Results 5,941-5,960 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design). The Stage 2(b) report was submitted to my Department in late September 2018 and following an initial review was deemed incomplete. The report has been returned to the Design Team for revision. Upon receipt and review of the revised Stage 2(b) report, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that permanent school buildings for the first and second named schools referred to in the details supplied were constructed in 2015 and 2014 respectively. The current status of the major building project for the third named school referred to in the details supplied is that a major building project is at an advanced stage of the architectural planning process -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware of the many pressing demands within Education which I have had to consider in recent years. Important changes have been made resourcing and reforming provision for children with Special Educational Needs, rolling out Junior Cycle Reform, strengthening school leadership, reducing Primary Class Size, restoring Guidance Teachers, providing for extra students at all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Department is currently reviewing the arrangements for the granting of exemptions from the study of Irish. A report “Review of Policy and Practice in Relation to Exemptions from Irish” has been written and draft revised circulars (Primary and Post-Primary) on exemptions from the study of Irish are being finalised for publication as part of a public consultation process on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaeltacht Policy (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: A number of measures which will support the supply of post-primary teachers to Irish-medium schools in the Gaeltacht have been introduced as part of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022.The number of places available on the Irish-medium post-primary initial teacher education Professional Masters of Education (Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas) programme in NUIG as has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Molaim Ceisteanna Uimh. 136 go 138, cuimsitheach, a fhreagairt le chéile. Faoi mar is eol don Teachta, tá múnla oibiachtúil atá bunaithe ar staitisticí tugtha isteach ag mo Roinnse chun na scoileanna a bhfuil sé tuillte acu a bheith san áireamh i gClár DEIS a mheas, ionas gur féidir leis na páirtithe leasmhara go léir a bheith...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together. I can confirm that my Department received an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for major capital works including the provision of an extension, in addition to refurbishment works. The school in question was not included on my Department’s 6 year Capital Programme and it is not possible to provide an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (18 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 the DES...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Chair and committee for the invitation. I acknowledge that they are reaching out and want an inclusive approach here. That is the language that I was speaking to my officials with yesterday. I see a role for this committee. The work and report it has done on positive mental health and well-being and the committee's suggestions are of critical importance. I will be looking at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Chairperson and the members for their contributions and their approach on my first day at committee. Engagement is important and I am accountable for a large budget of nearly €10.8 billion. I know the honeymoon period will not last long, but I look forward to that as well because dialogue-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Did the Deputy not say for the whole day? Was it just the morning? I will go through each person's contribution, if that is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: If there are areas where more information is needed, we can get back to the committee directly. Deputy Martin said education is an investment and not a cost. Education is wider, broader and different. The old Irish word "oideachas" suggests it is about the second family and parents entrusting their young people with the second family, whether it is in naíonraí, primary school,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Everybody will have a copy. Has school-based counselling been tried and tested? A lot of work has been done on the well-being policy as it relates to the Australian model but also in relation to mental wellness at primary school level. I am in total agreement that it has to start at early stages for young people when they are entering a different world and there is an overload of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am getting that feedback and as I step into my brief I will get more feedback. I am meeting the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, NAPD, tomorrow and I will continue that intensive engagement for the short to medium term. That is why I want to look at the 2019 preparation and work with the committee on a 2019 plan and a three year plan to see what is working and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: In fairness there has been a massive drive on mental health in this current Parliament over the past two and a half years, not just because Deputy Catherine Martin came here, but because of the significance of what is happening with this new type of politics. As somebody who has been in the position of Chief Whip, the consensus approach where I engaged with the likes of Deputies Mattie...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: We are leaders and that leadership is in a public manner. This committee is being broadcast live today. People could be in their kitchens today watching. It could be a mother or father whose children are at school or it could be a child who is not at school today listening to this so how we engage with each other and treat each other - the word "respect" was used - is all important in our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to forward that information to the Deputy and as final point before the Deputy leaves, whether one is a physics teacher or a French teacher one also has the mindfulness responsibility. The teachers do that really well and it is a whole-school approach which was the Deputy's number one priority coming to this committee. I do not know if her priorities were outlined chronologically...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I look forward to working with Deputy Thomas Byrne and I refer to his questions around guidance counselling. He raised the issue of responsibility for counselling. This goes back to the collaborative suggestion that the Chairman was making. The responsibility for the provision of mental health services and counselling for young people lies with the Department of Health and the Health...