Results 2,981-3,000 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: The provision of permanent accommodation for the new post primary school to serve Greystones and Kilcoole requires the acquisition of a site by my Department. I can confirm a potential site option has been identified and discussions are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site. It is difficult to indicate a timeframe for any site acquisition as each process is unique...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, an independent review into the governance, HR and financial practices and procedures of the University referred to by the Deputy was undertaken in 2017. The findings of that review resulted in a number of recommendations for implementation by the University, some of which involved certain staff members, including the employee referred to by the Deputy. ...

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 30 September. Staffing arrangements for the 2020/21 school year have not yet been finalised and so it is not possible, at this stage, to confirm a school’s staffing for the 2020/21 school year. The...

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

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that a project to provide permanent accommodation for St. Teresa's Special School is included in my Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan. In order to facilitate this project the acquisition of a permanent site is required. Unfortunately this has proven challenging to date and the proposed acquisition of an...

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

Joe McHugh: Project Progress Reports relevant to school major building projects are required to be submitted to the Department on a monthly basis. In accordance with the Design Team Procedures, the Design Team leader has a particular responsibility to provide monthly reports to both the Board of Management and the Department on progress against the programme and to provide ongoing monthly reports during...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Retention Rates (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Delivery of Equal Opportunities in Schools (DEIS) was introduced to selected schools in the 2006/07 academic year. The first time the retention rate, where a student sits the Leaving Certificate examination, was calculated for DEIS post-primary schools was in 2007. This was for the sixth year of schools with DEIS status in the 2006/07 academic year. The retention rate for DEIS schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (12 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 secretary vacancies...

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

Joe McHugh: In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. A Board of Management may find it necessary to prioritise...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. My Department has received a large volume of correspondence from the person to whom the Deputy refers and has responded to many of the issues raised. My Department is currently engaging with the school, and with relevant stakeholders, including the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), HSE, school patron and trustees, in...

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

Joe McHugh: Higher education is structured and funded in a wide variety of ways and arrangements are highly dependent on the context and circumstances of each individual country. The OECD Report, “Education at a Glance 2019” provides data on the structure, finances and performance of education systems in the OECD countries, and a number of partner countries, and provides data on...

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

Joe McHugh: The building project referred to by the Deputy 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. An application for Planning Permission in respect of the works was submitted to the relevant...

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

Joe McHugh: The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning is the top-level structure which gives policy and direction, and which co-ordinates and oversees the emergency planning activities of all Government departments and public authorities. This task force takes the lead in running the "Be Winter Ready" campaign each year. The Department of Education & Skills is represented on this task...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (12 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department announced yesterday that the Minor Works Grant for the 2019/20 school year will be paid to all primary schools during the first half of December. This follows a commitment under Project Ireland 2040 that the Minor Works Grant will be paid in either December or January of the school year to all primary schools. All primary schools will receive a flat rate Minor Works...

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

Joe McHugh: My Department has received correspondence from the school to which the Deputy refers in relation to a suggested decant proposal during construction. The school has been advised that any proposals in relation to decant would need to be discussed in the first instance with the school’s design team and would then require the submission of a fully costed Brief Change Request by the design...

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project for school to which the Deputy refers is 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. A replacement Quantity Surveyor has been appointed to the project, who is currently working with the Design Team members on the completion of the Stage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (7 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question for the Summer Works Schemes (SWS) 2020 onwards for Category 9, Fabric Defects. Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2020 onwards, all applications will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 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 next few weeks. A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete. In regard to the site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (7 Nov 2019)

Joe McHugh: The school referred to by the Deputy is located in interim accommodation pending delivery of its permanent accommodation as part of my Department's Design and Build Programme. In an interim situation it is not possible to provide the same level of accommodation which will be delivered as permanent accommodation. This may mean that the schools intake in its first few years of operation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (7 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 700 or more to fill caretaker...