Results 10,081-10,100 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Starting Age (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In accordance with the Education Welfare Act, 2000 the compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age and the Rules for National Schools provide that a child must be at least 4 years of age before he/she may be enrolled in a National School.  Under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 parents are responsible for making sure their child receives an education....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to inform the Deputy that submissions received from the groups in question were acknowledged and were forwarded to my officials for consideration. As the Deputy is aware the decision making authority for any amalgamation is the Patron/Trustees of the schools, and this is subject to the approval of my Department. Any proposed change involves...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Since my appointment as Minister for Education and Skills I have met with a number of Teaching Principals and I appreciate the pressures they face. Earlier in the year, I hosted a symposium on Small Schools which gave me an opportunity to restate the Government’s commitment to small schools and to open a dialogue with all the key stakeholders. The purpose of this work by the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In the schools PPP projects, a PPP company is contracted to provide a range of services at the schools, including caretaking, fire safety, security, cleaning and maintenance, during the standard school year, typically between 8am and 6pm.  The PPP company’s contract price also includes an allowance for such services to be provided at the discretion of the school principal for out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Department of Education and Skills has not funded any individual capital projects costing more than €100 million and that were completed during the period 2015 to date.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The vast majority of individual capital  ;projects funded by the Department have a capital value of less than €100 million.  There are currently three projects in the higher education sector approved/approved in principle for funding by the Department that have an estimated total project cost of greater than €100 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under my Department's Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2019. To satisfy the terms and conditions in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large building projects, including those in Maynooth Co. Kildare being delivered under the school building programme is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140, 142 to 145, inclusive, 147 and 148 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. Major...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under project Ireland 2040. I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large-scale projects being delivered under project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelcholáistí Issues (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In relation to the planned new Gaelcholáiste to which the Deputy refers, the school patron, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, had deferred the opening of this new school from September 2019 to September 2020 for operational reasons. The ETB has indicated that a high number of expressions of interest for September 2020 have been received and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (22 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: Summer Works Scheme Applications (22 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that an application for External Works (Category 10) has been received from the school authority in question, under my Department's previous multi-annual Summer Works Scheme.  Schools that previously applied for category 10 works (External Works, e.g. upgrade and resurfacing of yards and car parking, etc.) were exempt from applying...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (22 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. Home tuition is not an alternative to a school placement and is provided in very limited and specific circumstances. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention. Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (22 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The purpose of my Department’s Assistive Technology Scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013, is to provide grant-aid to schools to allow them to purchase the type of specialist equipment which has been recommended by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as being essential for students who have been diagnosed as having a serious physical disability...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (22 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Further to the information which I provided in July 2019 relating to the island allowance the Deputy will be aware of the background to this situation which arose in 2012 following the need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure including a review of public service-wide allowances and premium payments. At that time any person who was in receipt of the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (22 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: 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 additional allocations,...

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

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) (Detailed Design) which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. The Design Team is  currently working on completing a revised Stage 2(b) report for submission to the Department for review. Upon...

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has recently completed Stage 2(b) of architectural planning and has been progressed to tender stage. A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (22 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. The National council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent statutory body whose functions include planning and co-ordinating...