Results 3,121-3,140 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is important to ensure that appropriate governance arrangements are in place for transparency and accountability in the management of public money. As the Deputy will be aware, Section 18 of the Education Act 1998 requires all Boards of Management to keep accounts that are properly audited or certified in accordance with best accounting practice. All Boards of Managements of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Riachtanas Speisialta (24 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Leagtar amach i gciorcláin 52/2019 agus 53/2019 maidir le díolúintí ó staidéar a dhéanamh ar Ghaeilge gur maidir le scoileanna lán-Bhéarla amháin a bheidh feidhm ag na socruithe athbhreithnithe agus, dá bhrí sin, ní bheidh feidhm a thuilleadh ag díolúintí ó staidéar a dhéanamh ar Ghaeilge maidir le...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Gaeilge (24 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Mar is eol don Teachta Dála, tá Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010 – 2030 i bhfeidhm ag an Rialtas cheana féin.  Is é aidhm na físe atá leagtha amach sa straitéis sin ná úsáid na Gaeilge agus an t-eolas ar an nGaeilge mar theanga phobail a mhéadú ar bhonn incriminteach agus a chinntiú go mbeidh an oiread...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Therapy Services (24 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services was introduced for the 2018/19 school year. The demonstration project has been developed by a Working Group which includes representatives from the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (24 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: My officials have been advised by the awarding authority that the student in question was awarded the full non-adjacent rate of student grant. Payments for the maintenance grant to the student commenced in late September.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases Data (24 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The number of financial settlements reached by the Department of Education & Skills and statutory bodies within its remit, and the number which included confidentiality clauses in the last five years is included in the table.  The Deputy may wish to note that the information set out in the table is not routinely compiled by my Department and that the management of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas don Teachta as ábhar seo na Saincheisteanna Tráthúla a ardú. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and also thank her, along with her constituency colleague, Deputy Cowen, for meeting Mr. Frank Brennan and Ms Denise Cole. It was a brief meeting but the message was direct and they certainly put on record the importance of this issue. We are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I acknowledge again Mr. Frank Brennan and especially Ms Denise Cole in the special school, who is an advocate of long-term sustainable planning within her school. That will be the focus of the request. The situation has changed, as the Deputy outlined, and will be a factor in the decision. We will make a decision quickly. On the Deputy's second point on Edenderry, I will get my officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Animal Experimentation (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Research work carried out on laboratory animals is performed under conditions as laid out in S.I. 543 of 2012 and associated Directive 2010/63/EU, and the research takes place under authorisations granted by the Health Products Regulatory Authority. An animal welfare body (AWB) assesses research projects in terms of impact on animal welfare, and research protocols are approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In the current school year, the numbers employed in our schools have reached the highest ever level. Over 1,300 additional posts in schools have been funded, including more than 370 teaching posts to cater for growth in student population and additional special classes. This builds on the Budget 2018 measure which provided a one point improvement in the staffing schedule in primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Professional Development (23 Oct 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: Capitation Grants (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: This government has increased the capitation grant in each of the last two budgets. I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased to have been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on last years 5% increase in capitation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vaccination Programme (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that provision for the administration of vaccines and any issues arising, is a matter for the Department of Health in the first instance. The Deputy may wish to contact my colleague, the Minster for Health directly in this regard. The policy of my Department is to inform schools of any changes or updates regarding the school vaccination programme as advised by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I refer to the Deputy's recent correspondence regarding Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools.  Access to relationship and sexuality education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, importantly, in consultation with parents and having regard to the ethos of the school. Curricular provision for Social Personal Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Gaeltacht placement is really important as an immersive Irish language experience for student teachers. It is improves their communicative competence in Gaeilge, in the context of their future role as teachers of Irish and other subjects through Irish. It also enhances their understanding of life and culture in the Gaeltacht and the reality of life in bilingual communities.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government.  Currently, we spend almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn on supporting children with special needs. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels and so too is the number of children receiving support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: These issues are being dealt with under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme. In that context, approval was given recently for works to take place under the scheme. At the same time, the school is progressing with its application for works under the Additional Accommodation Scheme. Officals from my Department have been in contact with the school recently in that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) offers places at reduced points to school leavers from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Admissions under the HEAR scheme are regulated by the institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the schemes, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places. The HEAR scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) Detailed Design which includes the application for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents.  All statutory approvals have been secured. At a recent meeting with the schools, their design team...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2019 provided for 950 additional SNA posts. To date over 900 of these posts have been allocated with the remainder expected to be allocated by the end of the year. By the end of this year, there will be up to 15,950 SNAs working in our schools, an increase of over 51% since 2011.   Budget 2020 has provided for 1,064 additional SNAs posts which will bring the total...