Results 8,321-8,340 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As a consequence of the economic crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. The last Government approved a number of measures relating to public service allowances following a public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments conducted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: A major building project to provide permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP) Construction Programme. The building will include a Special Educational Needs Base. The school will be delivered under the Department's Design and Build Programme. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools set out details of a new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. DES Circulars 0007/2019 for primary schools and 0008/2019 for post primary schools also provide details of how the allocations are being updated for schools from September 2019, based on updated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB). My Department has recently given approval for the project to proceed to Construction Stage. When construction has commenced, the ETB will submit the requisite drawdown requirements to the Building Unit. The relevant officials in my Department, once they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications Data (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together. In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for “Holiday Earnings” earned by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period for the assessment of income for student grant purposes. The value of the Holiday Earnings income disregard was increased from €3,809 to €4,500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The assessment of means under the Student Grant Scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for “Holiday Earnings” earned by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period for the assessment of income for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Grant Scheme 2019 and the Student Support Regulations 2019 were published on Thursday, 25th April 2019. Both documents are available to view and/or download from the Department's website: SUSI’s online system for the 2019 Scheme is now open. Students attending college in the academic year 2019/20 are required to submit their grant application to SUSI (viawww.susi.ie), to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I met with officials of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in November of last year and asked that a review of the optional nature of history under the new Framework for Junior Cycle be carried out. As part of their review the NCCA has also been asked to identify how the study of History in our schools can be best promoted. A new Council of the NCCA was appointed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. Management bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post primary to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects such as STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish and Home Economics. In response to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: If the Deputy can clarify where she is referring to I will be happy to provide the information requested.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: If the Deputy can clarify where she is referring to I will be happy to provide the information requested.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is the over all policy of my Department to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. In the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and in this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is the over all policy of my Department to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. In the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and in this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department has spent €2,375,944.00 on prefabricated accommodation, at primary and post primary schools, in counties Laois and Offaly since 2016. As requested, the information is also provided in tabular form. Accommodation Laois/Offaly County 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total Offaly €400,349.17 €224,457.89 €489,558.65...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy, in relation to the school to which he refers, that officials from my Department have been in contact with the relevant school authority regarding its application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme. Additional information has been requested from the school in respect of this application. When this information is submitted, the application will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: One of the broad objectives of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for primary schools states that the SPHE curriculum should enable the child to develop a sense of safety and an ability to protect himself/herself from danger and abuse. The SPHE curriculum is divided up into strands and strand units for each two-year class grouping (junior and senior infants, first and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Insurance Costs (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is aware of issues relating to rising insurance costs in some special schools which have been brought to my Department’s attention, through correspondence received from a number of special schools, including St Teresa’s Special School, and through discussions with the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education (NABMSE). Officials from my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Funding (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that officials from my Department have been in contact with the school to which the Deputy refers to clarify the position with respect to recently approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. The school will be required to revert to my Department's Planning and Building Unit prior to entering into a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I want to assure the Deputy and Parents that concerns regarding a shortage of appropriate school places for next September are being taken very seriously. My Department Officials and the NCSE are actively engaging with local schools and school patron bodies to address this urgent and important issue. Ensuring that every child has a suitable placement available to them from September is a key...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes. It is open to any school to make application to the National Council for Special education (NCSE) to establish a special class. The NCSE, an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special...