The NCSE has confirmed to me that there are a total of eight special class places in close proximity to St. Eunan's but I have heard what the Deputy has said. As I have said, I do believe it is something that could be looked at in the future.

I am not sure whether the Deputy's contribution related to children with additional needs or to mainstream education for children going to school, but there should be sufficient and appropriate placements for all children attending school and transport should also be available to them. If the Deputy would like to give me the specific circumstances, I can speak to the Minister for Education about it. There are 12 school planning areas in the country and there is a lot of forward planning to make sure schools are ava…

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: My department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. My department strives to ensure that every child has access to an educational experience that is appropriate to their needs and supports both their academic and personal development. As part of Budget 2023, my depart…

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to outline what we are doing regarding special education in general. I commend the Catherine McAuley School on all the work it is doing. It has a wonderful principal and staff. I visited on 10 February last. The school has a lovely, warm atmosphere. I could see how committed and dedicated all the staff are to looking after the children with additional needs. As the Senator indicated, there are 259 pupils in the school at present. I know there …

I echo the Senator's comments about Greg Browne and all the staff of the Catherine McAuley School and the incredible work they do. The school mainly provides education to pupils with a mild or borderline general learning disability and not just at primary level but all the way up to post-primary. This retrospective request relates to modular units already in existence. The Department is assessing the application with the NCSE. The Senator has brought it to my attention and the Department and the NCSE will be aware …

I thank the Senator. I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, but there are some comments that will also be relevant to the Department of Education and I can certainly raise this issue with it today. In recent months, there has been a significant focus on the threat AI may pose to academic integrity. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot launched in November 2022 and is currently one of the most well-known large la…

None of us is irreplaceable and I am sure we could have avatars in the future. The Senator makes some very valid points. I should mention that legislation has been in place since 2019. Ireland became the first country in Europe to enact legislation to address the growing issue of contract cheating in education and training. There were fines of €100,000 and up to five years' imprisonment for that. Under section 43A, it is an offence to facilitate a learner to cheat; advertise a cheating service; and publish ads for …

I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I will first outline the microgeneration support scheme which provides grants for the installation of solar photovoltaic, PV, panels up to 6 kW. I will then outline the supports available to businesses under this scheme. The Government approved the microgeneration support scheme on 21 December to support 330 MW of new microgeneration capacity by 2030 under the climate action plan. This was based on connecting 60,000 homes and 9,000 n…

There is the small-scale generation scheme for generators above 50 kW to support the deployment of rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV in cohorts that are not as suited to other support measures, such as the renewable electricity support scheme. As I said, that scheme is expected to be launched this year. I thank the Senator for raising this important topic. There are grant supports for businesses that are willing to install solar PV. Those grants are currently available for installations of up to and including 6 k…

I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability scheme assists those in private houses to make their accommodation more suited to their needs. The overall scheme encompasses the three grants the Senator mentioned, namely: the housing adaptation grant for people with disabilities; the mobility aids grant; and the housing aid for older people grant. As the Senator will know, the scheme is means …

I have listened to what the Senator has said and I will take his comments back to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I understand that among the areas which the review is considering are the income thresholds, the grant limits and the application of the decision-making process, including any supplementary documentation required. I understand the recommendations in the review report are being actively considered. It was helpful that the Senator made his comments today because the funding is und…

I thank Senator McDowell for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As the House will know, and as the Senator indicated, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on 31 March in a case brought by Mr. Thomas Heneghan, a graduate of the University of Limerick, against the State, seeking an extension of voting rights at Seanad university panels elections to graduates of third level institutions other than those of Trinity College Dublin and the Natio…

As a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, I have had the privilege of always being able to vote in Seanad elections but others are not so fortunate. Some of the comments the Senator made are not without merit in that regard. I note his comments on the need for a public consultation on any proposals that are brought to Government. I will certainly bring that back to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am aware that this issue has been prominent since the defeat of the referendum proposal to abo…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 174 together. I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: Enabling children with special educational needs (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). For 2023, the spend by my department on special education will be substantial…

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: The NCSE have confirmed to my department that a direct reply issued to the Deputy on 26th April 2023. It creates an allowance of some sort. Second, is to ensure there is a way by which that can be implemented on both sides, whether through the payments system or through some form of adaptation payment. Third is capacity, which is a huge issue. It is very well to say we will give payments so people can have cars adapted or to b…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. LIHAF is a scheme that funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. The scheme was designed specifically to address the issu…

Local knowledge is indeed important. I am aware that the Deputy, in particular, has acute knowledge of his constituency and its environs in relation to traffic schemes. LIHAF is proving successful in its objective to ensure key infrastructure requirements are being funded to allow new housing to proceed. In specifically addressing the issue of housing supply, it can also be a factor in moderating house prices. On traffic management proposals more generally, it is important to note that local authorities provide in …

I thank the Deputy for his Topical Issue matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Children First joint working protocol for An Garda Síochána and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides a framework for co-ordinated, co-operative working, which forms an integral part of child protection and welfare services. I note the Deputy said annual reviews are not happening. I am surprised to hear that but I will check that out. The joint Tusla-Gard…

In addition to the dedicated centre in Galway using the Barnahus model, there will be two further locations in the east and south. I understand they will provide national coverage and access for victims and families to the service. A joint EU-Council of Europe project to support national implementation of the model is also under way. An inception report for the project has just been published. The report will guide which areas the project needs to address as a priority in order to support the national Barnahus proj…

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following: Enabling children with special educational needs (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). For 2023, the spend by my department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for…