Results 4,081-4,100 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Data (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that there are various income thresholds used depending on the type of grant, family size etc. While SUSI has statistics on those students who have applied for grant support and can estimate with some degree of certainty, what impact changes to the thresholds might have for those students on lower income levels, the accuracy of its estimates become less reliable at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2019 marks the third year of a major reinvestment in the education. In 2019, the budget for the Department of Education and Skills will increase by €674 million, a 6.7% increase on last year. In total, the Education budget will have increased by €1.7 billion compared to 2016. Budget 2019 will see numbers employed in our schools reach the highest ever level. Over 1,300...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The estimated full year cost of increasing the capitation grant by 50% to DEIS schools at primary and post-primary level is €22.9 million. I am pleased to have been able to provide for a 5% increase in capitation funding for primary and post primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2019/20 school year. Over the course of the school year 2019/20, an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on my Department’s website. In the 2018/19 school year there are 3,106 mainstream primary schools of which 698 (22.47%) are participating in the DEIS Programme. Each one point adjustment to the primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €13.5m per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The estimated full year cost of increasing the capitation grant rate at primary and post-primary level by €10 per pupil is €9.4 million. The first and full year costs of increasing the capitation grant at primary and secondary level by 5% is €4 million and €10 million respectively. I am pleased to have been able to provide for this 5% increase in capitation funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Since my appointment as Minister for Education and Skills I have met with a number of Teaching Principals, including at this year’s IPPN conference, and I appreciate the pressures they face. In Budget 2019, school leadership is again supported with an additional release day for teaching principals in primary schools and a further four additional release days for teaching principals in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. As the Deputy will be aware, additional funding of €7m was secured in Budgets 2017 and 2018 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged postgraduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: A Scheme was initiated in 1978/79 for the employment of Clerical Officers in primary and post primary schools under which the school secretaries and caretakers are paid directly through the payroll operated by my Department. The 1978/79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. There are currently a total of 189 primary schools with either a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Contribution, which currently stands at €3,000, was introduced with effect from the 2011/12 academic year. Based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2017/18 (and were therefore liable to pay the Student Contribution), and taking into account expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full cost of attending college. The student grant scheme does, however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has approved a major building project on the school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan for the school in question which will cater for an enrolment of 750 pupils. The project for this school, together with major building projects at four other post primary schools in the locality, are all intended to cater for the long-term demographic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers was granted approval to build a 1 Classroom SEN Base and 1 Mainstream Classroom under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018. The project is devolved to the School Authority to deliver. The project proceeded to planning application stage and included unapproved works. The Department has advised the School Authority to scale back the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that the payment referred to by the Deputy was made in respect of the purchase of a site for Kolbe Special School, Portlaoise.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained. The Design Team has recently completed work on its NZEB...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Centre Network (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Section 37 of the Education Act 1998 provides the legislative basis for the recognition and regulation of Education Centres. Section 37(6) of the Act makes provision to make regulations relating to a number of matters in Education Centres such as the appointment of management committees, funding, staffing, provision of information to the Department & other operational matters. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Allowances Eligibility (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The adjudication report referred to by the Deputy made provision for five Education Centre Directors to retain their secondment allowances on their return to school in 2018. The circumstances upon which the adjudication was based are explicitly unique to that cohort of Directors and are not applicable in respect of any other Education Centre Director.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Education Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary management committees elected annually. My Department is the main funder of Education Centres through direct budget allocations for administrative staff pay and operating costs. The Education Centres also receive significant funding from the support services which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Centre Network (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Education Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary management committees elected annually. My Department is the main funder of Education Centres through direct budget allocations for administrative staff pay and operating costs. The Education Centres also receive significant funding from the support services which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Centre Network (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Education Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary management committees elected annually. Under my Department’s governance and accountability arrangements, Centres are required to have their accounts audited and the audit report must be submitted along with the Centre’s annual report to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Education Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary management committees. My Department is the main funder of Education Centres through direct budget allocations for administrative staff pay and operating costs. The Education Centres also receive significant funding from the support services which are funded...