Results 12,121-12,140 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I will rattle through those questions. Deputy Dillon raised the issue of the fifth year post-primary students. It has been raised a number of times in this House and it is something I am conscious of in terms of their own loss. It was not just about the leaving certificate students of 2020; it was the leaving certificate group of 2021. In terms of what we are doing in that instance and...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy. His comments included seven questions. My time might be a bit short but I will give it a go. We are not alone in our ambition to fully open schools. I was on a conference call with ministers from Northern Ireland, France and Denmark yesterday. Their ambition is to fully open schools in the new term. At the end of the day, there will still have to be guidance on...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an dá cheist. Bhain an chéad cheist leis an chostas agus an buiséad chun na bunscoileanna agus na meánscoileanna a oscailt i mí Mheán Fómhair. Tá an ceart aige. Beidh costas níos airde i gceist. Is é sin an fáth go bhfuil comhrá ar bun idir an Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to do so. The Deputy raised a number of issues and asked why we do not have the guidelines today. We do not have them today because the engagement with stakeholders is happening tomorrow. A central ingredient in this process, whether it relates to the junior cycle, cancelling written examinations or calculated grades, was to get buy-in from stakeholders. It has been an...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: What was the question?

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Regarding the safe reopening of schools, at the heart of any decision will be the fact that the advice is clear. The advice we get from NPHET, and the advice we have always been getting, has been based on the safety of our citizens. It will be no different for schools. It will have to be safe and no Minister is going to make a decision that would put students or teaching staff in jeopardy....

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy has raised an important issue, and it is one on which I have had representation from the Acting Chairman, Deputy Lahart, as well as my party colleague, Deputy Brophy. I have asked my officials to give priority to this issue. The Deputy is correct to state that there are ongoing discussions to look at a potential solution. We are still in that space, but I am happy to go back...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for asking these specific questions. His asked when the written leaving certificate examinations will be held. They will be held this year and the earliest possible date for that is November. I stated publicly that I would like those examinations to be held during the Hallowe'en break in October. They cannot be held in August because the calculated grades will not be...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The first matter the Deputy raised was on monetary guarantees. There is going to be a cost involved but I reassure the Deputy that discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are ongoing and before there is any conclusion as to how school reopening will look in September, there will have to be financial commitments from that Department. That will happen. I take the...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I can assure the Deputy that the Department is not stale. There are 1,300 people working there and over the last three months they have been faced with unprecedented challenges. They showed amazing resilience and had the ability to be creative as well. On the issue the Deputy raised in respect of operators outside the Bus Éireann contract, he is correct that it is the Bus...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The matter of external candidates has been raised by several Deputies. External candidates will be asked to opt in. That will be in about two weeks. I advise those candidates that as part of the process of opting in they will have to register an account of how they were being taught, who was teaching them and as much detail as possible as part of opting in. That will feed into the...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Yes, but if it is a registered teacher or a retired teacher, for example, whose registration may have lapsed, they will be in the position. The person will also have to provide data on when the tuition was provided and over what period. Hopefully that is of some help. Many Deputies have raised the retention of teachers. This was a year for the schools to hold onto the teachers but when...

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Acting Chairman for his indulgence. I covered much of it in subsequent interventions. I did attend a virtual meeting of European Ministers for education yesterday where we shared the latest updates and plans for reopening across Europe and the things learned and experienced in other jurisdictions continue to shape the development of our own detailed guidance. We are now...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sports Funding (14 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: 227. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if final approval will be given to a grant for a stadium (details supplied) under the large scale sporting infrastructure scheme; if the matter will be given urgent priority in view of the amount of time that the applicant has waited since the application was made and the merits of the project; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (15 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: 84. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure that the A5 is kept firmly on the agenda at any upcoming North-South Ministerial Council meetings; if projects funded under TEN-T, namely, the Letterkenny to Lifford N14 and the twin towns bypass, remain central to the programme for Government commitment to balanced regional development; and if he will make a...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: Ar dtús báire, gabhaim buíochas le, tugaim aitheantas do agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle ar a ceapachán úr. Chuir sí ionadh mór orm inné. Tá caidreamh maith agus dearfach againn thar na blianta agus muid ag obair ar son na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta, na hoidhreachta, agus an chultúir. Táim cinnte go mbeidh...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: 547. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the summer provision programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19114/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (28 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: 966. To ask the Minister for Health if the appropriate policy is in place for utilising primary health centres for urology procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18313/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (28 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: 967. To ask the Minister for Health the status of progress of the Carndonagh Community Hospital capital investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18316/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cross-Border Health Initiatives (28 Jul 2020)

Joe McHugh: 1045. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider the EU cross border health directive as a vehicle in the short term for funding of amyloidosis; the time frame for the ultimate funding of amyloidosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18906/20]