Results 10,141-10,160 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I acknowledge again Mr. Frank Brennan and especially Ms Denise Cole in the special school, who is an advocate of long-term sustainable planning within her school. That will be the focus of the request. The situation has changed, as the Deputy outlined, and will be a factor in the decision. We will make a decision quickly. On the Deputy's second point on Edenderry, I will get my officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Animal Experimentation (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Research work carried out on laboratory animals is performed under conditions as laid out in S.I. 543 of 2012 and associated Directive 2010/63/EU, and the research takes place under authorisations granted by the Health Products Regulatory Authority. An animal welfare body (AWB) assesses research projects in terms of impact on animal welfare, and research protocols are approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In the current school year, the numbers employed in our schools have reached the highest ever level. Over 1,300 additional posts in schools have been funded, including more than 370 teaching posts to cater for growth in student population and additional special classes. This builds on the Budget 2018 measure which provided a one point improvement in the staffing schedule in primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Professional Development (23 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: Capitation Grants (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: This government has increased the capitation grant in each of the last two budgets. I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased to have been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on last years 5% increase in capitation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vaccination Programme (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that provision for the administration of vaccines and any issues arising, is a matter for the Department of Health in the first instance. The Deputy may wish to contact my colleague, the Minster for Health directly in this regard. The policy of my Department is to inform schools of any changes or updates regarding the school vaccination programme as advised by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I refer to the Deputy's recent correspondence regarding Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools.  Access to relationship and sexuality education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, importantly, in consultation with parents and having regard to the ethos of the school. Curricular provision for Social Personal Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Gaeltacht placement is really important as an immersive Irish language experience for student teachers. It is improves their communicative competence in Gaeilge, in the context of their future role as teachers of Irish and other subjects through Irish. It also enhances their understanding of life and culture in the Gaeltacht and the reality of life in bilingual communities.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government.  Currently, we spend almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn on supporting children with special needs. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels and so too is the number of children receiving support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: These issues are being dealt with under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme. In that context, approval was given recently for works to take place under the scheme. At the same time, the school is progressing with its application for works under the Additional Accommodation Scheme. Officals from my Department have been in contact with the school recently in that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) offers places at reduced points to school leavers from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Admissions under the HEAR scheme are regulated by the institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the schemes, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places. The HEAR scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 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 Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents.  All statutory approvals have been secured. At a recent meeting with the schools, their design team...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2019 provided for 950 additional SNA posts. To date over 900 of these posts have been allocated with the remainder expected to be allocated by the end of the year. 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.   Budget 2020 has provided for 1,064 additional SNAs posts which will bring the total...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government.  Currently, we spend almost 20% of the total Education Vote of €1.9bn on supporting children with special needs. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels and so too is the number of children receiving support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the deputy that an application for External Environmental Projects under my Department's multi annual Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2020 onwards was submitted by the school authority in question.  I wish to advise that commensurate with the level of funding available for Summer Works in 2020, applications will be assessed on a top down basis in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Fee Exemptions (23 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: Teaching Qualifications (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Management bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post-primary level to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects (STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish and Home Economics, in particular).  In response to the Deputy’s question, I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Eligibility (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is designed to allow schools, on a devolved funding basis, to carry out necessary improvement and refurbishment works that will upgrade existing school facilities. Works such as refurbishment projects and roof repairs are funded under this scheme. As the Deputy is aware, I announced the application...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The position is that Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, Technological Universities Act 2018 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. Under the terms of these Acts, the governance and day-to-day management of these institutions are matters for which the Governing Bodies and the management of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved the construction of a two classroom SEN Base under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2019 for this school. The preliminary design submitted to my Department by the school’s design team included unapproved works.  The school also obtained planning permission without first getting authorisation to proceed to planning...