Results 9,321-9,340 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department's July Provision Scheme provides funding for an extended school year for students with severe or profound intellectual disabilities and students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The scheme was developed to reduce potential regression in learning associated with these specific categories of special education needs over the summer holidays. The National Council for Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under the Department’s Design and Build programme.  Planning permission has been secured and Tender documentation is currently being prepared.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: There has been a lengthy period of engagement between the schools in Tipperary town and my Department regarding the socio-economic circumstances of the town and the supports required to best meet the needs of their pupil cohort. Following a meeting on 31 July this year, correspondence was issued to the schools involved.  This drew their attention to the School Excellence Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: SUSI implements procedures for the timely, sensitive and confidential handling of exceptional circumstances applications. These include allowing students to repeat periods of study in exceptional circumstances such as the death of a parent. Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can also apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The person referred to by the Deputy is currently in receipt of pension but is not satisfied with the amount of service with an ETB that has been deemed non-pensionable for the purpose of pension calculation.  She met recently with the ETB to query the pensionable status of the service in question and she is not satisfied with the outcome. The position regarding a review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The investment in education and training services in counties Longford and Westmeath under the headings requested by the Deputy are as follows. Special Education  The Department estimates that the average total cost for school years 2016/17 to 2018/19 of special education teachers and special needs assistants is on the order of some €127 million. Given that these payroll...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, as provided for in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 came into effect from 1 January 2013.  There are no plans to introduce a mechanism to enable teachers to revert to their original pension status if they become members of the single pension scheme following a break of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: Following publication of Circular 0013/2018, a further Circular 0062/2018 was published by my Department to remove any ambiguity about how religious education and religious instruction are delivered in those schools. Circular 0062/2018 clarifies that in respect of arrangements for religious instruction that students should only be provided with a place in any religious instruction class...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Data (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: Following publication of Circular 0013/2018, a further Circular 0062/2018 was published by my Department to remove any ambiguity about how religious education and religious instruction are delivered in those schools. Students should only be provided with a place in a religious instruction class where there has been a parental request for admission to that class. Where a parent has made a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Chaplaincy Services Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department allocates chaplain posts to Education and Training Boards (ETB) and Community and Comprehensive schools and colleges. There are currently 156 whole time equivalent chaplain posts allocated to these schools. The annual cost is approximately €9.8m. The appointment of chaplains to these schools flows from the original agreements concluded when the schools concerned were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: Teachers at primary and post primary level have access to a range of continuing professional development programmes and support (CPD) through the teacher support services funded by my Department. This support encompasses human and cultural diversity. The overall remit of the Health and Wellbeing team within the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Sep 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: School Accommodation Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question.  It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA)' which is available at www.education.ie.  I also wish to advise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The major building project will deliver a new part single storey, part two storey and part three storey post-primary school of 6,786sqm to provide general classrooms, specialised classrooms, PE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (6 Sep 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.  The first and full year costs of this increase is €4 million and €10 million respectively. The estimated cost of restoring...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (6 Sep 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.  The first and full year costs of this increase is €4 million and €10 million respectively. The estimated cost of restoring...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together. Budget 2019 marks the third year of a major reinvestment in the education. In 2019, the budget for the Department of Education and Skills will increase by €674 million, a 6.7% increase on last year.  In total, the Education budget will have increased by €1.7 billion compared to 2016. Budget 2019 will see numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297, 300 and 301 together. Since 2015, measures have been introduced to improve the staffing of small schools which has seen improvements in the appointment and retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and more favourable enrolment thresholds for one teacher schools situated 8km or more from the nearest school of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that Budget 2019 marks the third year of a major reinvestment in education.  In 2019, the budget for the Department of Education and Skills will increase by €674 million, a 6.7% increase on last year.  In total, the Education budget will have increased by €1.7 billion compared to 2016. For the current school year, the staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I understand that there is no net saving involved in using newly qualified teachers for substitution work rather than retired teachers.  Both newly qualified teachers and retired teachers who return to work in a substitute capacity are paid the same rate of pay for substitute work. The salary scales and the substitution payment rates applicable to qualified and unqualified teachers...