Results 7,481-7,500 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (20 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, in April 2018 my Department announced the opening of 42 new schools and this announcement included a new 800 pupil post primary school to serve Kilcoole & Greystones school planning areas as a regional solution. My Department is currently examining potential site options and discussions with the landowner in respect of a potential site acquisition are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (20 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, in April 2018, the Government 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 & Greystones school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 reflects the Department’s current policy on the embedding of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment. It sets out a clear vision that is focussed on realising the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students by helping them become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am very aware of the school building project to which the Deputy refers. The ongoing delay of this project is extremely disappointing and frustrating for all parties involved.  The Deputy will be aware that the project had been scheduled for completion for September 2018.  However, the contractor experienced a number of issues such as unforeseen ground conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: 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 fortnight. A cessation date was included in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under section 3 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012, eligibility for assistance from the Fund is confined to those former residents who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or similar awards or settlements in court proceedings and who would otherwise have received an award from the Redress Board. A review of eligibility was carried out in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: In accordance with the provisions of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012, cash contributions offered voluntarily by religious congregations in the aftermath of the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the "Ryan Report") are available to meet costs, incurred by Caranua in supporting former residents and in meeting the operational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The NCSE is responsible, through it's network of Special Needs Organisers, for the development and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with Special Educational Needs, including the establishment of special class and special school placements. Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of special classes from 548 in 2011 to 1,459 across the country now, of which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the registration of teachers in this State. It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for the recognition of qualifications obtained by a person who has applied under this Act for registration as a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Save for limited exceptions (provided for in Ministerial Regulations (S.I. No. 32/2014), Section 30, of the Teaching Council Act 2001, prohibits payment from Oireachtas funds to people employed as teachers in recognised schools unless they are registered with the Teaching Council, the statutory body for the registration of teachers. There will be no retrospective payment for a period...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, legal representatives for both parties are working together with a view to concluding the conveyancing. There has been significant progress recently on foot of close and intense engagement from all parties.  All parties continue the work to ensure the acquisition completes at the earliest possible date.  It is not anticipated that the completion of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: No Education projects will be delayed as a result of the Department's contribution to the National Children's Hospital.   The Department of Education and Skills has agreed to pay, in 2019, €10m of an existing €17m commitment to higher education facilities in the National Children’s Hospital.  This funding will come from within the existing overall amount...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for this school is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained. A legal challenge to the pre-qualification process for the main contract from one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision making authority for a school closure belongs to the Patron of a school, and this is subject to the agreement of my Department. Any proposal to close a school must involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders, parents, teachers, students and local communities and follow decisions taken at local level. My Department is engaging...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Research in Ireland and abroad indicates that a great majority of parents welcome the support of schools in helping them to fulfil their obligation regarding RSE and other aspects of SPHE. The 1995 Report of the Expert Advisory group on RSE which was set by the then Minister for Education, found that various studies have been conducted on the implementation of Social, Personal and Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that under the Project Ireland 2040 National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme.  This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of a new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school referred to by the Deputy will be part of a shared campus. The building project will deliver a new Post Primary school and the new special school building will provide an area of 3,746sqm with 11 classrooms and associated ancillary accommodation to cater for pupils with a range of learning disabilities. In December 2018,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (21 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by SUSI, to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tax Code (26 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department issues salary and pension payments to approximately 120,000 payees a fortnight on four payrolls: primary teachers, post primary teachers, non-teaching staff and retired teachers, spouses and children. The Revenue Commissioners have introduced real time PAYE (PAYE modernisation) which went live on the 1stJanuary 2019. This was the biggest change to the PAYE system since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: To assist, schools, Deputies and the general public, my Department publishes on its website monthly updates on all major projects included on the Department’s Capital Programme 2016 -2021 including the type and extent of each project. Similar details are also published in respect of all approved additional accommodation projects and this list is updated on a weekly basis. There...