Results 6,961-6,980 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware the building project for the school in question is included on my Department's capital programme. A new school site is required to accommodate this project and officials in my Department have been in contact with the school patron and trustees in relation to the site acquisition. The Patron has indicated that is not in a position to acquire a site at this time and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (16 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is included on my Department's Capital Programme. With the assistance of officials in Fingal County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding the Deparment has agreement in principal on a preferred site option on which it is intended to deliver permanent accommodation for the school subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: A building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s 6 year Construction Programme. A project brief has been finalised and the project will be delivered via the ADAPT programme. The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to coordinate and drive the respective design teams on each project. In this regard, a tender...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Cork Education and Training Board (CETB). I wish to advise the Deputy that the provision of pitches for training purposes is not part of the specification for primary schools, and at post-primary level the inclusion of same is subject to space availability and school accommodation requirements. However, I understand...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: This issued was raised with me by Fórsa representatives on Saturday when they indicated that they would be launching their campaign this week. The matter has been raised by a number of Members across this House over a long number of years. Different schemes have been introduced, including that brought forward in 1978-79, and school secretaries and caretakers are also part of the public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department's capital allocation in 2019 is €941m of which €672m is being allocated for capital spending in primary and post-primary schools. The school sector allocation will be expended primarily on the delivery of large scale projects and on the Additional Accommodation Scheme. Funding will be available for large scale projects that commenced on site in 2018 or earlier and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: In April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). The announcement followed nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am committed to a new Summer Works Scheme which will open for applications in early 2019 for projects to be delivered from summer 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. When State moneys are provided to facilitate building works to school property owned by a third party, a legal mechanism is put in place in order to protect the State's interest. This is known as a Charging Lease or Declaration of Trust. These leases protect the Minister's capital investment in the school property and require...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can inform the Deputy that the planning process for the project to which he refers has been completed. The Department is in contact with the school in question to address a number of issues that have arisen on site. A decision on progression of the project to the next stage is imminent.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Compensation Schemes (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: As part of the implementation of ECtHR Judgement in the Louise O'Keeffe case, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill, a retired High Court Judge was appointed in November 2017 as an independent assessor to assess cases where an individual has had an application for an ex-gratia scheme declined by the State Claims Agency. Mr Justice O’Neill invited the Department to make a submission on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: My officials have informed me that the student referred to by the Deputy has recently been enrolled in a Post Primary ASD special class placement in a school in the area. Post Primary ASD special classes are resourced to cater for six pupils with complex educational needs and are staffed with a reduced PTR of 6:1.5 with a minimum of two Special Needs Assistants. The National Council for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for professional standards and regulation of the teaching profession. Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes are subject to review and accreditation by the Teaching Council, in accordance with the Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers (published in 2011 and revised in March...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession including the registration of teachers in Ireland. The Teaching Council's (Registration) Regulations 2016 (SI 444 of 2016) set out the requirements to be registered as a teacher in Ireland. Under these regulations there are four defined routes to registration, namely Route 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department's policy is that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Remuneration (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: Redundancy arrangements for SNAs are set out in Department Circular 0058/2006, and this circular is used to calculate redundancy payments for all SNAs. SNAs are employed in an ETB scheme, and not by individual schools. Accordingly, an SNA employed in an ETB scheme will be offered employment in another school in the scheme before redundancy can be offered. Labour Court Recommendation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision making authority for any amalgamation belongs to the Patron/Trustees of the school, and this is subject to the approval of the Department. Any proposed change involves extensive negotiations at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents/ guardians of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is a statutory body, the functions of which include planning and co-ordinating the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Question Heading for question(s) 88 (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: The policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is a separate statutory body whose functions include planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs in conjunction with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jan 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that while the delivery of major capital projects on the school building programme uses external design teams (Architects, Engineers etc.) appointed by tender to deliver specific projects, these are not termed “consultants” in terms of the Deputy’s question. Accountancy firms are not used on major school building projects. Likewise, no...