Results 8,121-8,140 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: In regard to site acquisitions in County Laois I can confirm my Department has current responsibility for the acquisition of one permanent school site: that for Dunamase College, Portlaoise.  This school was established to meet a demographic requirement in the town and has opened in interim accommodation. A potential permanent site option for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to carry out roof works to the school building. The works were deemed to be outside the scope of the scheme and the application was refused in that context.  Subsequently, the school authority submitted an appeal to my Departments Planning and Building Unit for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has appointed a Project Manager to assist in the procurement of interim school accommodation for the new schools opening in September 2019.  I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy will open in September 2019 in suitable interim accommodation. The enrolment of pupils is a matter for the Patron Body.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (9 Apr 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 16 classroom primary school and a 1,000 pupil post-primary school to be established in September 2019 to serve the area to which the Deputy refers.   This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing and redeployment arrangements for the 2019/20 school year are available on the Department website. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the statutory body with responsibility for developing, promoting and maintaining the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). QQI has been unable to progress applications for the inclusion of awards made by professional accountancy bodies within the NFQ due to an issue concerning the extent of QQI's powers under the Quality Assurance and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Each year eligible schools, including the school to which the Deputy has referred, are invited to participate in the July Programme. Participation in the Scheme by a school is voluntary and subject to the availability of suitably qualified personnel in July. It is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of the school, having regard to the resources available to it and taking into...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. Following the appointment of a replacement consultant architect, the Design Team has reviewed the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: As part of the programme for government commitments to promote the use of school buildings outside of school hours, my Department took a number of important actions to build on and enhance the already extensive use of buildings for community use. In relation to the use of schools for the specific purpose of school age childcare, my officials participated in the interdepartmental group that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Places (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: A list of ETB schools in Waterford City and Waterford County is provided in the following link: It shows numbers of pupils enrolled in these schools in the 2017-18 academic year. The Capital Programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed. In...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir fá choinne na ceiste seo. Tuigim na buntáistí agus na míbhuntáistí a ghabhann leis an ardú daonra sa cheantar agus tuigim na fadhbanna maidir leis na seomraí sealadacha. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil tionchar suntasach ag an fhadhb sin ar an scoil. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Once the tender process is completed with the announcement tomorrow, it will be a matter of two or three months to ensure the project manager is appointed. This is part of a national plan and not specific to one school so I do not want to tie myself in a knot over the timeframe because it is a new scheme. My message to my officials when I meet them on this, and I have met them a number of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Before the Leas-Chathaoirleach rules me out of order as well, I wish to reassure the Senator that once we announce the framework tomorrow, details around the timeframe will be built into that so there will be more specific detail on that tomorrow.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir fá choinne na ceiste iontach tábhachtach agus iontach dáiríre seo. Táim oscailte maidir leis an chomhrá atá de dhíth i ndiaidh na díospóireachta inniu. I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. I value the Senator's observation that we need to look at the process and different ways...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am trying to evaluate the communication that takes place when SENOs give parents a list of potential schools. If some of the schools are already filled up, it creates massive frustration for parents. I want to see if we can get a bit better at simple communication and providing relevant information. It is a very important time for parents when their children go into a new school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Status Applications (10 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The process for the establishment of additional universities is provided for in Section 9 of the Universities Act 1997. There are currently 8 universities in the State, the most recent being the establishment of Technological University Dublin under the Technological Universities Act 2018 on 1 January 2019.  The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 states that there is no case...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (10 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I met with the Group in question on the 13th of February and we had a very constructive and informative meeting and I would like to thank the Group for the information they presented to me at the meeting.  As the Deputy will be aware, in November 2016, I announced the patronage of a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Funding (10 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that the Department has received an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for the provision of additional accommodation. This application is currently under assessment. The school has also applied for funding under the Emergency Works scheme. Its applications in this respect have been refused as being outside the terms of the Scheme. However, I can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (10 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 to 81, inclusive, together. The Deputy has raised a number of questions on the consultation undertaken by representatives of the Dublin Archdiocese with schools under Catholic patronage in the Malahide/Portmarnock area of Dublin. I will address these, prior to outlining the Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process. My Department understands that a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (10 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together. The Retention of Records Bill 2019, currently before Dáil Éireann, provides for the retention of the records of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the Residential Institutions Redress Board and the Residential Institutions Redress Review Committee.  Under the legislation establishing these bodies the bulk of...