I thank the Deputy. As I say of all Deputies across the House, the engagement they have with the education system is crucially important. We are able to have very informed debates here in Leinster House with Deputies' contributions. Deputy Heneghan mentioned a number of schools. We will certainly follow up on them. We are acutely aware of the challenges in the context of the SNA role. We have invested. There are 46% more SNAs since 2020, which is only six years ago. We have grown the number of SNAs. We are committe…

Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for both me, as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth, and for the entire Government. The DEIS plus programme represents a significant expansion of targeted educational supports. It is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based supports to 121 schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people experiencing persistent and inter-generational disad…

I thank the Senator for raising the issue and for her engagement in special education. It is hugely important that public representatives at all levels are engaged with the education system. It is only by the information they are getting from families and parents that we can challenge the system on it. We are committed to specialised education, which is hugely important in getting children to reach their full potential. For me, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the entire Government, it is to make sure we can deli…

In the first instance, the school has the DEIS plus status. That status provides extra resources to communities and schools like the ones the Deputy has mentioned. It is important we acknowledge the work that is being done and the amount of money the Government is putting behind the DEIS plus programme and understand the disadvantage in communities across the country and in the ones the Deputy outlined. The challenge is ensuring we have proper governance. We have to have a cut-off date and 30 September has long bee…

We will endeavour to have that circular in operation for September 2026. It is important as we face the school year. I think a lot of students are looking forward to the holidays. We should not be talking about September. Certainly, when I was going to school, I thought September was sometime off in the Middle Ages. Families are looking at what is the best earlier in the year. They know the limitations and the challenges their children have in school, they are looking at how best they can support their children and…

I thank the Deputy very much for raising the question and also for the change in time, which I appreciate. We in the Department, and the entire Government, have invested heavily in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to support children with special educational needs, including students with literacy difficulties. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have been published on th…

Therein lies the point. We are continuing to invest hugely, but we have to ensure that we get the outcomes of that investment for children and young people in primary and post-primary schools. There are a lot of teachers and SNAs across the education system. They are working extremely hard, and they are desperately committed to what they are doing. They are constantly looking at new initiatives and trying to find the best way of doing this. We are bringing in teacher training for special education to make sure that…

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to outline the capitation issue to the Seanad. I thank him for his ongoing engagement on education issues. He has been in contact with me over many of them. It is important public representatives continue to engage positively in relation to education. The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure schools can meet everyday running costs. As we all …

The capitation funding is hugely important for school communities. We have, over the past number of years, increased it quite substantially, almost by 50% in some instances at primary and post-primary. We will continue to review that. The grant for the next school year will be paid in the next month and we are getting the funding out to the school communities as early as we can. As all education matters are being reviewed in the context of the budget in October 2026 for 2027, they will get consideration as well but…

I thank the Deputy for his Topical Issue. It gives me the opportunity to update the Dáil about investment in schools in Kerry but, more importantly, it shows that the Deputy is in touch with all the school communities, which is hugely important. All Deputies from all sides of the House are engaging with school communities because they are a hugely important piece. They are educating our young people and are meeting many challenges head on both at leadership level in the schools and as teachers and special needs ass…

I thank Deputy Cahill for his closing remarks. I take the point very seriously. He has very eloquently put the challenges facing several schools he has listed on the Dáil record as regards funding and some basic infrastructure. As a country, we have been very proud of our education system that has developed over many years but it is crucial because you have to have the right working environments for the teaching communities, leadership, teachers, SNAs and all the school communities together. More importantly, it is…

I thank both Deputies for raising the issue. On a serious note, I always admire when constituency colleagues come together on issues of education. It shows the depth of knowledge and commitment they have to education and I have seen that in several constituencies, so I compliment them on that. Addressing the education disadvantage and ensuring every child and young person can reach their full potential is key for both me and my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Naughton. We look at this and the supports we give to ch…

In the first instance, the appeal process is there. I am sure the school communities are engaging to ensure that appeals are submitted. Going back to the challenges in relation to this matter, we have often seen that the criteria being used are very robust. The data collection is also very robust. The challenge here is that the Deputies have given me figures in relation to percentages of unemployment and lone parents and information in respect of IPAS centres. It is hugely important that we have a robust system tha…

I thank Senator Kyne for the question. The official reply raises a number of issues in relation to regional representation and the money and work that has been done by the NTA in Galway and its hinterland. The Government and the Minister are responsible for the policy and the overall funding but it is the NTA that delivers, plans and develops it in line with the statutory responsibility for providing transport. There are a number of issues on which it is working with Galway city and county councils in terms of deve…

In regard to the Senator's points on further expansion and further change in legislation, that will come in due course. There is serious engagement by the NTA, the Department of Transport and indeed the whole of the Government in relation to funding for Galway for transport infrastructure as well as other issues. The wider point is that if there is a link from the local authorities and the communities right up to the national office, many times some of what can become big issues can be seen earlier on in the proces…

I thank Senator Gallagher for his question. I welcome the opportunity to speak to the House on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien. I understand the question relates to the provision of additional funding for road maintenance due to the rising cost of materials. The Government is strongly committed to protecting our existing road network. The improvement and maintenance of our regional and local roads are the responsibility of local authorities. Funding for such improvements and maintenance is prov…

I thank the Senator. He mentioned Cavan and Monaghan. I come from a very rural part of north-west Cork as well so I understand the importance of the local and regional roads. It is crucially important, as we look at the economies of the local communities, cars and transport. We are a long way from public transport, as the Deputy alluded to in his statement. I take the point very seriously and we have to make sure that we have adequate funding in place, albeit that we have increased the funding again this year and o…

I thank Senator Andrews for raising the matter. The performance and integrity of our top athletes on the international stage has had a very positive impact for us, as Irish sport provides the world with a window into Ireland and the Irish people, both at home and abroad. International success for our top sportspeople enriches our country in a variety of ways. Many of our fondest memories are centred on Ireland’s achievements on the global sporting stage. These achievements have been a cause of both celebration and …

The Irish Government, and the Irish people in particular, have been very much to the forefront in advocating for Gaza and the Palestinian people going back over many generations but particularly over the last number of years. We have been one of the leading countries within Europe in voicing the huge concerns we have and the huge humanitarian crisis that is continuing there. We have been very much to the forefront in relation to it. We were probably one of the first to raise it and have continued to raise it. The G…

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute on behalf of the Government and the Minister for Education and Youth and our Department. I welcome the commitment given by the Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, to enhance transparency and public understanding of the family law system and ensure that the right of children and parents to privacy is upheld. In relation to open reporting, in The Operation of the In Camera Rule in Family Law Proceedings, recommendation 9 proposes introducing a right for accredited…