Results 8,841-8,860 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna (Atógáil) - Commencement Matters (Resumed): Insurance Costs (18 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am working closely with the special schools on this important issue. Approximately €1.9 billion, or almost 20% of the education budget of €11 billion, is spent on special education. There are things we get right, things we miss and things we get wrong. Much of what we do is focused on collaboration. I believe the idea of schools working together as part of a single entity...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As she may 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...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: To reiterate, the Department and the Government are committed to the new post-primary school in the Curragh. I appreciate that when diggers are not on site it can lead to frustration but the commitment is very clear. We will build a new post-primary school. The way politics works, Teachtaí Dála, who are messengers of the people, do their work and raise the issue. I thank the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Contracts (19 Jun 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: Protected Disclosures Data (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: In accordance with Section 22 of the Protected Disclosure Act 2014, my Department has published information on protected disclosures received during 2015, 2016 and 2017 on its website: In summary, in 2015, 3 protected disclosures were received from workers in the Education sector.In 2016, 2 protected disclosures were received from workers in the Education sector. In 2017, 10 protected...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The position is that work is progressing and ongoing with the landowner in question and Kildare County Council in addressing technical considerations crucial to the delivery of the site and the commencement of the legal conveyancing process. Due to reasons of commercial sensitivity I am unable to elaborate further at this point.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: In relation to the planned new Gaelcholáiste to which the Deputy refers, my Department has recently received correspondence from the school patron, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, which sets out that for operational reasons the ETB has decided it is in the best interest of the school communities in the Maynooth and surrounding areas to defer the opening of this new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included on the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan. The accommodation brief for the project is being finalised at present and my Department will be in contact with the school authorities as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment in schools or keeping waiting lists. The NCSE has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that arrangements are in place to undertake refurbishment works during the summer months to a prefabricated unit that is not currently in use. The unit, comprising two rooms, will be ready for occupation for the commencement of the new school year and both schools will then have access to an additional classroom to meet their needs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Funding (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Galway Autism Partnership has been awarded funding by Galway Roscommon Education Training Board for the provision of the Community Education Programme. The funding is provided by SOLAS, the further education authority. Community Education refers to education and learning, generally outside the formal education sector, with the aims of enhancing learning, empowerment and contributing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, in April this year, approval was given to the school to which she refers to carry out refurbishment and other internal works under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme 2019. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority in that respect. It is now a matter for the Board of Management of the school to progress it.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I announced on 27 May that 792 additional SNA posts will be allocated to schools for the beginning of the 2019/20 school year, with up to 130 additional posts expected to be allocated by December 2019. By the end of this year, there will be up to 15,950 SNAs working in our schools, an increase of over 51% since 2011. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The primary school curriculum is designed as an eight year course, including a two year infant cycle followed by six years in standards from first to sixth, with children progressing to the next grade at the end of each school year. The Department is providing considerable support for pupils with learning difficulties in schools. Learning support teachers, resource teachers, special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. After the redeployment processes have transacted, each school is permitted to fill any remaining vacancies through open recruitment. It is open to any suitably qualified teacher to apply for these advertised teaching positions as they arise. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (19 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy for my Department is presented in tabular form below. The Department has three leases in the period under review and details are provided in respect of two of these contracts. The Department is obliged under the terms of the other contract to keep the terms confidential. Details, where available, are presented for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (20 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the Framework for Junior Cycle, the new specification in Mathematics sets a minimum time allocation for the subject of 240 hours over the three years of Junior Cycle. Schools who provide 4 periods a week for each of the three years will meet the minimum requirement of the specification. The earlier Junior Certificate mathematics syllabus (2016) which the new specification replaced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Universities Legislation (20 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 to 103, inclusive, together. Universities are independent and autonomous bodies under the statutory framework set out in the Universities Act, 1997 and on that basis are responsible for the conduct of their day-to-day affairs, including in relation to borrowing activities. The performance of this role is subject to appropriate governance, oversight and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Data (20 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has had a process underway with the higher education sector to compile information on projects delivered for the period since 2008. This process has recently concluded on foot of consultation with the universities and Institutes of Technology. In the context of the above, I am now attaching the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Data (20 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, Universities, Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous bodies as set out in the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Act 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. In that regard, the bodies in question are responsible for their day to day operations, including the procurement of goods and services; provision...