I would like to ask the Minister about specific allocations in the budget for further education and training, community education, Youthreach and community training centres. These programmes play a vital role in inclusion, lifelong learning and skills development, yet they operate with limited resources. Could the Minister please outline the new resources, capital and current, that are being allocated and explain how these will strengthen local provision for further education?

It is wonderful to see the amount of money going into all that which the Minister of State outlined. It is much needed. I am concerned, however, for three parts, one of which is capital budgets for buildings. The Minister of State has visited many different places around the country. As she knows, I have worked in education for a very long time, and I have been to see adult education centres, Youthreach programmes and community training centres that are working out of buildings that really need to be retrofitted. T…

I am a bit concerned that the FET aspect will only be finalised in the future. FET sometimes is forgotten, and it is such an important part. The Minister of State talked about inclusive education. FET is a form of education that enables social mobility. People entering into FET often come through community and adult education. We need to make sure that is not forgotten. With regard to pay and conditions, the last point I want to raise is that for Youthreach and community centres, even though they are valued, there …

I bring up the issue of opting out of religious classes for children who go to religious schools. A number of parents have contacted me about this issue, and it is causing huge concern, upset and disappointment. Children who attend schools that are under religious patrons and who are not part of that religion or belief system are supposed to be able to opt out. It is set out in the Constitution under Article 44.2.4° that the right of any child should be facilitated. The issue is that guidelines were supposed to be …

I often talk about how education does not finish with the leaving certificate or junior certificate. It goes on and on. For many people it is a fantastic thing that they engage with on a regular basis, well past the need for qualifications or the skills for work. It is because they really love engaging in education. It is fantastic that, in this country, we have so many options open to people. I am surprised to see there is such an amount available that should have been used for the purposes it was set out for in t…

I thank Sinn Féin very much for bringing forward this motion. It is a lot of common sense. Anything we can do in this House to make the transition into our formal education system easier for children with disabilities and their families, we should try to do. It would bring certainty and forward planning into that. A year is a very short time. We say a year but, really, applications are made on 1 October to start the following year. Schools close for the summer. The poor principals are still working over that time. …

Education is the foundation of every society, and education has been spoken about in this Chamber and in committee rooms on numerous occasions. Ireland should have an education system that is inclusive, equitable and accessible to every child and young person regardless of his or her postcode, income, ability or background, yet day after day and week after week, the truth of the poor supports, exclusion and inequality are told to politicians and the media, and more and more support groups have been set up to advoca…

The Social Democrats have brought forward this motion to abolish the means test for carers, which was promised by this Government, and I am very happy to see there is no amendment to the motion. Carers and people with disabilities cannot wait any longer for the Government to fulfil this election promise. One area that is often overlooked when we speak about carers is education. Family carers are not only the backbone of our care system, saving the State over €20 billion every year through their unpaid labour, but t…

I raise the deeply concerning issue of student contribution fees. Freshers week across the country is wrapping up and students have started lectures, and yet families across Ireland are none the wiser as to what they will be paying in fees. The rumour mill around the Government's budget is that the decrease will only be €500. The confusion and concern about student contribution fees is unacceptable and was completely avoidable. There is a cost-of-living crisis and families and students are staring at a very long an…

Thank you very much.

This House can talk about many different things. Today we are talking about child poverty. I thank the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward. I have to say that talk is cheap and action is limited when it comes to child poverty and this Government's record. I worked in some of Dublin's poorest communities for close to 30 years. I do not need to remind people in this House that there was an economic boom and there have also been crashes. The economy has been shattered but it has also been fantastic. I can te…

Vapes and nicotine products are the absolute bane of parents' lives. I have been contacted many times by parents asking what can be done about vapes, their contents, how they look and how they are sold. I am speaking not only as a TD but as a mother and somebody who has worked with children and young people for many decades. As previous contributors have said, school principals and school communities are really looking for guidance on this. What galls me most is that vapes are being targeted at young people. I know…

I raise the issue of the new SNA review guidelines with the Minister. At a time when we should be increasing the support for our students, the Government - despite saying disability is a priority - seems determined to make it more difficult for children to get adequate support. The new SNA review guidelines appear focused on gatekeeping and rationing and not supporting children. The review window is too short, the criteria are too restrictive and the process will leave mainstream classes and special education class…

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak about school transport, but in particular the urgent issue of accessibility for children with special educational needs. The transport system we have was set up in 1967 to bring children to school safely and reliability. It is managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. However, it not working for every child. We see this every year and their families are let down at the last minute. As the Minister outlined, this scheme supports nearly one i…

I will use my time to show appreciation and give thanks to two groups in my constituency in Dublin South-Central, Inchicore For All and Dublin 8 for All. These two groups have been working to ensure that people coming to this country seeking protection are welcomed, supported and feel part of the community. Inchicore For All was set up to support several people and families who arrived in Ireland and are temporarily housed in the area. Since its establishment, there have been picnics, summer trips, international fo…

When I read this Private Members' motion, I was genuinely taken aback by elements of it. I am flabbergasted that it was put forward in its current format and even more flabbergasted that the Government is going to support it. It looks like a group of people who hate young people got together to blame them for all the antisocial behaviour and crime that happens in this country. I have worked with children and young people since 1998 in many different roles. I was a youth worker and was also a researcher in this area…

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling the motion. It is a disgrace that the Opposition has to constantly fight the Government on this issue of special education. It is a monumental and completely avoidable situation that it has to be brought up. The amount of anger out there is absolutely avoidable. I have to say the promises and plans made before the end of the school year were empty promises and shoddy and undeliverable plans. Fantasy special education places, and I mean that, are what we see. There is messing around wit…

The opportunities for youth strategy for the period 2024 to 2028 outlines 18 priority actions to be delivered by the end of 2026, including the establishment of an interdepartmental group and a review of the Youth Work Act 2021. Will the Minister provide an update on the implementation of the strategy?

Youth work is indeed fundamental to our society. I stand here as a TD who came through youth work and youth theatre. I was a youth worker for a very long time. I see in my community the importance of youth work. Responsibility for youth has come within the remit of the Department. We very much need to keep it as a priority. There is a lot in education, and I would not like youth work, in all its guises, to be forgotten. I would love to hear more about timelines. When we plan and do new things, there is a lot of con…

When we know how well youth work works, we can see what happens when it is absent. In my community in Dublin South Central the Donore Avenue community centre burnt down four years ago. A number of voluntary and paid youth work services were based there. Their absence has meant more young people do not have constructive things to do, and this has led to antisocial behaviour and challenges. The thing about youth work is that it is something that is often unseen but when it is absent we know exactly what the level of …