Results 7,401-7,420 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance Data (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The position of my Department in relation to the use of reduced timetables is that each child has a right to education to enable them to live a full life as a child and to realise his or her potential as a unique individual. All pupils who are enrolled in a school should attend school for the full day, unless exempted from doing so for exceptional circumstances, such as medical reasons. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance Data (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, ethnicity is considered a special category of personal data and is subject to additional protections. Therefore information on pupil ethnicity can only be collected and reported on a voluntary basis, with the explicit consent of a pupil's parent(s) or guardian(s). My Department is engaging with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022) including a new 800 pupil post-primary school to be established in 2021 to serve the Kilcoole and Greystones school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I recognise the very important work done by school secretaries, and indeed by other support staff, in the running of our schools and I am grateful to them for the contribution they make to our education system. I have spoken to a number of school secretaries about their employment conditions. Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Details of consultancy payments made by my Department for the years 2011 to 2017 inclusive are available on the Department's website . Information in relation to consultancy expenditure is compiled annually in respect of the previous year. The data in respect of 2018 is currently being collated and will be published on our website at the end of the first quarter 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school, to which he refers, is included in my Department's 6-Year Construction Programme. In that context, my Department has been in direct contact with the school authority seeking clarification on the school's site proposals. On receipt of this information the matter will be progressed and officials from my Department will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 Feb 2019)

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. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As a centralised national service, SUSI implements a process through which student grant applicants and other parties to their application can consent to the sharing of their personal data with each other and with third parties, including public representatives, for the purpose of responding to queries submitted on behalf of applicants and parties to applications. This process seeks to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (14 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: School building projects in excess of €10m typically arise at post-primary level rather than at primary level. Building Contracts in excess of €10m Numbers County Roll No. School Year Contract Sum Incl VAT Date LOA signed/ Contract commenced Final Account Agreed Sum incl VAT Reason for variation: Change Orders, Conciliation etc 1 Cork 68264R Edmund Rice College,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: This is a difficult issue for substitute teachers who find themselves in this position. Officials in the Department have been working very closely with the Revenue Commissioners. A new online system is having initial difficulties and there are anomalies with personal public service, PPS, numbers but I am glad to be able to say today that this week 533 substitute teachers and 177...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It has been raised on the floor of this House a number of times. Her colleagues have raised it and I recently met students from Kildare who also raised it. There are ongoing legal issues involved in the matter. I will get the Deputy a full comprehensive update as to where we are in respect of pre-qualification tenders.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Protected Disclosures (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne an tseans labhairt ar an ábhar seo. I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to speak on this issue publicly. I know his county colleague, Senator Maria Byrne, and his party colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, have also raised this issue in these Chambers. By way of background, the Deputy will be aware that the Protected...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Protected Disclosures (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Yes.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Protected Disclosures (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: To be helpful, essentially it is an employer-employee relationship issue. I am conscious of this, but I did say publicly that I would become involved to try to facilitate an outcome that would be satisfactory to all parties. The Secretary General has met the president of the university and I did emphasise the word "any". They are going to look at opportunities, but at the end of the day,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Playgrounds (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is designed to allow schools, on a devolved funding basis, to carry out necessary improvement and refurbishment works that will upgrade existing school facilities including play areas. It is open to school authorities to apply under the next Summer Works Scheme which will open...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 197, inclusive, together. The new PAYE system developed by Revenue was deployed for the first time from the 1st January 2019. My Department pays 120,000 staff on a fortnightly basis. Between 5,000 and 9,000 substitute staff who cover absences for teaching and non-teaching staff could be paid each fortnight for the full period or a number of days per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that a decision to sanction a Special Needs Base in a specific school is a matter for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Schools may apply to the NCSE to open a Special Needs Base where a need has been identified in their area. The local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO), in looking to open Special Needs Bases, must take into account the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project referred to by the Deputy is for an extension (on the existing site) to accommodate a 12 classroom school with 1 Special Class and appropriate ancillary accommodation. The project is included in my Department’s 6 year Construction Programme and will be delivered via the ADAPT programme. The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: After-School Support Services (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. In common with other buildings of its kind, there is a charging lease in place on the property, in this case dated 1947 for 99 years to protect the state's investment in the property. In circumstances where a property has ceased to be used as a school, and a request is received from the property owner to release the State's...