Results 7,781-7,800 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Schools Bundle 5 Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme comprises five school buildings and one further education college across four sites in Bray, Wexford, Carlow and Kells.  Completion of these projects was delayed due to the liquidation of Carillion Construction Ltd in January 2018 and the examinership and subsequent liquidation of Carillion’s sub-contractor,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelcholáistí Issues (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that Gaelcholáiste Maigh Nuad will be established in September 2019 as a multi-denominational Irish-medium Community College under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).  KWETB are working through the necessary practical arrangements in this regard, including appointing a Principal, the recruitment process for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: A grant for the school to which the Deputy refers was approved in 2015 under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. This grant was provided to enable the Board of Management to provide a mainstream classroom, three resource rooms and a WC for assisted users. The project went to construction in 2017 and was completed in 2018. The full grant has been paid to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne an tseans labhairt ar an ábhar iontach tábhachtach seo. Tuigim na deacrachtaí in achan cheantar a éiríonn as an bhrú, in Átha Cliath agus na contaetha atá cóngarach dó ach go háirithe. Dá n-ardódh an daonra, bheadh an brú ann. Sa cheantar seo bhí suas le 150...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: That certainty will be forthcoming. The information from the principals was received last week. We will meet at a political level at the end of the month when we will have an opportunity to be updated by the officials. If I have information before that, I will share it with colleagues. On the language barrier and parents struggling to communicate through the medium of English, it is an...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The primary supports in place for a child struggling with a subject are the teaching staff in the school and the matter should in the first instance be discussed with them. In the event that the child has a specific learning difficulty this should be brought to the attention of the school’s assigned psychologist. Should a Special Education Need be diagnosed the National...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that project to which he refers has been devolved to Westmeath County Council (WCC) for delivery.  It is in the nature of any building project that difficulties can arise.  The objective always is to deal with these as efficiently as possible to minimise delay as well as cost. However, these difficulties can lead to some additional costs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The recruitment and appointment of Special Needs Assistants is a matter for the individual school authority. Department's Circulars 34/ 2018 and 21/2011 and Appendix H of the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2015-2019 sets out the current minimum educational requirements for appointment as a Special Needs Assistant (SNA). People appointed to SNA posts are required to have: 1....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers is outlined in Circulars 29/2007 and 29/2010 was agreed under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council. This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Education & Skills and is chaired by an official of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, the building project for the school in question is included in my Department's capital programme. My Department has been working closely with Laois County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the acquisition of a site to provide permanent accommodation for Dunamaise College, Portlaoise.  Officials have also been closely engaged...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Special Schools are funded in the same manner as all recognised schools and I have no plans to change this.  Capitation Grants are paid to all schools including those with special classes, and to Special Schools, on the basis of enrolments. Additional funding has been made available to provide for a 5% increase in capitation funding for primary and post primary schools that will apply...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, my Department announced plans in April 2018 for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 16 classroom school to be established in September 2019 to serve the area referred to by the Deputy.  My Department lodged a Planning Application to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is currently progressing the school project brief once this process is complete, my Department will be in contact with the school concerned with regards to advancing the project into the architectural planning process and identifying the delivery method to be used.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department provides for a range of supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Dyslexia, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with complex special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. Special school staff typically have extensive engagement with parents, HSE multi-disciplinary teams and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate independent statutory agency, is responsible through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for planning and coordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the position of my Department is that 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. Reduced timetables should not be used as a behavioural management technique, or as a de facto...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Departments Inspectorate has recently introduced a model of inspection of provision for children with special educational needs in post-primary schools (SEN-PP).  As part of this inspection model, inspectors will engage with schools on a range of issues including the use of reduced timetables.  This mirrors the practice that has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my officials were advised by SUSI that the student in question has been awarded 100 % special rate of maintenance grant at the adjacent rate.  A letter advising the student of this decision was issued by the awarding authority on 19th February 2019.