We have dedicated support and funding for schools, with a commitment for €200 million over the lifetime of the strategy. Through the NDP and the next strategy, we will commit even more funding. Some €325 million has been invested specifically to provide technology in our schools, recognising that is how things are going and that technology is a really positive part of how children learn. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that we continue to support our schools and that they have the technology and equipment the…

To the Deputy's final point, my Department is engaging with the schools in the area to make sure that every child has a place. This has to happen in every area, particularly where there is a population increase. We are actively engaged in the area. If there is a need to work more closely with the Tusla education support service for schools, and in particular for students, that will happen. My understanding is that there are places available. It is about making sure children can get access to those places. On specia…

No.

No.

No.

I welcome the opportunity to introduce this motion to the House. I acknowledge the survivors whose courage and commitment have brought us to this point. I sincerely thank every single survivor for their bravery, whether they were in a position to come forward or not. In particular, I thank the late Mark Ryan and his brother David, who joined us yesterday in the Houses. I acknowledge the many survivors of historical sexual abuse in schools who told their stories in the years before Mark and David came forward and th…

I thank colleagues for their contributions and constructive input. I think we are all of the same view here. We all want to ensure the commission is set up as quickly as possible. We all want to ensure that survivors get the answers they so rightly deserve. We all want to ensure this happens as quickly as possible and in a way that is survivor centred and trauma informed. That is at the heart of everything we do. It is an issue of profound societal importance. It touches almost every family and every one of us here…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: — having regard to the conclusions and recommendations of the Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools run by Religious Orders, published on 3rd September, 2024; — noting that it is the opinion of the Government that these matters of significant public concern require, in the public interest, examination by the establishment of a Commission of Investigation; — noting that the Minister for Education and Youth has led the Government's considerat…

I thank all Deputies. Over the past number of hours, many Deputies contributed to the debate on this motion and I want to acknowledge the constructive way in which they engaged and the input from all sides in assisting our deliberation and consideration of this motion on such a sensitive issue. It is important to see such strong support for making sure that accountability, which is rightly sought by survivors via the commission of investigation, is delivered. This is an issue of profound importance to our society. …

It is child protection. That is not correct.

I welcome the Lobinstown-Newtown and Drumcondra active retirement groups. We are delighted to have them here today.

As the Deputy is aware, this Government and my Department are committed to supporting our schools and ensuring that they have adequate funding. Capitation increased only in the last few weeks. This was secured in last year's budget. Any negotiations and agreements on next year's budget will be happening in the coming weeks. I am also interested in not only providing more supports for schools but also making sure we can, where possible, reduce costs. That is why our climate action plan is so important in making sure…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. SNAs are an integral part of schools in supporting children and I acknowledge the work they do. By the end of this year, we will have more SNAs than we have ever had before. There will be more than 23,000 SNAs, including the 1,600 additional SNAs provided for in last year's budget. They are allocated through the NCSE and that is based on recommendations by SENOs who look at the needs of the entire school, as opposed to individual children. As the Deputy will be aware, in …

I thank colleagues who have contributed. Referencing another point that they made, separate to amendments Nos. 9 and 13, I fully accept that there are institutions or individuals who are not included in this redress scheme. It is important to note whether it was this particular scheme, the residential institutions redress scheme back in 2002, or even more recently, the mother and baby homes scheme at different stages before it came into law and before any of the supports were provided, different institutions were i…

I apologise to the different crowds who came in who I did not see. I acknowledge Sheila, Mary, Miriam and Mary. I thank them for being here at every debate, as difficult as I am sure it has been for each and every one of them. I acknowledge so much of what we have spoken of here today, not just specifically Caranua or the redress scheme but the trauma, hurt and pain that has been inflicted, as Senator Boyhan said, on every family in the country. There is nobody who does not know someone either close to them or with…

I will not repeat what I said earlier. I thank colleagues for their engagement. This is something that has obviously been ongoing for some time. I appreciate how challenging and difficult it has been for colleagues and particularly for survivors. I again acknowledge Mary, Mary, Miriam and Sheila, who are here today. After the conversations we have just had, I am not sure there is anything I can say that would accurately reflect the trauma inflicted on so many different people in so many different ways. While we are…

I thank the Deputy. Voluntary contributions are by their nature voluntary. It is up to each individual school to decide what it asks parents for. My objective as Minister is to ensure they have the support, funding and capitation they need for the day-to-day basics. That is why we recently increased the capitation. For next September, the rates for primary and post-primary schoolchildren will increase. Of course, there is a clear commitment in the programme for Government to increase that further. As I mentioned ea…

I am pleased to be here today to share the report of the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act 2004 which was published last Wednesday. It is a significant milestone in our shared work to create a more inclusive and equitable education system. The report allows for a moment of reflection - a moment to honour the hopes that inspired this landmark legislation introduced over two decades ago and to take the opportunity not only to see how far we have come but also how far we st…

I thank Senators for their engagement. I thank, in particular, Senator Boyhan for his engagement on this particular section and these amendments. As he has outlined, I support the idea. We have followed through on having a review of the criteria for the educational supports that will follow once this Bill is enacted. As I outlined to the Deputy on the proposal for a review after one year, in respect of anything for which we gather data for the first year, it takes until the second year or into the third year to col…

It will not cause problems for anyone if there is no one to apply to the scheme. It is not helpful to have a scheme in legislation that is not available to anyone because there is no one to avail of it. This simply states that the scheme can be wound down if, in 20 or 30 years' time, nobody is applying for it because none of the 16,000 or so people who want to avail of it and who have decided to the avail of it for whatever reason is left or, unfortunately, because of the timeframe involved, may sadly have passed a…