Results 2,041-2,060 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application, from the school in question, for capital funding under the 'Additional School Accommodation Scheme'. This application will be assessed and on completion a decision will issue directly to the school authority.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legal Costs (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 282 and 310 together. The Department does not comment on individual cases. My Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. No new post-primary schools are currently planned for the South County Tipperary -Clonmel School Planning Area. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (13 May 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: My Department's practice has been to respond to the needs of long term or repeat child in-patients in hospitals and HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) facilities through the establishment of special schools or through the funding of part-time teaching hours. The purpose of educational provision in HSE CAMHS Units is a short term intervention designed to provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: In 2019 my Department spent in the region of €125 million on the 890 schools participating in the programme and serving in excess of 185,000 children. The full list of supports available to DEIS schools is available on my Department's website at the following link A 20% increase in this current level of funding would cost in the order of €25million for a full school year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Private Schools (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: Gross expenditure on the order of €96 million is incurred by the Department of Education and Skills on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants (including employer’s PRSI) in fee-charging schools. If the parents of children in the fee-charging sector chose to send their children to the non-fee-charging sector, the State would have to fund those school places. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's Capital Programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). The project brief is being determined along with the preparation of the Brief Formulation Report with a view to advancing the project into the architectural planning process as soon as possible. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Teaching Council is responsible for setting the standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes through the review and accreditation of all ITE programmes. The Gaeltacht placement is a mandatory component of primary initial teacher education programmes, in accordance with the Teaching Council’s Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers of Initial Teacher Education....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2020 has provided for improved teacher staffing levels for small schools. This measure will see a more favourable pupil teacher ratio in small schools from September 2020. This improved schedule will apply in two, three and four teacher schools and ensure one less pupil is required to retain/recruit a teacher. This has been implemented in the recently published Circular 0018/2020...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I wish to inform the Deputy that an official from my Department's payroll division has contacted the teacher concerned directly and answered her query. For the Deputy's information, substitute teachers that are filling in for a scheduled leave absence will continue to be paid provided the leave absence and the substitution claim are entered on the OLCS system by their school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The delivery of a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education & Training Board (KWETB). The Stage 1 (preliminary design) process has recently been completed and the project has commenced Stage 2A (detailed design).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The NDFA is currently undertaking the second phase of the process of appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects. This process will involve a number of call-off competitions for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The NDFA is currently undertaking the second phase of the process of appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects. This process will involve a number of call-off competitions for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The major project for the construction of the new school building for the school referred to by the deputy is at an advanced stage of the tender process and my Department is currently awaiting the return of the supplementary tender report. Subject to no issues arising and contingent upon the current restrictions being lifted, it is envisaged that construction should commence following the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The joint project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of the tender process. My Department is currently awaiting the return of the supplementary tender report. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that construction will commence once the tender process has been finalised and the project is expected to take approximately 22 months to complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: A project under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018 has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. This project provides for two general classrooms with ensuites, two special education needs classrooms and a WC for Assisted User to replace existing prefabricated accommodation. The works referred to by the Deputy were not approved by the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: After it was announced on 10th April that schools would remain closed until further notice, I announced that the June Junior Cycle State Examinations would be replaced with school-based examinations and assessments to be held early in the new school year. On 29th of April I announced details of the school-based assessment and reporting arrangements for students who are concluding Junior Cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: After it was announced of 10th April that schools would remain closed until further notice, I announced that the June Junior Cycle State Examinations would be replaced with school-based examinations and assessments to be held early in the new school year. On the 29th of April I announced details of the school-based assessment and reporting arrangements for students who are concluding Junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools. I have spoken to a number of secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised. In Budget 2020 I increased the number of secretaries and caretakers in certain schools, allowing schools with enrolments of 500-625 to fill secretary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (13 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: My Department engages on an ongoing basis with officials in the Department of Justice & Equality and TUSLA Education Support Service (TESS) in relation to education issues arising from the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees. For the past number of years, the Department has seconded an official to the Department of Justice and Equality to support the...