Results 41-60 of 167 for going forward speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...accommodation needs of school and pupils concerned. The school is not included in my Department's current school building programme for a permanent building. I understand that the project is currently going through architectural planning and that a planning application has been submitted to the relevant local authority.  Any meeting requests can be forwarded to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Reduced Timetables (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...limited number of cases a reduced timetable is deemed necessary, such measures will be used for only time-limited periods. This will enable data on the use of Reduced Timetables in schools to be collated and will inform policy going forward.  At this point in time, I would consider it to be premature to consider bringing about any legislative amendments until this data...

Seanad: Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...They have different pupil and parent cohorts, policies, activities and so on. That is why the approach taken in the Bill allows for the guidelines to contain different provisions for different categories of schools or different categories of children. For example, the requirements in respect of consultation with children may differ between primary and post-primary or special schools and...

Seanad: Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I appreciate where the Senator wants to go with the amendment and we are singing from the same hymn sheet in seeking to ensure we will have a minimum period within which to ensure a review will be carried out. Five years is potentially too long. We can look at ensuring one will be carried out earlier, but I am not in a position to be specific in that regard. While not accepting the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (5 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...is under weekly review and it is expected that under Phase 2 of the project will be implemented once sufficient footfall and revenue projections suggest that this is a viable and sustainable operation going forward. This phase will provide further enhancements to the offerings, the canteen space itself and the opening hours which will benefit both students and staff. Additionally,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Closures (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...put on the record of the House that my Department does not and did not make that decision. It was a responsibility of the patron. The patron advised that an invitation to consultation meetings was forwarded to the boards of management of both schools in question and to all representative groups identified in both communities. Eleven groups were identified and meetings were arranged...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...in a position to consider the proposal further until such time as a broader strategy was agreed in respect of further education provision and associated accommodation requirement. We are not going to come up with a conclusion to this issue today in this House but my message is that I concur with Deputy Burton that we need momentum behind this initiative now. I call on LMETB to engage...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank Deputy Burton for raising this matter and appreciate what she is trying to do and how she is trying to move it forward. We in this House can pretend that one plus one equals four. The Deputy can claim that the Government is not committed to further education and training, but there was no capital plan for further education and training when she was in government. There never was....

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...Bill.I must disagree vehemently with the Senator on that point. The Upper House is a really important place for debate. While I acknowledge we are a wee bit apart at this point in terms of the Government amendments, I will reiterate and rationalise what we are trying to do. There was a collective call for momentum to try to reach our destination. For what it is worth, when I give my...

Seanad: Free Education (Prohibition of Fees and Charges) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...Stage. I take on board the Senators' suggestion that this is the ideal forum to do what we need to do. We are all trying to figure out a way through this. One of the main things I noticed when I got this job, nearly a year ago, was the pressure voluntary boards of management are under with regard to capitation. The budget announcement yesterday is not reflective of where I want to be...

Seanad: Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019: Second Stage (2 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Tá áthas orm a bheith sa Teach Uachtarach chun an píosa reachtaíocht thábhachtach nua seo, sé sin an Bille Oideachais (Cairt Mac Léinn agus Tuismitheoirí) 2019, a thabhairt go dtí an Dara Céim. It is nice to be back here. While this is normally not done until the end of a debate, when a Bill is successful, I thank the teams of officials in...

Status of History in the Framework for Junior Cycle: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...percentage take up of history after the junior certificate increases. At the moment, nine out of ten students study history at junior certificate level and while that is a good statistic, we are going to work to ensure it improves. I made this decision because there was a worry that the figure would decrease. The statistic for junior certificate to leaving certificate is two out of...

Status of History in the Framework for Junior Cycle: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Our appetite to learn more about our past has grown since the decade of centenaries. A new interest has been awoken in people of all ages across the country in the struggle for Home Rule, the 1913 Lockout, the tens of thousands of Irish people who marched off to fight in the First World War, the events of Easter 1916 and the aftermath that led to the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...design team. Officials from my Department will also be in attendance. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the proactivity of Westmeath County Council and the design team in trying to move this forward. Given this, I cannot get into detail on the matters that are the subject of this conciliation process except to say, in broad terms, that they are technical issues and the issue of...

State Ex Gratia Scheme: Statements (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...is no justification in my standing up on behalf of the State to say we tried our best but failed. That is what happened. We failed as a State and as a society. I have remarked on people coming forward. There are still people with information. There are congregations and people with information who still need to come forward because we need to step up as a society. What can I do in my...

Special Educational Needs: Motion [Private Members] (9 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí ó Fhianna Fáil fáchoinne an seans labhairt ar an díospóireacht seo inniu, go háirithe leis An Teachta Thomas Byrne fáchoinne an obair atá seisean ag déanamh ar son na rudaí speisialta fosta. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach ar an gComhchoiste um Oideachas agus Scileanna, an Teachta...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna (Atógáil) - Commencement Matters (Resumed): Insurance Costs (18 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...are things we get right, things we miss and things we get wrong. Much of what we do is focused on collaboration. I believe the idea of schools working together as part of a single entity represents the way forward. The first time this matter was raised with me, I learned that an insurance company had asked St. Teresa's special school to pay its annual premium with a single cheque. This...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...working. We have a budget of more than €1.9 billion for special needs and a Department budget of €11 billion, which represents quite a substantial injection of money.We have 1,500 SNAs. We got an additional 950 this year. Special classes have increased from fewer than 500 to approximately 1,500 since 2011. There has been enormous progress. However, I agree with what...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...óir fá choinne na ceiste seo. Tuigim na buntáistí agus na míbhuntáistí a ghabhann leis an ardú daonra sa cheantar agus tuigim na fadhbanna maidir leis na seomraí sealadacha. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil tionchar suntasach ag an fhadhb sin ar an scoil. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity...

Retention of Records Bill 2019: Second Stage (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: ...at that point when regulations are made by the Minister; and that a number of provisions of the National Archives Act 1986 will not apply to the records. This mainly covers the disapplication of provisions that govern access by individuals and Government Departments. The historical context for this Bill is important. It is almost ten years since the report of the Commission to Inquire...