I thank the Senator. The first point was on the progress being made on the pupil–teacher ratio and how we are going to continue that progress in the lifetime of the Government, in line with the commitment in the programme for Government. The challenges with the staffing schedule go back many years and relate to the enrolment number on 30 September. We have to have very clear guidance on the staffing schedule. I see the merit in flexibility where schools are just shy of the requirement by one pupil or whatever, but,…

I thank the Deputy very much for raising the summer programme. I will set out the details of the scheme in the first instance and then I will respond to the specific points raised. The summer programme is hugely valued across the Government and by families and school communities. It is a vital and targeted intervention for the education of children with special educational needs and those affected by educational disadvantage. It is delivered during the summer months to ensure that children with additional needs or …

I will take the points back in relation to the Gaelscoil. Some 1,800 schools and 71,000 children are participating in the scheme this year. Going back five years, there were 545 schools with 23,000 children. We have seen a 210% increase in participation. That gives a sense of the Government's commitment to the scheme. There are issues in regard to the special classes, schools in disadvantaged areas and special schools. The teams that work in special schools are superhuman beings because they work with the most vuln…

I thank Deputy McGrath for his question. I visited the school in Shanbally and saw the condition of it. I saw the excellent work being done by the school community - the teachers, the SNAs and everybody involved - and the commitment those people have to education. Both schools are co-education primary schools catering for boys and girls from junior to sixth class. Both schools have agreed to amalgamate, with a new school building to be constructed. The new school is expected to be located on a six-acre site that is…

I accept that. The Department is very committed to this. It has carried out a survey and the reports are very clear that this project must go ahead. There were delays over 15 years. The frustration in relation to a project like this is sometimes about it taking so much time. The point is, though, that we need to have sight of the exact legal situation because to progress the project to the tender documents and planning stages, we would have to be 100% certain. I would appreciate if I could get the document the Depu…

I thank the Deputy very much for the question. He mentioned a number of schools, and I definitely will go back over them. The Deputy's question, though, was on the numbers of schools in County Cork at stage 2A. The Department has a strong track record of delivering the school building programme, with over €6.9 billion invested in the last six years. This has delivered approximately 1,400 completed school building projects and over 4,000 smaller improvement projects. Over €796 million in capital funding has been inv…

The only way we can give a commitment is by allocating sufficient funding within the Department. There has been a huge amount of continued investment in the school estate. There are literally billions of euro being spent across the country.

To be fair now, the question I was asked to respond to was in relation to investment in County Cork. There has been considerable investment right across the education system, and the Department of education has full sight of it. I acknowledge the frustration of schools that urgently need to progress to the next stage, but there has been serious engagement over recent weeks and months on how we are going to prioritise and make sure our investment in 2027 addresses the most critical points, such as the condition of b…

I thank Deputy Sherlock very much for raising this matter. As she rightly said, a reception class has been in operation in St. Joseph's Co-Educational Primary School, East Wall, since 2002. This class operates as a preparatory infant year for four-year-olds. The reception class was one of a small number that operated prior to the establishment of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme, to provide pre-junior infants education in certain communities. With the wide expansion of the ECCE scheme, this is n…

There has been a huge amount of investment at Department of education level in terms of disadvantage, including in DEIS and so on. We are not blind to the fact that there are massive challenges in some communities with disadvantage. We are applying the resources to make sure we give every child the best possible chance in disadvantaged areas and across the education system. In parallel, the early childcare scheme has been hugely funded. The funding that has gone into it in the past quarter of a century to bring it …

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The Teaching Council is the independent regulatory body of the teaching profession in Ireland. It was established under the Teaching Council Act 2001, as amended. The council's role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. This is carried out through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct. As …

We have to ensure the Teaching Council is an independent regulatory body and that it carries out its independent registration function. Neither I nor any Department has a role in that because it has to be very much independent. By being so independent, its authority and status is upheld. The Department has advised me the average processing time for registration of qualifications gained outside the Republic of Ireland is seven weeks from receipt of completed applications. Directive 2005/36/EC says it must be done wi…

I thank the Senator very much. I welcome the opportunity to address Seanad Éireann. The promotion of STEM and digital learning within our education system is a key priority in the Department. This is reflected in multiple strategy documents, such as the STEM Education Policy statement, Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood. STEM stretches across all aspects of today's world and the innovation that em…

I wish them the very best of good luck. It is a huge achievement on the robotics competition in Missouri as well. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the civic reception this evening but the Senator might convey my congratulations to all concerned, particularly the students. Inclusive education is all about ensuring that everybody's strengths are being harnessed within the education system and encouraging students across all levels. Education is the great enabler, both at primary and post-primary school, to…

I thank Senator Conway very much for the opportunity to address the House today on an issue I know is of real and ongoing importance to the people of County Clare and the wider mid-west. I am taking this Commencement on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. At the outset, I reassure the Senator that the Government is fully committed to improving patient services and delivering patient-centred care that truly meets the needs of patients and their families. That commitment is reflected in the si…

I thank the Senator. As he will know quite well, I am very familiar with County Clare. We have had the benefit of holidaying in County Clare for many years. What a beautiful part of the world. I also know the distance from west Clare and north Clare to Limerick and to Ennis, so I know the distance people are travelling. I come from a rural area myself so I know the imposition on families and patients and the challenges for long-term commuting several times a week. I accept Senator Conway's point. There was a refere…

I compliment Senator Comyn on the passion and commitment she showed to Drogheda and its environs. She was clearly not reading from a script but speaking from the heart. She gave a strong defence of the strengths of Drogheda and how the town can play a pivotal part in Ireland's security in the future. Well done on that. It is great to see the Senator show such passion and commitment to her community. I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, who unfortunately cannot be here. She has asked me t…

I ask the Senator to keep up the excellent work. Her passion and commitment to her community come across in spades. I understand a wise person once said that if you have pride in your community, you have pride in your nation and your world. It is a great attribute to have. Well done. The Senator has made her point and has engaged with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee. We have serious commitment to the east coast in the programme for Government. In the immediate term and short te…

I thank all the Deputies from across the House who have contributed to this important discussion. The contributions from across the House have been thoughtful, constructive and, above all, grounded in the lived experience of the families and people affected by rare diseases. Many Members have spoken with real insight and compassion about the challenges faced, the long wait for diagnosis, the difficulty navigating services, the strain placed on families and the understandable frustration when access to medicine and …

I appreciate the importance of this issue but I do not want to mislead the House. There is movement on it. We are pushing it with seriousness at our end. There is a lot of complexity involved but we are working seriously on the issue. I cannot give the Deputy dates but I can guarantee that everything that can be done on the Government's part is being done. We all know families and individuals affected by this. We are bound to ensure we remove any obstacles on our side. That is being done in a very serious way.