Results 6,261-6,280 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Motion (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I will be brief because the points have been well made and I do not have to re-emphasise their importance. To concentrate on Deputy Buckley's contribution, he referred to resilience, mindfulness and respect, not just the continuum from primary to secondary school but also onwards into the workplace. Developing that confidence is something we very much value as a nation because we have a...

Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Motion (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy said "days and weeks", not "weeks and months".

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (8 Nov 2018)

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. Annual statistics on SNA allocations are published on the NCSE website, , and include information on allocations by county....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts Data (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: A list of the projects sought by the Deputy is contained in the following table. 71 Carlow 20295K Carlow Educate Together NS Sammon Contracting Ltd 72 Wicklow 20300A Greystones Educate Together NS, Blacklion, Greystones. Stewart 73 Wicklow 20301C Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath, Blacklion, Greystones. Stewart 74 Louth 20259G St. Francis National School Stewart 75 Cork County 20006A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving an application from the school in question for the works referred to. I wish to advise the Deputy that the works indicated are appropriate to the Summer Works Scheme (SWS). The SWS is designed to allow schools, on a devolved funding basis, to carry out necessary improvement and refurbishment works that will upgrade...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Though schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools, where staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by the Department, these schemes have been largely phased out and have been superseded by the more extensive capitation grant schemes. Under these schemes, the majority of primary and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Data (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that 3,248 primary schools received the Minor Works Grant 2017/2018 at a cost of €28.9m

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI) was introduced in September 1998. It involved the introduction of Italian, Spanish, German and French for 5th and 6th classes. The MLPSI was a pilot scheme across 550 schools with an annual budget of approximately €2.5m. It would not be possible to give an estimate of the cost of its reintroduction in 550 schools or its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The cost of restoring 100 guidance counselling posts is in the region of €5m. This will be considered in the context of future Budgets, however there are needs across the system which have to be balanced in the decisions made in each budget. Measures announced by my Department as part of Budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018 mean that 500 of the 600 guidance posts that were withdrawn in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: In May 2011 a range of functions under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, including the operation of the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) and the services under its remit, including the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers, were transferred from the Minister of Education and Skills to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers ceased in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Every 10% increase in the student maintenance grant would cost circa €17.3m. Therefore, the estimated cost of increasing the student maintenance grant rates by 10%, 20%, and 30% would cost in the region of €17.3m, €34.7m or €52m respectively.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts Data (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 to 75, inclusive, together. I refer to the Deputy’s PQ46276, 46277 and 46278 on the number of contracts tendered to businesses in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the contracts tendered to businesses of 50 employees and less and the number of contracts disaggregated by the value of the contracts awarded. Tenders for goods and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts Data (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together. I refer to the Deputy’s PQ46279 and 46280 on the number of procurement officers and the annual cost of these officers with responsibility of preparing, tendering and awarding procurement contracts in the department. The Department does not employ whole time procurement officers. Procurement is undertaken throughout the department by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The measurement of the distances relating to the award of adjacent or non-adjacent rates of student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The distance measurement for student grant rates is governed by Article 27(3)(a) and (b) of the Student Grant Scheme 2018. This provides that the relevant distance will be measured in line with agreed guidelines. The guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: 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 staff. The school referred to by the Deputy received...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mobile Telephony Use (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Decisions on the use of phones in schools are taken at a local level by the Board of Management of a school, who under the Education Act 1998, have responsibility for the direct governance of a school. In developing policies on such issues, including bring your own device and smart phone usage, Boards of Management should consult with the wider school community, including parents. Earlier...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Under Springboard+ 2018, the eligibility criteria for Springboard+ has been extended so that all courses will be open to people irrespective of their employment status. Returners and those in receipt of certain allowances, including Jobseekers Benefit, will continue to be able to access courses free of charge. Level 6 courses will remain free to all participants and for employed participants...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Adults (%) who had engaged in lifelong learning in the preceding 4 weeks GEO/TIME 2014 2015 2016 2017 EU 28 10.8 10.7 10.8 10.9 Ireland 6.8 6.3 6.2 8.9* Source: Eurostat *Break in series due to change from CSO Quarterly National Household Survey to CSO Labour Force Survey; data before and after this point is not comparable The latest comparable (EU 28 vs Ireland) data is the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Any queries regarding the basis of assessing an individual student's eligibility for a student grant should be made directly to SUSI, the grant awarding authority, who are responsible for the processing of student grant applications. Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. Staff in SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (8 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The central grant awarding authority Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), a business unit of the City of Dublin ETB, administer the Student Grant Scheme on behalf of my Department. Enquiries regarding the status of an application on behalf of an individual applicant for a student grant should be made directly to SUSI. Enquiries may be emailed directly to SUSI at . Staff in SUSI are...