Results 7,141-7,160 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has been approved funding in line with the requested submitted by it.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department is working to continue reinvestment in Higher Education building on the progress made in Budgets 2017 & 2018. Current expenditure on higher education, excluding pay restoration and pension provision, will increase by 10% in 2019 compared to 2016. We are adopting a number of measures to address the financial challenges in higher education and to ensure that higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The project to provide a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the local County Council. The Stage 2(b) report for the project is awaited in my Department. This will be processed as quickly as possible when received so that the project can proceed to the next stage which is tender and construction.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved grant-aid for rental temporary accommodation in September 2018 to cater for increased enrolments, for the school in question. The delivery of the project is devolved to the Parton of the school, Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has recently submitted an application for funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme. The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority when this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: There were 2,186 postgraduate students in receipt of a student grant for the academic year 2017/18 academic year at a cost of €11.2 m. SUSI who are the centralised awarding authority are currently assessing applications for the 2018/19 academic year. They have advised that to date there are 2,264 postgraduate students who have been awarded a grant.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Under the Public Works Design and Build contract, when the Contractor achieves substantial completion of the Works he/she must then request the Employer’s Representative, working on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills, to issue a “Certificate of Substantial Completion”. The Contract states that “the certificate may include a list of Defects and any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The structural assessments have been conducted on the schools in question and the outcome is available on the Department's website at www.education.gov.ie. I wish to assure the Deputy that the safety of school students and staff has been, and will continue to be, the Department’s overriding priority during this process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: In 2017, my Department received 18 applications to address fire safety issues in schools. Of these, 17 applications were approved. My Department has requested additional information from the school authority in respect of the remaining application to enable it to be properly assessed. To date in 2018 my Department has received 63 applications for fire safety works in schools. 49...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Department initiated a programme of fire safety assessments in 55 schools in Q4 2017. This involved 30 schools constructed by Western Building Systems under Design and Build contracts and a representative sample of 25 other schools constructed over the last 20 years. Fire Safety Consultants have visited all 55 schools and to date 51 initial Fire Safety Assessment reports have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department initiated a programme of fire safety assessments in 55 schools in Q4 2017. This involved 30 schools constructed by the company referred to by Deputy under Design and Build contracts and a representative sample of 25 other schools constructed over the last 20 years. Fire Safety Consultants have visited all 55 schools and to date 51 initial Fire Safety Assessment reports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Since September 2017, my Department appoints a full-time resident Clerk of Works on all major school construction projects going to site. The role of a Clerk of Works is to represent the interests of the client with regard to ensuring that the quality of both materials and workmanship is in accordance with the architect’s/engineer’s drawings and specifications. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Under Design and Build contracts, the contractor and the contractor’s design team are responsible for ensuring quality and for presenting Certificates which confirm that the buildings are constructed in accordance with the works requirements and building regulations. The Certificates relating to buildings constructed by the Contractor referred to by the Deputy, signed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question has access to special education teaching rooms and a multi-purpose room and it is open to the school to determine how it utilises the totality of its accommodation which could include prioritising it for the purposes referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has recently submitted an application for additional temporary accommodation to cater for increasing enrolment. My Department has been liaising with the school relating to the application and additional temporary accommodation has now been approved. The school authority has been advised accordingly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home School Community Liaison Scheme (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will also be aware that the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of all pupils/families at risk of educational disadvantage through acknowledging and developing the role of the parent as prime educator. The role of the HSCL Coordinator is to work primarily with the salient adults in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Since the establishment of An tAonad um Oideachas Gaeltachta within the Department of Education and Skills, significant progress has been made in relation to the development of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme following consultation with relevant stakeholders, and commencement of its implementation in schools. The objective of the Scheme is to allow participating schools, following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As you know, the State Claims Agency (SCA) manages school child sexual abuse litigation being taken against the State. In December 2014, the Government authorised the SCA to offer “out of court” settlements to persons taking cases of school child sexual abuse against the State where their cases come within the terms of the ECHR judgment in the O’Keeffe case and are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelcholáistí Issues (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, Maynooth Community College opened in 2014 with an Irish-medium Aonad and it was stated that should the Aonad demonstrate sufficient viability after four years from its date of establishment, a Gaelcholáiste would be established. As part of the Major School Building Projects announcement in November 2015 and in view of the continued support for an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department initiated a programme of fire safety assessments in 55 schools in Q4 2017. This involved 30 schools constructed by the company referred to by Deputy under Design and Build contracts and a representative sample of 25 other schools constructed over the last 20 years. Fire Safety Consultants have visited all 55 schools and to date 51 initial Fire Safety Assessment reports...