education is a matter for the Department for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. My Department is working closely with the Department for further and higher education, which has emphasised it is strongly committed to supporting students, as evidenced in the creation of additional places in several high-demand courses in recent years. These additional places have been created in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and the therapy disciplines, among others. I have been advised that further additionalities in place for 2025 include a new programme in dentistry.”
“In April 2024, it was announced by the then Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, that this would be done gradually in line with the commitment that there would be no cliff edge in overall results. In 2025, the State Examinations Commission, SEC, will again apply a post-marking adjustment after all markings are completed. This will bring results in the aggregate to the point broadly midway between 2020 and 2021 levels, resulting in the aggregate for 2025 being expected to be above the 2019 levels by at least 5.5 percentage points on average. This return will be done in a gradual way to minimise the impact on students so far as is possible.”
“The first of these - the adjustments to assessment arrangements - assisted students by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations while incorporating additional choice for students. In some cases, the adjustment measures provide more time for tuition, for example, by reducing preparation work for practical examinations. The adjustments to the assessment arrangements have been applied in recent years and will continue to apply in the 2025 leaving certificate year. The second intervention, the post-mapping adjustments, has ensured the results in the aggregate have remained the same as an average since 2021. Aggregated grades rose significantly in 2020 by 4.4 percentage points and by a further 2.6 percentage points in 2021. It is widely recognised we must return towards pre-pandemic levels.”
“I thank the Deputies for the question. It gives me an opportunity to outline the issue from the side of the Department. It is under the remit of the Minister, Deputy McEntee in this regard. I am conscious that the leaving certificate can be a very stressful time for students and their families. This includes the stress of the examinations themselves and the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education. Following the implementation of calculated grades in 2020 and the dual approach of examinations and accredited grades in 2021, two types of intervention have been implemented in recent years. These are the adjustments to examination and assessments arrangements and a post-marking adjustment to outcomes.”
“The site of the school, as the Deputy will be well aware, is at the former primary school at Carrignavar but due to building works, the school will open temporarily in available school accommodation in Fermoy, which means that the school can open on 1 September. My Department is working with school patron bodies, particularly Cork ETB, to expand capacity at other schools, particularly those that opened in recent years, namely, Rochestown Community Special School and East Cork Community Special School.”
“The NCSE has sanctioned more than 390 special classes to date and is working on actively engaging with other schools and school patron bodies to confirm additional special classes as soon as possible. Of these, 53 are in Cork, 35 at primary level and 18 at post-primary level. This will add to the 563 special classes currently in operation in County Cork. The NCSE advises that there are vacant places in a number of special classes across County Cork as well that are available to students for the forthcoming school year. Of the 16 special schools with approximately 1,060 students enrolled, three were established in the past five years. One of the new special schools for next September will be located in the north of Cork city. It is expected this school will open for enrolment shortly. It will initially enrol 24 students.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question. I also thank him for the work he does in this sector and the support he has given me since I took up this role. I greatly appreciate it. The majority of children with special educational needs are supported by mainstream classroom teachers, special education teachers and SNAs to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children have more complex needs, a special class or special school place needs to be provided. There are 2,700 new places being created and there are more than 1,200 places already in existing special classes and schools. There are close to 4,000 places available for the coming school year. There is a significant level of provision. The Department and NCSE have created the significant capacity for children whose parents and schools have identified to them as requiring a place.”
“We need to make sure that children with special educational needs, whether they are in Castleblayney or any other part of the country, are in a central location and that we have proper facilities for them. I will give a commitment that I will work as hard as is humanely possible for as long as I hold this role to make sure we have places available for children. In this instance, we will have 18 spaces available, but we will work over the next while to make sure there are more spaces throughout the country.”
“I met a number of the parents who were here last week. I know only full well the battle that all the families and parents are going through, not just from being a public representative but also from personal experience as well. I am fully aware of the challenges parents face daily with regard to special needs, particularly the battles around the country for special schools. I refer to a number of policies that were being spearheaded by the UN decades ago in relation to mainstreaming. There are children with acute needs who will need special schools. We need to ensure those places are developed, not just on temporary sites, but rather that they are available and developed on permanent sites that are in the centre of their communities.”
“Each one of them has a working group to ensure it is opening with the necessary facilities not just for this year but for future years as well.”
“First, I wish to reassure the Deputy that the Department and the design team within it, the NCSE and the local ETB will continue to review the accommodation options available to allow the special school to grow and expand. While it is initially for 18 students in the coming year, we want to ensure we have available space to meet the growing need that we anticipate within the Monaghan community over the next number of years. I do not have to hand the exact number of students who had applied by 31 March but I will get that information for the Deputy and pass it on to him. I am reassured by the Department and the NCSE that they are reviewing. There is a lot of work going on in the context of the five special schools we are opening throughout the country.”
“A number of information events for parents were held jointly by the ETB and the NCSE in recent weeks. The Deputy asked a specific question. At most of the departmental meetings, we discuss all of the special schools that are being established. The Department is keeping Cavan-Monaghan, and the Monaghan region in particular, under constant review as regards the number of children who will need a special school in the coming year.”
“We are establishing a new special school in County Monaghan under the patronage of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board. This is a new school to be located in Castleblayney. It is a former school property, which is being repurposed to facilitate the opening of a new school. A principal for the new special school is currently being recruited. This role is critical to the special school's advancement of its enrolment policies and procedures as agreed with the school patron. The school will provide for students with a diagnosis of autism and complex learning needs, or students with complex learning needs with a professional recommendation for a special school. I understand that the school will initially admit 18 students and the application window for admissions closed last week.”
“I thank the Deputy. The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to reach their full potential. In the programme for Government, we have a number of commitments in that regard. Dedicated working groups have been established by the Department of Education to work through the details relating to the establishment of the five new special schools for the 2025-26 school year, including the new special school in County Monaghan. In the previous Dáil, I had the honour of chairing the disability committee and many of the groups that appeared before us spoke about the need for a special school in County Monaghan. The Deputy's colleague in the Seanad, Senator Tully, who was Leas-Chathaoirleach of our committee, was to the fore at the committee on that issue.”
“I do not have the details of the school to hand, so it would be wrong of me to discuss it here or make any commitment on it. However, I am willing to take the details from the Deputy and I will report back to him.”
“I will respond directly to Deputy Conway-Walsh with the details. On the issue in north-east Kerry, there have been extra SENOs put into the field since last September. My experience to date is that they have been working extremely well with families and school communities to ensure that the need is being addressed as locally as possible. There was a circular earlier in the year relating to medium-to-large schools. That is because the NCSE and the Department felt it was being left unduly up to the smaller schools to lift the burden with regard to special classes. We want to make sure that every school across the county is making provision for special education. As Deputy Daly rightly pointed out at the start of his question, the need is growing right across the country. Every school will have to make provision.”
“I have seen the evidence of the work that has been done by the NCSE and the Department of Education to make sure there are places available for every child in September. On the SEN allocation, I will reply to Deputy Conway-Walsh in the next part of my reply.”
“I thank the Deputies for the questions. I turn first to the issue in north-east Kerry. I have no difficulty in taking the details from the Deputy and following through on the specific issues. On Deputy Gould's point, the NCSE has been looking at the number of pupils who have come forward. The closing date was in February. We are doing everything humanly possible to make sure there are classes available. I am aware of some of the schools that have put forward names and that would accept classes, but we are trying to match needs with places. I know some of the buildings. We had a Commencement matter in the Seanad today about Scoil Eoin. I am aware of the issues in Scoil Eoin and the building project there as well. We are working extremely hard right across the country.”
“In recent years we have been steadily building on our special needs teacher and SNA posts. Budget 2025 provides for an additional 768 special education teachers and 1,600 SNA posts. This will mean that by the end of this year we will have more than 44,000 professionals dedicated to supporting children with special educational needs in our education system. To put this in perspective, there has been an increase of 22% in the number of teachers and a 32% increase in the number of SNAs since 2020.”
“It also gave me first-hand insight into the many challenges the schools can face, which we hope to address in the coming years. Various pieces of work are under way to further enhance how we support children with additional educational needs throughout the country, including Kerry. There are four special educational needs organisers operating solely in Kerry while 44 psychologists are providing support to children in primary, post-primary and special schools throughout region 5, which covers counties Cork, Kerry and Clare. As the Deputy will be aware, significant funding has been provided in successive budgets for a substantial increase of staffing in the NCSE and the National Educational Psychological Service. Both services are critical to students with special educational needs.”