I thank the Senator her very kind remarks. I will endeavour to live up to them. I will give it my best shot. It is a role I eagerly look forward to. I thank the Senator for her engagement on the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. She was extremely informed and extremely forthright in her views. I appreciate that and I appreciate her comments. I will go through the scheme first of all. Under the current terms of the post-primary school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not l…

We are currently looking at all the information we got by the end of April and the information regarding payment and where we will need to put on buses that we got by last Friday. That work between the Department and Bus Éireann is proceeding at pace because we need to get it done in the next three weeks. We will be talking about it. I will endeavour to work with the Senator to try to find a resolution to the specific issue she has asked me about. Her points are well made. We will go back under the bonnet to see wh…

I thank the Deputy for the question. I will outline the AIM programme although I understand the Deputy is well aware of it. The AIM programme is the model of support designated to ensure children with disabilities can access the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. The main supports are grouped into universal or targeted supports. The universal supports are designed to create a more inclusive culture in early education and care settings through training courses and qualifications for staff. Where un…

I thank the Deputy again for outlining the facts. The challenge we have, particularly in respect of the AIM programme, which has been very successful for a good number of families, is that when there is a closing-off date, there is always a challenge therein. As we go forward looking at how we can expand the AIM programme, in the evaluation of it that was announced last year, because of its success, it is important we are mindful that we are making meaningful change. It is not a case of just making the change for c…

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 …

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 bein…

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 crite…

The Deputy mentioned a couple of things. The closing date for payment or for medical card issues is 6 June, which is next Friday. Bus Éireann and the Department officials have assured me they will be working extremely hard for the three weeks after that to get the information together, to correlate it and to understand where the needs are and where the challenges are going to be met. A lot of work is going on and I pay tribute to the officials in the Department and Bus Éireann for their engagement with me over the …

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…

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 imp…

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 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 …

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,…

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 diff…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to 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 challenge…

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…

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 sit…

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 mor…

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 fit…

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 d…

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…