Results 8,021-8,040 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: 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 suspension or expulsion. Where schools apply a shorter school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department recognises the importance of inclusive education and is supportive of actions that will ensure that the school setting is a more welcoming environment for all, including Travellers. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system are allocated on the basis of identified individual educational need.    A key objective of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Census 2016 revealed there is a significant gap between educational attainment of Travellers and that of the general population.  However, it is encouraging to note that in 2016, 167 Travellers held a third-level qualification, almost double the 2011 figure of 89.  In 2015 when the National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education was published 35 Traveller...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Information on ethnic or cultural background, including Traveller ethnicity, is collected on the Primary Online Database (POD). As ethnicity is considered special category data under GDPR, it is collected on a consent-based basis. In the 2016 Census of Ireland there were 8,142 members of the Traveller community recorded as being of potential primary school age (between 4 and 13) In the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Anti-Racism Measures (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes are subject to review and accreditation by the Teaching Council, for registration purposes. The Teaching Council’s Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers (published in 2011 and revised in March 2017) is an important document that must be observed by all providers of initial teacher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy (TES) was published by my Department in 2006.  The principle of inclusion was at the core of this report. Action Number 11 in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) committed to a review of the "Report and Recommendations for the Traveller Education Strategy". This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has significant engagement with National Traveller organisations in the context of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) to advance initiatives to improve educational outcomes for Traveller students.  Officials from my Department attend at the NTRIS Plenary Steering Group meetings in addition to the NTRIS Education subgroup...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 (NAP)was launched in December 2015, and aims to ensure that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population. Irish Travellers are identified as a target group within the Plan. To support the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I understand that the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to the provision of ASD special classes in the Cork area. Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes.  It is open to any school in the area to make application to the National Council for Special education (NCSE) to establish a class. The National Council for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Status (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. This new model involves a  calculation of the level of disadvantage in each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is implementing new plans aimed at accelerating the provision of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment to reach 400 such schools by 2030.  The previous model of patronage divestment yielded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The position is that the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). Circular Letter 0031/2011, issued by my Department, states that each employer shall ensure that a person proposed for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities Status (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is a matter for the relevant Institutes of Technology in a technological university (TU) development consortium to lead on the progression of their plans to seek designation as a TU under the Technological Universities Act 2018. In relation to the Technological University for South East Ireland (TUSEI) consortium comprising Waterford Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The NCSE’s policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016) noted a national ASD prevalence rate of 1.55% or 1 in every 65 students. The greater...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application, to my Department, for capital funding under the 'Additional School Accommodation Scheme'. The application is currently under assessment, as soon as this process has been completed my Department will be in direct contact with the school authority concerned. I can also confirm...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: A post of Programme Co-ordinator is available to all second-level schools offering one or more of the following programs: Transition Year, Junior Cycle Schools Program, Leaving Certificate Vocational Program, Leaving Certificate Applied Program as outlined in Circular 3/2018 which is available on my Department's website.  St. Ciaran's Community School have an entitlement to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department published Circular 0032/2017 - Measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs - in April 2017. One of the measures under the “Principles of cost-effective practice” which are to be adopted is that school authorities, ‘phase out the use of workbooks which cannot be reused’.  My officials have engaged with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The Council ensures that special schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special school placements. However, occasionally...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Appeals (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.