Results 8,581-8,600 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school, in question, has recently submitted an application to my Department for capital funding, for a Special Educational Needs Base.  This application is currently under assessment.  As soon as the assessment process has been completed a decision will be relayed to the school authority directly 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, for additional accommodation, at the school referred to by the Deputy. Officials from my Department have been liaising with the school authority in this regard and additional information has been received.  The application is being processed and as soon as the assessment process has been completed the decision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 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 NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, 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.  In the context of progressing the building project, my Department undertook a technical site visit to the school. My Department has advised the school authority that it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that last October and November my Department carried out initial structural assessments into 42 schools constructed by a particular contractor. In 22 of these schools precautionary measures were implemented to enable continued safe occupation and part of the school to which the Deputy refers was closed following the identification of significant structural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Protected Disclosures (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The matters raised by the protected disclosure are still under consideration by my Department. This process has not yet fully concluded.   My Department will write to the Discloser when its consideration of the protected disclosure has been completed.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I was briefed on the meeting last night and I want to put on record my apologies to the staff and students for not being in a position to go as I had a prior engagement that was arranged last October. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position regarding...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: That is absolutely no problem. I agree with everything the Senator said. It is important to reassure members of the public in Inishowen, in particular in Moville, and the student body, that we will work together on this. I put in timeframes that I want to see met. I do not want to delve too much into the termination of the contract of the architect because it is not finalised yet but...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Senator for raising this issue on which we are intensively working. We have a budget of more than €1.9 billion for special needs and a Department budget of €11 billion, which represents quite a substantial injection of money.We have 1,500 SNAs. We got an additional 950 this year. Special classes have increased from fewer than 500 to approximately 1,500 since 2011....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: We have been working on a school inclusion pilot project for Kildare and Wicklow and parts of south Dublin that will involve 75 schools and preschools.That understanding of need at an early stage is critical. Regardless of whatever resources are needed in the aftermath, it has to be done in a comprehensive way whether it involves speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, complex...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position regarding the external precautionary measures remediation works of Ardgillan community college, part of which is closed since last October, following the identification of significant structural issues. No doubt the House will be aware that, in October and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (21 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I would be hoping that we are in a position to have the vast majority of those 22 schools completed by September. Given the significant impact on Ardgillan community college - it was the only school where they had to decamp on a permanent basis - I certainly will ensure that it will be prioritised and ready for September, if possible.Some works in the 22 schools may continue into October but...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I fully recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools. I am pleased to have been able to provide for a 5% increase in capitation funding for primary and post primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2019/20 school year. Over the course of the school year 2019/20, an additional €10 million will be allocated to primary and post primary schools, of which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that my Department has received applications from the schools referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy for the replacement of temporary accommodation. I wish to confirm that my Department remains in contact with the second named school regarding its application and my Department's School Capital Appraisals Section in Tullamore expects to be in a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Despite requests from my Department, the Landlord involved did not want to extend the lease so that the school to which the Deputy refers could remain on their land past the current academic year 2018/2019.  They had required my Department to confirm that the school would vacate the property at end June 2019. Clearly, my Department could not give such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The site acquisition process for the school is now complete. A planning application for the permanent accommodation for the school was lodged in January 2019.  A request for additional information received from the local authority was responded to on 26 April 2019 and a decision is awaited.  The timeframe for delivery of the school will be dependent on the grant of planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that Department officials are working to put a solution for the permanent accommodation for the school in question in place at the earliest possible date.  Engagement with relevant stakeholders, including relevant State bodies, is ongoing in that regard. Unfortunately it is not possible to comment on individual properties at this time but I can assure the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department previously approved capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation at the school in question. The school authority has sought an increase in capital funding to increase the project brief and this application is currently under consideration. My Department will be in contact with the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has recently written to my Department seeking  a review of the schedule of accommodation for the school's building project.  My Department will consider the request and contact will be made with the school authority as soon as this process has been completed. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (22 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 8 classroom primary school to be established in September 2019 to serve the Killester_Raheny_Clontarf school planning area. This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the...