Results 4,821-4,840 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Discipline (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 175 together. Circular 0059/2009 set out the disciplinary procedures for teachers employed by Vocational Education Committees (VEC). A separate Circular (Circular 60/2009) sets out the disciplinary procedures for non-VEC teachers. The procedures were negotiated and agreed with the education partners in accordance with Section 24(3) of the Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. However, the following information can be provided in relation to this matter. As the Deputy will be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm Department officials are working to put a solution for the school's permanent accommodation in place at the earliest possible date. Unfortunately it is not possible to indicate a timeline for the confirmation of a location for the school at this point but I can assure the Deputy that the patron will be informed as soon as it is possible to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: 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 schools with special classes. These additional release days - 18, 24, and 30 depending on the size of the school - will be effective from 1st September 2019. This builds on measures in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: In 2016, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was requested by the then Minister Richard Bruton to review the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Scheme and to advise him on what support options are needed to provide better outcomes for students with additional care needs. Following extensive research and consultation with schools, parents, SNAs and other stakeholders, a report was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually, taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The number of SNAs employed in a school depends on the allocation given to the school by the NCSE, based on its assessment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: All Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are required to be available for a number of days at the start and finish of each school term not exceeding 12 in total. Under the Croke Park Agreement it was agreed to introduce greater flexibility to the use of these 12 days. Accordingly, DES Circular 71/2011 was issued on 15 December 2011 which outlined that these 12 days now equate to 72 hours...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities who have additional and significant care needs in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for a pupil or pupils with special care needs. The first priority is that the care needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise you Deputy that the main purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is to ensure the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are most in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation or on receipt of an enrolment application from a special needs pupil. An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Staff (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: SOLAS staff who transferred to ETBs retained their existing salary scales on transfer. Union representatives have submitted a claim under normal industrial relations procedures in respect of certain grades, and this is still being examined by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Playgrounds (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has no record of an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for works to repairing an outdoor play area. My Department did receive an Emergency Works Scheme application for repairs to the mechanical and heating system in the school. This was refused as it was a request for retrospective funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware the Summer Works Scheme (SWS), which is demand based, is designed to allow schools, on a devolved funding basis, to carry out necessary and immediate improvement works that will upgrade existing school facilities. To date in excess of €117 million has been approved for 1,006 schools in respect of Categories 1 to 9 under the last SWS. 347 applications under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities Status (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is a matter for the relevant Institutes of Technology in a technological university (TU) development consortium to lead on the progression of their plans to seek designation as a TU under the Technological Universities Act 2018. In relation to the Technological University for South East Ireland (TUSEI) consortium comprising Waterford Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm Department officials are working to put a solution for the school's permanent accommodation in place at the earliest possible date. Unfortunately it is not possible to indicate a timeline for the confirmation of a location for the school at this point but I can assure the Deputy that the patron will be informed as soon as it is possible to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware the building project for the school in question is included on my Department's capital programme. Negotiations with relevant landowners in respect of the potential acquisition of the zoned post primary school site in the relevant area are currently underway. These discussions are at a very advanced stage. Once a site is secured, the project to deliver the school's new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, in April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 800 pupil post-primary school (to be established in 2020) to serve the Blanchardstown_West_Dublin15 and BlanchardstownVge_Dublin15 school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Management bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post primary to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects such as STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish and Home Economics. In response to these difficulties, the Teacher Supply Steering Group,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology/specialised equipment is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Clár Foghlamtha Comhtháite Ábhar agus Teangacha (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimhir 59, 60 agus 61 le chéile. D’fhógair mé treoirthionscadal trí bliana bunaithe ar an bhFoghlaim Chomhtháite Ábhar agus Teangacha (FCÁT) mar chur chuige i dtaca le foghlaim na Gaeilge agus Nuatheangacha Iasachta an 23 AIbreán. Beidh an treoirthionscadal á mhaoirsiú ag Grúpa Stiúrtha ar...