Results 2,961-2,980 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: On 27thMarch I announced the trialling of the School Inclusion Model, a new model of support for students with special educational and additional care needs, which is being piloted in 75 schools in the Kildare/Wicklow/South Dublin region in the current school year. The School Inclusion Model aims to build schools’ capacity and to provide the right supports at the right time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 to 176, inclusive, together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are responsible for the management of the application process for Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support and I will forward the Deputy's questions for their direct reply. The NCSE has published details of SNA allocations for all schools which are available to view on a per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The selection and enrolment of pupils is the responsibility of the management authorities in each individual school. My Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department does not maintain data on the number of desks spaces available, however space utilisation is maximised with the support of the Office of Public Works.  Currently 68% of the staff compliment in my Department are based outside Dublin.  Within our larger offices, Tullamore and Athlone, there is a greater than 100% subscription for the available desk spaces.  A number...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The provision of permanent accommodation for a Post Primary School in Enfield is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. The project is currently at an advanced stage of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The provision of education for children with special needs 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. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels. Nationally, 167 new special classes opened for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September. However, the staffing arrangements for primary schools also includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers opened under the patronage divestment process in 2015 and is currently in interim accommodation pending delivery of the school's permanent accommodation. In this regard, my Department has been liaising with the HSE in relation to the possible provision of the school's permanent accommodation in part of a HSE-owned property. The delivery of permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department are examining all options for interim accommodation for Sept 2020 pending construction of the permanent accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers. My Department is in contact with the landlord with regard to the possibility of extending current arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can advise the Deputy that there are no current busing arrangements for the school to which he refers.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Status Applications (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is a matter for the relevant Institutes of Technology in a technological university (TU) development consortium to lead on the progression of their plans to seek designation as a TU under the Technological Universities Act 2018. In relation to the Technological University for South East Ireland (TUSEI) consortium comprising Waterford Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information Data (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department updates the FOI Disclosure Log at the end of each quarter plus forty working days to allow for extended FOI requests to be decided upon. Therefore the Log was recently updated, in October 2019 and now covers up to Q2 2019. It is provided in tabular format and is easily accessed on my Department’s website. The policy is directly aligned with the guidance provided by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The procurement process for a bundle of projects is due to commence shortly with the publication of a contract notice to determine a shortlist of interested contractors. The permanent building for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of this bundle of projects. The procurement process (and the associated tendering to short-listed contractors) for this bundle of projects will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that approval in principle has been given, to the school in question, for interim temporary accommodation. Officials from my Department are currently liaising with the school authority and are awaiting additional information in order to finalise the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has completed Stage 2(b) of architectural planning and has been progressed to tender stage. The Design Team Leader has advised that it expects to issue the Invitation to Tender to the shortlisted contractors in the coming days. A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete. In regard to the site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. In exceptional cases my Department will consider home tuition applications on behalf of students with diagnoses of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety which has caused...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. I have included a table in relation to capital funding, including devolved grant funding for minor works/equipment renewal, provided by my Department to each Higher Education Institution (HEI) in each of the past ten years. The Deputy should be aware that a number of capital projects, particularly in the university sector, over the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: This major building project is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The project is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured....