Results 8,621-8,640 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Supply (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed by schools as teachers. Unqualified personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and only when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted and only for quite limited time periods. Circular 0031/2011 issued by my Department details a cascade of measures for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has no plans to provide additional accommodation for special classes at the school in question and has not received an application for same. As the Deputy will be aware there are currently 2 ASD Early Intervention Class groups in the school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is actively engaged in trying to acquire a site in order to provide a permanent building for the school to which the Deputy refers. Kildare County Council are assisting my Department in this regard and have proposed a site option which is being examined in technical detail at present. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 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, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am delighted to confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers was successful in obtaining grant funding under the 2019 Summer Works Scheme. This project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. I can also confirm that my Department does not currently have any outstanding applications for building works from the school in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: School Placement is a critical part of initial teacher education (ITE) as it enables the student teacher to experience teaching and learning in a variety of contexts, and to participate in school life in a way that is structured and supported. As you are aware, the Teaching Council is the statutory body that sets and upholds the standards for entry to the profession and reviews and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise that my Department has no record of receiving an application for capital funding at the school referred to by the Deputy. It is open to the school authorities to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation' (ASA) scheme where an accommodation deficit is identified. I also wish to advise the Deputy that the Summer Works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently 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. In the context of reviewing the revised Stage 2(b) report submitted to the Department it was noted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently in architectural planning. The school will be delivered under the Department's Design & Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction in the shortest possible timeframe. The design is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 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, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, the project to which he refers is devolved for delivery to Westmeath County Council (WCC). The Deputy will be aware that the latest timeline for completion of the project that was provided by the contractor indicated a completion date of July 2019. WCC has raised a number of concerns with respect to progress on site since that timeline was provided. WCC has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The EU Procurement Directives set the parameters for tendering processes and possible exclusion of contractors from same. The Department of Education and Skills at all times acts in accordance with public procurement legislation. Under the EU Procurement Directives, it is very difficult to exclude a contractor from a tendering process. In terms of future contracts, the Department will at all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 to 105, inclusive, together. The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed by schools as teachers. Unqualified personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and only when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted and only for quite limited time periods. Circular 0031/2011 issued by my Department details a cascade of measures for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The permanent site acquisition process for the school to which the Deputy refers 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. Following receipt of planning permission the project will proceed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circulars 0007/2019 for primary schools and 0008/2019 for post primary schools provide details of how the allocations of Special Education Teachers have been updated for schools from September 2019, based on updated profile data. All schools have now received revised allocations for September 2019. As the re profiling occurred, some schools gained...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I understand from my officials that a placement has been sourced for September 2019 for the child in question. The local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) has been in contact with the parent and remains available to provide advice and/or assistance with regard to special education supports for the child.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding has been approved for the provision of an additional mainstream classroom and en-suite toilets at the school to which she refers. A letter has issued to the school authority in that respect. 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 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, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Facilities (28 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that following consultation with relevant school authorities, Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours were published by my Department in October 2017. These guidelines can be viewed on my Department's website at this link: The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance for schools in relation to the use of school buildings...