Results 9,881-9,900 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2020 provides the fourth successive year of major reinvestment in our education and training system as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, our plan to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026.  In 2020, the budget for the Department of Education and Skills will increase by €360 million, a 3.4% increase on last...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Oct 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.  My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified. All school capital projects that have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project for the school  to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB). I can confirm that the Service Level Agreement between my Department and the ETB has been signed and sealed. The ETB has now procured a design team for the project to design the buildings, obtain the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (15 Oct 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: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD). This includes provision for the establishement of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. The opening and retention of a Speech and Language special class is contingent upon the Health Service Executive (HSE) being in a position to provide Speech and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a new school building for the school to which the Deputy refers is included is included in my Department's  School Building Programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan.  Officials in my Department are currently finalising a brief of the school.  The purchase of a prefab was recently approved by my  Department to cater for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The procurement process for a bundle of projects is due to commence in the coming weeks with the publication of a contract notice to determine a shortlist of interested contractors.  The new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of this bundle of projects. The procurement process (and the associated tendering to short-listed contractors) for this bundle of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together. The current qualifying distance of 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant, takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis. The measurement of the distances relating to the award of adjacent or non-adjacent rates of student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project 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 working through the architectural planning process at Stage 2a (Developed Design) where the preferred option design is developed to a stage where the project is fully cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under my Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme approval has been given to the management authority of the school in question for the provision of a 2 classroom SEN Base, 6 mainstream classrooms, GP/Dining area and 1 moderate/mild learning disability classroom and the delivery of this accommodation has been devolved to school authority. In addition the school referred to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table at the link, which outlines the numbers of staff who were recruited into my department via open or interdepartmental competition and staff who retired or resigned between 2014 and 2018 and up to 30 September 2019. In relation to the request for information on retirements, it should also be noted that my department does not lose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Eligibility (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The matter raised by the Deputy relates to pre-school education and childcare.  These matters fall within the remit of my colleagues, the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs.  My Department does not provide funding to pre-school services other than to early intervention for children with Autism.  Supports for childcare, including pre-school education, are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to confirm that my Department received an application for capital funding in 2018 for a new sports hall, from the school referred to by the Deputy.   As the Deputy is aware, under 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: This Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. In schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 to 213, inclusive, together. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project 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 working through the architectural planning process at Stage 2a (Developed Design) where the preferred option design is developed to a stage where the project is fully cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project to deliver a new school building for the school to which the Deputy refers requires the acquisition of a suitable site.  The relevant local authority has been assisting my Department in this regard under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites.  Unfortunately, the site acquisition process has proved extremely challenging to date. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department requested the patron of the College to which the Deputy refers to identify suitable site options.  In response to this request  my Department has recently been provided with one site option which is of of significant scale and cost.  This site option will have to be appraised in a wider context, including in the context of the strategy for the Further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is 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.  A replacement Quantity Surveyor has recently been appointed to the project who is currently working with the Design Team members on the...