Results 8,461-8,480 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Facilities (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment of existing school buildings to include the building and modernisation of PE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Expenditure (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The STEM Education Policy Statement was launched in November 2017, spending by the Department of Education and Skills on STEM initiatives and CPD in Primary and Post-Primary schools since then is as follows: - The spending for STEM CPD by JCT and PDST was €4,986,574 for 2018 and €3,557,590 for 2017 - The spend to schools in grant funding for the STEM cluster projects was -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that last October and November my Department carried out initial investigations into 42 schools where structural defects had been identified. 22 required precautionary measures to enable continued safe occupation. Following on from the initial investigations, which were based on sample opening up works, my Department initiated a second phase of detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning – Stage 2b (Detailed Design) which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. The Stage 2b report has been reviewed by my Department and comments have issued from my Department which the Design Team will include in its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: To apply for an exemption from the study of Irish, a written application for the exemption should be made by the parent or guardian to the school principal on behalf of their child. The application should state the reasons why the exemption is being sought. A child will only be considered for an exemption where his/her educational circumstances come within the provisions of the post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health and Social Care Professionals Regulation (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Coru is the government body responsible for the regulation of health and social care professionals in Ireland. Regulation under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 is managed through the protection of professional titles rather than by restricting practice. The Department of Health has proposed the designation of the professions ‘Counsellor’ and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b (Detailed Design). The Stage 2(b) submission has been reviewed by my Department and comments have issued to the school and its Design Team. The Design Team is currently working on a submission to my Department outlining the steps required to achieve compliance with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 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 30th September. However, the staffing arrangements for primary schools includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 May 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 schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements. The NCSE team of Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is currently reviewing special needs provision in Cork and are meeting with Enable Ireland shortly in this regards. It is in this context that the accommodation needs of the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered. If the school in question has an immediate emergency it is open to the school authority to submit an application for funding under my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (14 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. My Department recently contacted the school authority who advised that the legal elements associated with the site portfolio are expected to be resolved shortly. My Department awaits further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that a Clerk of Works is appointed on all large scale school building projects, including Major Devolved Projects. In respect of Additional Accommodation Scheme projects, applications for the provision of funding for Clerks of Works are considered on a case-by-case basis. In that respect, there are projects under that scheme that do not have a Clerk of Works appointed or...

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

Joe McHugh: I want to assure the Deputy that concerns regarding a shortage of appropriate school places for next September are being taken very seriously. An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has been engaging with local groups on this issue directly. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has formally advised me that there is insufficient special school and special class capacity in Dublin 15. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: A project to provide new school buildings on a greenfield site acquired by the Department for the schools referred to by the Deputy is included in the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). A project brief has been finalised and my Department is currently considering the optimum means of delivering the accommodation brief on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm for the Deputy it is proposed to accommodate the school to which he refers on an ETB-owned site in Fortunestown Lane, Citywest.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government announced plans in April 2018 for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022) including a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school to be established in September 2020 to serve Citywest/Saggart (Tallaght & Newcastle_Rathcoole school planning areas) as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: A building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The project is currently at Construction Stage with an expected delivery date in Quarter 3 of 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (14 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: Schools Building Projects Status (14 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education & Training Board. Tenders have been invited from the shortlisted contractors and the closing date for receipt of tenders is 7th June 2019. Once the tender process has been completed, construction can be expected to begin on site. At this point, it is not possible to provide an exact and...