Results 2,521-2,540 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (5 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is mandatory in all primary schools and in Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education is mandatory up to and including Leaving Certificate but schools are also encouraged to deliver the SPHE programme in Senior Cycle. SPHE also forms part of the new mandatory 'Wellbeing' area of learning for the Junior Cycle which was introduced in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (5 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating Special Needs Assistat (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The consideration of professional reports is an integral part of determining the extent of supports to be provided for pupils with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that this project has been devolved for delivery to Westmeath County Council (WCC). The Deputy will also be aware that officials in my Department continue to support WCC in its engagement with the relevant contractor on progressing this project, including through a dispute resolution process under the Public Works Contract. The project has been delayed as it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Data (5 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The cost of the maintenance grants in the academic year 2018/19 was €164m. Therefore, applying a 1%, 5% and 10% increase to the maintenance grants the estimated cost would be €1.6m, €8.2m and €16.4m respectively.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Data (5 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: SUSI does not collate data in the format request by the Deputy. Therefore, it is not possible to estimate cost the reducing the non-adjacent distance criterion from 1km to 2km, 10km and 15km. Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for the 2011/12 academic year, including the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Data (5 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 to 129, inclusive, together. The Deputy will be aware that there are various income thresholds used depending on the type of grant, family size etc. While SUSI has statistics on those students who have applied for grant support and can estimate with some degree of certainty, what impact changes to the thresholds might have for those students on lower...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: 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 of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment of existing school buildings, to include the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Consultation Process (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Department conducts public consultations on matters of relevance as the need arises, in consultation with its stakeholders. Consultations are conducted on a national basis in the main. On occasion consultations are held in locations around Ireland. The following table outlines the public consultations held in 2018 and 2019. 2018 Name of Public Consultation Process - list...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Data (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined below in the format requested. Schools that were not funded under the Summer Works Scheme may have received funding for their requested projects under other Department’s schemes such as the Additional Accommodation Scheme or the Emergency Works Scheme or have a major project pending for their school. Scheme Year ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school in question applied for funding under SWS 2020 onwards for 'Roof Works'. As the Deputy is aware I recently announced details of the schools that will receive funding in summer 2020 in respect of applications submitted for 'Life Safety Systems projects'. Commensurate with the level of funding set aside for the Scheme, applications are being assessed on a top down basis in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (4 Dec 2019)

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 staff 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 vacancies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 115, 120 and 121 together. The DEIS programme allows for a reduced class size in Urban Band 1 primary schools with the application of a preferential staffing schedule to these schools of 20:1 at junior classes and 24:1 at senior classes to support those students at the highest risk of educational disadvantage. Schools in the DEIS Urban Band 2 and Rural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Process (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: There is currently one Bill in the Department of Education and Skills awaiting Committee Stage in the Dáil - the Retention of Records Bill 2019. The Bill was published on 28 February 2019 and completed Second Stage on 2 April 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Administration (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has looked into this matter and can advise that the school in question is registered on the Department's system as having a postal address in Co Sligo. We are currently liaising with the school authority in relation to their official title and address. As the Summer Works Scheme is not administered on a county quota basis, my Department will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: The following table provides a list of the photography costs for the Department since 2011. The Department books photographers when there is a requirement to do so for an event. Photographers are chosen based on the nature of the job and estimate received for the job. In addition, Department officials regularly take photographs for use on social media. Date Event ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information Data (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department reports annually to both the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of the Information Commissioner on Freedom of Information activity. The Office of the Information Commissioner publish this data in its annual report and the annual reports up to 2018 are available on the OIC’s website - To date in 2019 the data is as follows: Year ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers was recently approved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for a stand-alone extension to its existing accommodation at the school. This extension will include two general classrooms and a science lab and science preparation area. The project has been devolved for delivery to Cavan Monaghan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (4 Dec 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application, for grant aid, under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme from the school authority in question. Once the assessment process has been completed my Department will contact the school authority directly with a decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Dec 2019)

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). KWETB has appointed a design team for this project. The Design Team will now take the project through the various stages of architectural planning and onwards through the statutory planning requirements and construction. The timeframe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Dec 2019)

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 preparing tender documents for 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...