Results 6,101-6,120 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: PQ reply of the 30 November 2017 set out the general position regarding the statutory role of the Minister in respect of the removal of a member of a Board or the dissolution of the full Board. The reply from my Department of 27 September 2018 referred to a particular individual who ceased to be a member of the Board of two schools which was confirmed by the Patron. The reply also...

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

Joe McHugh: My Department has received assurances from the Consultant Architect engaged on the project referred to by the Deputy, that all necessary certification required to facilitate substantial completion of the project was obtained prior to the certificate of substantial completion being issued.

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 to 276, 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 may mean the temporary removal of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: This Government is committed to ensuring every child with special educational needs has the opportunity to fulfil their full potential. Funding for special education provision in 2018 will amount to some €1.75 billion, up 43% since 2011 and equivalent to 18.7% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training. The Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive...

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

Joe McHugh: The current works programme for the project to which the Deputy refers indicates a retendering of the project to pre-qualified contractors towards the end of this year with a view to having a contractor back on site early next year. The project is expected to be completed by June 2020. The works programme remains on track to achieve this.

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together. Details of public consultations are not collated in a manner that would allow for a full breakdown of the information requested in respect of the last ten years. However, an exercise was undertaken recently in respect of consultations undertaken since 2011 and the following link gives details of these consultations and location of...

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.