Results 8,441-8,460 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: I recognise the very important work done by school secretaries, and indeed by other support staff, in the running of our schools and I am grateful to them for the contribution they make to our education system.  I have spoken to a number of school secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised. Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget Measures (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I cannot comment, or pre-empt any decisions to be taken by Government as part of Budget 2020 at this stage, other than to assure the Deputy that funding for the higher education sector will continue to be a key focus for me and my Department.   The Student Contribution, which currently stands at €3,000, was introduced with effect from the 2011/12...

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

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). My Department has recently advised the patron that the project brief will be finalised shortly. At that point, my Department will be in further contact with the patron who has...

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

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that a major building project, for the school to which he refers, is included in my Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). My Department has recently advised the patron that the project brief will be finalised shortly. At that point, my Department will be in further contact with the patron who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 May 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 2020) to serve the Blanchardstown_West_Dublin15 and BlanchardstownVge_Dublin15 school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide...

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

Joe McHugh: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: 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 these difficulties, the Teacher Supply Steering Group,...

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

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology/specialised equipment is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Clár Foghlamtha Comhtháite Ábhar agus Teangacha (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimhir 59, 60 agus 61 le chéile. D’fhógair mé treoirthionscadal trí bliana bunaithe ar an bhFoghlaim Chomhtháite Ábhar agus Teangacha (FCÁT) mar chur chuige i dtaca le foghlaim na Gaeilge agus Nuatheangacha Iasachta an 23 AIbreán. Beidh an treoirthionscadal á mhaoirsiú ag Grúpa Stiúrtha ar...

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

Joe McHugh: 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 similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 May 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. Authorisation to recommence the pre-qualification process has recently been issued...

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department recently completed a review of provision at post-primary level across the school planning areas in the South Kildare area. My Department is satisfied that the needs in the area can be met through the replacement and expansion of the existing Curragh Post-Primary School with a new 1,000 pupil school building. It is intended that the expansion of the...

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

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers is devolved to the OPW for delivery. I can confirm that the enabling works, involving the re-routing and under-grounding of ESB cables, is expected to be completed in May 2019. I can further confirm that a planning application for PV panels was lodged with Cork County Council on the 4thDecember 2018 and full planning permission in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (9 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually, taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The number of SNAs employed in a school depends on the allocation given to the school by the NCSE, based on its assessment of the...

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

Joe McHugh: All Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are required to be available for a number of days at the start and finish of each school term not exceeding 12 in total. Under the Croke Park Agreement it was agreed to introduce greater flexibility to the use of these 12 days. Accordingly, DES Circular 71/2011 was issued on 15 December 2011 which outlined that these 12 days now equate to 72 hours...

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

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was allocated to St Mary's Primary School, Enfield under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme in 2018 for the provision of a three-classroom ASD Base. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority so it is now a matter for the Board of Management to advance the project.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and I acknowledge the Deputy's intervention with the Taoiseach today. The legacy of sexual abuse against children, whether in residential institutions, in day schools or in any other setting, is appalling. The Government calls on those who have evidence of prior complaint of abuse to bring that evidence forward in an open and transparent...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. When discussing this issue it is difficult to articulate the thoughts and sentiments of people who have experienced it. It is not only that their youths were stolen, what happened has had a massive impact on their adult lives and it continues to impact on them. I take this matter seriously. I await receipt of the former High Court judge,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, in order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Where students do not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy in the previous PQ is being collated currently from the extensive dataset maintained by my Department to manage the Primary Broadband Programme, so as to be in a manageable and meaningful format. This will be forward to the Deputy shortly. As per my previous reply, the policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools...