Results 4,541-4,560 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department does not have statutory Compulsory Purchase Order powers but Local Authorities have used their powers to assist in the acquisition of land for educational use. While the CPO process has been used previously for school site acquisitions with the assistance of local authorities, it is generally only suitable when all efforts to acquire the site by agreement and the acquisition of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I recognise the very important work done by school secretaries, and indeed by other support staff, in the running of our schools and I am grateful to them for the contribution they make to our education system.  I have spoken to a number of school secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised. I have recently relaxed the moratorium for those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: In January 2018, the Government approved the formal drafting of an Education (Parent and Student Charter) Bill. Since then, my Department has been working on the formal drafting of the Bill in conjunction with Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) and it is expected that this process will be completed shortly. The drafting process has involved a significant level of engagement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is in the process of being devolved for delivery to Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB). My Department will shortly be making the necessary arrangements to enter into a Service Level Agreement with LOETB.  This is the first step to initiate the delivery of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The process of Pre-Qualification of contractors for the project in question is underway.  The Pre-qualification process culminates in the compilation of shortlists of suitable candidates for each respective discipline. The Department has recently authorised the Design Team to complete the pre-qualification process. When the Pre-Qualification process is completed the project will then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The process of Pre-Qualification of contractors for the project in question is underway.  The Pre-qualification process culminates in the compilation of shortlists of suitable candidates for each respective discipline. The Department has recently authorised the Design Team to complete the pre-qualification process. When the Pre-Qualification process is completed the project will then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. The Design Team is currently working on preparing the applications for the statutory approvals, namely, Planning Permission, Disability Access Certificate and Fire...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). I can inform the Deputy that the NDFA has started preparations for the appointment of a design team for the project. This appointment will be a key first step in the design and construction stages. While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). I can inform the Deputy that the NDFA has started preparations for the appointment of a design team for the project. This appointment will be a key first step in the design and construction stages. While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I announced on 27 May that 792 additional SNA posts will be allocated to schools for the beginning of the 2019/20 school year, with up to 130 additional posts expected to be allocated by December 2019. By the end of this year, there will be up to 15,950 SNAs working in our schools, an increase of over 51% since 2011. The National Council for Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. The core allocation in 2018/2019 was €8.1 million.  An additional €1m was added to the Fund in 2017 which is specifically...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. In 2012/2013 the number of students who availed of the SAF was 17,840.  This increase was due to a once-off supplementary funding which was given...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Participation (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy for the years 2012 - 2017 is available in the table. Data for the 2018/2019 academic year is being finalised and will be available later this year. These figures include students enrolled at HEA-funded institutions only. - Academic Year Level/Mode 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 Full-time Postgraduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am delighted to confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers was successful in obtaining grant funding under the 2019 Summer Works Scheme.  This project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.  Payment of the grant will be made to the School Authority in two moieties. The first payment will be for 70% of the grant amount, when the works have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: In Budget 2015, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced that the existing Employment Control Frameworks (ECF) and associated moratoriums would be lifted and replaced with a system of delegated sanction for managing public service staffing numbers, subject to pay ceilings and other controls.  This arrangement was put in place for the Education Sector in November 2015...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Points System Reform (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Universities and Institutes of Technology in Ireland are statutorily independent higher education institutions.  Admission is a matter for each individual institution and the Department of Education and Skills does not have the authority to intervene in the admissions process.  The higher education institutions have delegated to the Central Applications Office (CAO) the task of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The main support available to students is the statutory based SUSI grant scheme. In general, persons with refugee, subsidiary protection or leave to remain status can access the same supports as Irish nationals. Persons in the asylum process are not eligible to access the statutory based SUSI grant scheme. However, the administratively based Pilot Support Scheme provides supports along...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The recognition of prior learning (RPL) describes a process used to evaluate knowledge or skill acquired outside the formal education system for the purpose of recognising competence against a given set of standards, competencies or learning outcomes.  Under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 individuals including asylum seekers and refugees...