Latest news with #Moran
Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Wexford principal is at wits' end as he fights for SNA support for child with complex needs
A Wexford primary school principal says he's 'at his wits' end' while trying to resolve an anomaly that has resulted in a pupil with very complex needs being refused the continuation of their special needs assistant support as they transition from second class in their junior school to third class in the senior school next door. The student will make the move from the Catherine McAuley Junior School to Bunscoil Rís in September this year, which is the standard process in the schools once the students reach third class, and both schools are run by a joint Board of Management. However, the principal of Bunscoil Rís, Gerry Moran, is publicly calling on the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to re-allocate an SNA to the school that one of the pupil's had access to in second class, which he claims he has been fighting for since Easter, 2025. "As a primary school principal, I am at my wits' end trying to get some SNA support for a very complex child who will enrol in our school in September,' Mr Moran said. 'This is because of a simple anomaly, that the NCSE refuses to address, and his SNA will not transfer with him to the new school,' he said. Mr Moran explained that the case 'is so complex' that Middletown Centre of Autism in Monaghan will advise and support the school. 'They only support between five and seven pupils per year, yet the NCSE in Ireland will not allocate an SNA to our school that the pupil had in second class,' he said. 'The Middletown Centre for Autism understands the complexity of this pupil, yet the NCSE 'stands behind processes and procedures,' said Mr Moran. 'My understanding is that the Special Educational Needs Officer on the ground, who is excellent, and the team manager, who has promoted our case, both understand the issue, but line managers are stuck behind parameters. Our pupil does not fit into any parameters,' Mr Moran said. He said the NSCE is failing to recognise that the child will rely on their SNA, given their complex needs. In adding to the frustration of those involved in trying to provide adequate resources, a new application for SNA supports can only be made after the child has enrolled in the school. This is a process that could take months to be finalised and receive the new allocation of the supports. 'Despite numerous email communications with the local NCSE team manager for Wexford/Waterford, there seems to be no allocation forthcoming,' he said. 'The team manager stated that 'NCSE will continue to prioritise schools with no SNA access, schools with medically compromised or vulnerable children and highly complex cases'. I have explained that we are in this category of being a highly complex case, as the pupil in question had access to an SNA. I have been chasing this extra SNA support since Easter, and we are now at the middle of July and NCSE are refusing to make an allocation,' he said. Mr Moran commended the 'excellent' Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO), Selina Lynge, who he said has a 'clear understanding of the needs' in the school, however, he's struggling to comprehend the disconnect between the SENOs and their higher powers. The principal also claims that the allocation system is 'failing pupils'. In Budget 2023, the NCSE was allocated €13 million to support its Vision 26 transformation program, which involves organisational changes and recruitment, which was an additional €13 million, however, it's the view of the principal that 'the system seems to be as chaotic as ever.' 'It is extremely frustrating as a school principal that we must go to such lengths to beg the NCSE for resources. 'If this pupil was in a single stream school with classes from junior to sixth class, there would be no issue with his SNA in third class and as resources are not transferred, both the school and the child are penalised,' he said, adding that he has also contacted the leading members of other support services 'to see if they can help'. Bunscoil Rís currently has five classes for pupils with autism, and the NCSE has provided the required staffing including teachers and SNAs for the classes, which Mr Moran said the school is 'thankful' for, however, he noted that the allocation of the fifth class 'only came about after an incredibly difficult fight for resources'. 'I know from speaking with other local principals that many are frustrated by how the NCSE operates and dealing with them is like pulling teeth, just painful,' he said.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘They don't make them like you anymore' hails ex-Ireland star as Paul McGrath & Kevin Moran reunite
TERRY Phelan was among the Irish football fans delighted by a photo of Paul McGrath reuniting with Kevin Moran. Icon McGrath had shared the brilliant photo with his former Ireland centre-half partner to 4 The pair look remarkably good for their age Credit: @paulnumberfive 4 McGrath is the younger of the two at 65 4 While the former Dublin GAA star is 69 4 The early years of Phelan's international career overlapped with both men They've clearly remained close over the years as Back in the here and now, McGrath captioned their most recent snap together: "Great to catch up with an 'old' friend today. He still blames me for getting him sent off in the FA Cup final." Moran did earn the infamous distinction of becoming the first player ever to be dismissed during an FA Cup decider in In the play in question, his fellow Dubliner landed him in deep trouble when McGrath's pass was intercepted at the halfway line. Read More On Irish Football As the last man back, Moran made a desperate sliding tackle to try and win it back but was fractionally late - taking the legs out from under All is mostly forgiven nowadays with the duo grinning from ear to ear in their latest rendezvous. The social media post served as nostalgic gold for Irish football fans - as well as a few former players. Most read in Football 42-times capped Phelan replied: "What a pair of central defenders. "They don't make them like that anymore. I had the great privilege to play alongside them both. Fantastic times." Forest Green Rovers Unveil World's First Fully Vegan Football Kit & Launch Mental Health Initiative Times have of course grown leaner for the Boys in Green since their last World Cup qualification in 2002 and most recent Euros adventure in 2016. Fans will at least learn whether that long wait for another World Cup outing will come to an end before the end of the year as the 2026 tournament qualifiers will be a short, sharp burst from September-November. First up, October 11 and 14 will bring an away tie with Portugal as well as the reverse fixture against Armenia. On November 13 the Aviva Stadium will play host to Like the 1994 edition that Moran and McGrath were at (though the former was a bit-part player at 38 by then), the 2026 competition But unlike its predecessor, the US will be sharing hosting duties this time around with Canada and Mexico owing to the expanded 48-team format.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Niall Moran: Cork were inhibited by fear of failure
Former Limerick hurler Niall Moran believes the scar tissue from previous All-Ireland final losses came back to haunt Cork in their under-performance on Sunday. The Munster champions led by six points at the break after an edgy first-half performance but incredibly mustered just 0-02 in a surreal second half capitulation which saw Tipperary canter to a 15-point victory in a fixture in which they had already suffered two double-digit margin losses in 2025. The wretched display has been attributed to both tactical and psychological factors, with Moran saying that Cork reacted poorly to Tipperary's deployment of Bryan O'Mara as a sweeper but arguing that mental baggage from previous All-Ireland final losses were in the mix. "I suppose in the analysis of this game, people are going to either take two approaches. They're going to laud the Tipperary performance and rightly so, or they're going to criticise the Cork performance," Moran said on Game On on RTÉ2fm. "And I think for me, the overall capitulation gave me the sense that Cork, with a half an hour left to go, were looking for the finish line. "That is a consequence sometimes of the scar tissue from losing All-Irelands. And it just seemed, even in the first half, they definitely didn't play with the flow that they had (in previous games). "They were poxxed to be six points up. A drawn game at half time would have been a very, very fair reflection. "People spoke about the sweeper. Cork knew what was happening. They knew that Bryan O'Mara was was flooding one side and it's nearly 101 in terms of coaching there. You're being given a spare man in the full-back line. What you have to do is work it through the lines. "But I think they were completely inhibited after 10 minutes by a fear of failure. No one wanted to take that responsibility of making that big play. "And what I was amazed at in real time, and I don't think it was picked up even last night on the Sunday Game, Cork for a lot of the game actually went five-on-five in their own backs. "In the second half, Eoin Downey had very little cover in front of him. He was forced into a situation where he was forced to play John McGrath from the front. And that left the door open for him to go in the back. "So psychologically, yes, there'll be a big focus on it. But tactically as well, they just got it really wrong against what is essentially a basic tactical concept in today's game." Like many others, Moran highlighted a crucial moment as the opening free of the second half, when Cork's legendary inside forward Patrick Horgan pushed a relatively straightforward free wide of the right hand post. Within ten minutes of that, Tipperary had rattled off 1-05 without reply and the game had been turned on its head. "That Cork team contained seven of the first eight (1-8 on the team) that played in 2021 (against Limerick. "And that doesn't leave you. Like, when you lose big games, that stays with you for a very, very long time. You can try and plaster over it and have good leagues and various semi-finals and quarter-final performances. "But ultimately, until you have to cross that Rubicon to do something that you've never done before, that's only when you know if the scar tissue is healed. "I think the confidence just seeped out of Cork after Hoggie's free. And it's not really fair to put that blame on a guy like Patrick Horgan. "But I suppose the reality is a similar situation occurred last year when they'd a chance to go eight up on Clare. And within 15-20 minutes, Clare had them level. "And again, yesterday, within 10 minutes of that, Cork were in arrears. "Did an element of complacency set in deep, deep down to copper-fasten it? I definitely think so. "And it's very, very hard to guard against that in an amateur or professional environment. And look, I suppose that's what Cork have to pour over." While it's a second successive All-Ireland defeat under the management of Pat Ryan, Moran doesn't believe the Cork manager should walk but suggests that there may need to be a turnover in personnel and a further push towards youth. "What do you do if you're Pat Ryan here now? Do you jump ship? I don't think you jump ship. I think he's done an exceptional job. Their performance was still among the best of any county this year. "Maybe you just probably have to pore through some of your personnel. And maybe there has to be slight changes. "And look, there is a bedrock of youth coming through with success from Cork as well. "And maybe he'll just have to maybe copy that model from Liam Cahill and just say, hey, we need four or five changes here. Thanks very much. You've been brilliant servants. "That process starts now. I just think they have to be public. They have to address it. Let it be open wound for now. "And the sooner you kind of go towards healing, the sooner you get over it."
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Plans to open historic buildings as Easter Rising visitor centre may take years
Plans to open a number of historic buildings in the capital as a visitor centre commemorating the Easter Rising may still take several years. Junior Minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran has informed the Dáil that while the project is a priority for his Government, it wasn't yet possible to say when it would be open to the public. The buildings at 14-17 Moore Street have been at the centre of a major campaign to preserve them due to their historical significance to the 1916 Rising. The buildings were the headquarters of the Provisional Irish Government, and it is where a number of signatories of the Irish proclamation, including James Connolly and Patrick Pearse, surrendered from. The Government previously decided to accept the recommendations of the Moore Street Advisory Group to move ahead with a project to conserve the buildings and open it as a visitor site. However, Minister Moran admitted it was still too early to say when that would happen. Kevin "Boxer" Moran Under questioning from Sinn Féin TD, Aengus O Snodaigh, Minister Moran said: 'It is not possible, in advance of the approval of Ministerial Consent, to be precise about the timing of construction works; however, the project at Moore Street is a priority and it is anticipated that there will be meaningful progress onsite in 2026.' Deputy O'Snodaigh said there were concerns about dry rot other causes for the rotting of fabrics in the structure of the national monument . Mr Moran said: 'In response to concerns about fabric deterioration, including issues such as dry rot and timber decay, the OPW has engaged specialist consultants in historic timber, plaster, and wallpaper conservation. 'These experts have conducted targeted surveys and provided professional guidance to identify and mitigate risks to the buildings' most vulnerable features. These reports inform interim protective measures and I can assure the Deputy that the buildings are being carefully maintained and protected.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Dundee call handler admits unlawfully sharing police data
Gary Moran, 40, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday, where he plead guilty to four charges under the Data Protection Act. He also admitted one charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. READ MORE: Man charged with attempted murder of police officer in Clydebank The offences took place while Moran was employed as a call handler in the Dundee Control Room. Over a period of nearly three years, between October 2021 and August 2024, he accessed police databases without a legitimate policing reason. During that time, he disclosed confidential information to third parties. Moran was dismissed from his position in Police Scotland following an unrelated disciplinary matter, prior to the conclusion of this court case. He is now due to be sentenced on Tuesday, September 9. Detective Superintendent Nathan Calderwood, from the Professional Standards department, condemned Moran's actions. He said: 'Gary Moran exploited his position as a call handler by accessing police systems to view records he had no business purpose for seeing. 'He further breached values by passing sensitive information on to third parties.' READ MORE: Uniformed police pulled from Glasgow Pride over 'impartiality' concerns Calderwood stressed the importance of integrity in policing. 'Trust and confidence in police officers and staff is essential and people like Moran have no place in Police Scotland,' he said. 'Any officer or staff who fails to uphold the high standards we expect in policing will face the consequences.' He added that complaints against officers and staff who do not uphold Police Scotland's values will always be investigated.
