Results 7,241-7,260 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Supports (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that it was recently announced that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services will be introduced for the 2018/19 school year. The project will be managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education. The demonstration project is being developed by a Working Group which includes representatives...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Department's decision in 2017 to acquire the Harold’s Cross Greyhound Stadium site was taken in the context of a review of demographics of the south Dublin city area which demonstrated a substantial projected growth in enrolment, known limited land availability and the impending sale of the site by the Irish Greyhound Board. From a school provision perspective, the site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: To work towards achieving the Policy on Gaeltacht Education objective, the Department engaged in a procurement process for the design and delivery of two new Irish-medium teacher education programmes.  These new teacher education programmes include a full-time 4-year Irish-medium Initial Teacher Education (ITE) B.Ed. programme (primary teaching) and a part-time 2-year Irish-medium M.Ed....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers has been advised that the works in question can be applied for under a future Summer Works Scheme.  The school has also been informed that if it has identified works that require immediate attention for health and safety reasons, it may submit an Emergency Works Application for these works only for consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Review (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage.  The key data sources used in the DEIS identification process are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Status (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 to 161, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that schools newly included in DEIS from February 2017 are only those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage.  Schools which were not included, including those referred to by the Deputy, are those who have not been identified as being in that category. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 to 164, inclusive, together. One of the objectives of DEIS Plan 2017 is to more closely match resources with identified needs in individual schools within a finite financial envelope.  DEIS Plan 2017 states that the improved data on the socio-demographic of schools resulting from the new identification model will have an impact not only on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 167 together. Funding for all primary schools in the free education scheme is dealt with on a per capita basis. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc., and the ancillary services grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of quality teacher training programmes and continuing professional development and support for principals and teachers in a range of pedagogical, curricular and educational areas. This is done through initial teacher education programmes, education centres and support services for teachers at primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the 30 September 2017.  However, the staffing arrangements for primary schools includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has agreed to meet with the school in question and my officials are awaiting further contact from the school in this regard. My Department’s capital allocation for school building purposes in 2019 is €622m. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Development Plan (NDP) provides for an €8.4...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB). I can confirm that the Stage 2A submission was recently submitted to my Department for examination.  The outcome of this examination will be conveyed to the ETB as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 to 173, inclusive, and 175 to 178, inclusive, together. The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school. Schools should supervise and support children who are distressed or out of control until they have recovered and are able to re-engage in the classroom. In some circumstances this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 have been commenced. The commenced provisions include those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those providing for an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. The following sections of the EPSEN Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: On 5 October 2018, an independent appeals committee held a full hearing on the appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 referred to by the Deputy. It is envisaged that the decision of the appeals committee will be forwarded to the appellant during the course of this week.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The decision to use technology including smartphones, tablets etc, is a matter for the Board of Management of each school. To assist schools, information on the adoption of tablets in schools is available on the PDST-Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) website, detailing what tablets can offer a school, educational considerations, purchasing considerations and software. Where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Officials in my Department are examining this matter and I will revert to Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (24 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available for the years 2010 and 2011 and would represent a significant administrative burden to compile. However, if the Deputy wishes to nominate a particular school or schools that commenced on site during those years I would be happy to provide the details directly to him. The information requested by the Deputy for projects...