Results 2,781-2,800 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can inform the Deputy that in 2017 my Department introduced a new model to support pupils with special educational needs. This means schools are now front-loaded with additional teachers to enable them to respond to pupil needs, rather than requiring an assessment to allow them to apply for such additional resource.  This reduces the administrative burden on schools as schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Eligibility (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model, for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS programme. All schools at both Primary and Post Primary level are being assessed using this new methodology based on their enrolments from 2018/19 and the latest data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Supply (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The benefits of increasing diversity in the teaching profession are recognised by my Department. The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education published in 2015 has as its overall vision the goal of ensuring that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 78 together. The current status of projects being delivered is listed on a county by county basis on my Department’s website at www.education.ie and updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction. Funding is available to school projects...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, the provision of new accommodation for the schools in question is included in my Department’s capital programme.  The project to provide this school accommodation requires the acquisition of a suitable site and this has proved to be extremely challenging to date, despite the best efforts of my Department and of officials in Donegal County Council. I can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: As Minister for Education & Skills, I am committed to continuing the process of investing in our higher education system and to the development and implementation of a sustainable funding model for the sector.  The Government's commitment to investment in higher education is clearly demonstrated by the scale of investment in higher education over recent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: In the case of all new schools, it is general practice to include a Special Education Needs Base (SEN Base) in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless local circumstances indicate that it will not be required. Typically, a two classroom SEN Base is provided in new primary schools and a two or four classroom SEN Base is provided in new post primary schools.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (19 Nov 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: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: Currently, almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn is invested in supporting children with special needs.  Since 2011 investment in Special Education supports has increased by 50%, which is significantly above the 7% increase in total student numbers over the same period. As a result the numbers of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that I met with my Officials to discuss third level funding requirements in the context of Budget 2020 and in relation to the development of a sustainable funding model for higher education.  Following the further planned increases in higher education spending for 2020 announced in the recent Estimates, planned current spending on higher education for 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: Considerable work has been done in the development of curricula on digital literacy. At both primary and post-primary levels considerable scope for building the capacity of students in the area of digital literacy is provided for through the emphasis on dispositions, competencies and skills as foundational elements of the curriculum. Specifically, in the newly introduced Framework for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: Safety is the number one priority for my Department since the structural and fire safety issues, which are the subject matter of the Deputy’s Parliamentary Question, arose and I am pleased to be able to inform him that significant progress has been made on the remediation programme for the 40 schools involved. A substantial programme of remediation work took place during the summer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies. Operational matters, including in relation to building management, health and safety, and staff accommodation, are a matter for each institution. The issues raised by the Deputy are therefore a matter for the management of TU Dublin.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school referred to by the Deputy were allocated a devolved grant for prefabricated accommodation in October 2018 under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme which will enable the school authority deliver 5 x Mainstream Classrooms, En-suite Toilets, Shower Area & Staff Toilets, Multi-sensory room, 3 x Small Safe Places, Storage, Staff Room & Office/Administration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers has been approved one mainstream classroom and one ASD classroom under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018.  The school obtained planning permission without first getting authorisation to proceed to planning stage, which is a condition of the Additional Accommodation scheme, and included unapproved works in this planning application. On that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated a devolved grant for prefabricated accommodation in October 2018 under my Department Additional Accommodation Scheme which will enable the school authority deliver 5 x Mainstream Classrooms, En-suite Toilets, Shower Area & Staff Toilets, Multi-sensory room, 3 x Small Safe Places, Storage, Staff Room &...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that approval has been granted to appoint a new specialist to enable the contractor to carry out the preparatory work necessary to proceed with the repair works. This includes the final steps in the preparation of a method statement for the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) to allow it to carry out the first phase of these works....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (19 Nov 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The provision of education for children with special needs, including those with Autism, is an ongoing priority for Government. Currently, almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn is invested in supporting children with special needs. Since 2011 investment in Special Education supports has increased by 50%, which is significantly above the 7% increase in total student numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Insurance Costs (19 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is aware of issues relating to very significant increases in insurance costs in some special schools, through correspondence received from some special schools, discussions with the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education (NABMSE) and media reports. These increases appear due, in some instances, to an annual increase in insurance costs...