Results 3,281-3,300 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2020 provides the fourth successive year of major reinvestment in our education and training system as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, our plan to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026.  In 2020, the budget for the Department of Education and Skills will increase by €360 million, a 3.4% increase on last...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I fully recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools. 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 budget 2019. In addition to the increase in standard capitation, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Data (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a new site is required for the replacement building for the school in question and my Department has commenced the site identification process. In line with protocols for the use of State property assets, my Department has written to the Department of Defence enquiring if the Department is in a position to provide a site that could be suitable. My Department has also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Department’s capital budget for 2020 should be considered in the context of an increase of over 26% between 2018 and 2019 (€745m in 2018 rising to €941m in 2019). Also, the value achieved from the disposal by TU Dublin of its Kevin Street property, the sale of which closed in August, means that the Department no longer needs to set aside a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs. This includes the establishment of special class and special school placements in various geographical areas where the NCSE identifies need. The NCSE have well established structures to consult with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (17 Oct 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 school secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised. In Budget 2020 I increased the number of secretaries in certain schools, allowing schools with enrolments of 500-625 to fill secretary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Curaclam Scoile (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I mí na Samhna na bliana anuraidh d'iarr mé ar an gComhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta (CNCM) athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an stair a bheith ina hábhar roghnach faoin gCreat nua don tSraith Shóisearach. D'iarr mé freisin ar CNCM a fháil amach cén tslí is fearr chun staidéar ar an stair inár scoileanna a chur...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Small Schools (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2020 has provided for improved teacher staffing levels for schools with four teachers or less.  This measure will see a more favourable pupil teacher ratio in small schools from September 2020.  This improved schedule will apply in two, three and four teacher schools and ensure one less pupil is required to retain/recruit a teacher. In addition, Budget 2020 is the third...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has recently completed Stage 2(b) of architectural planning and has been progressed to tender stage. A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete. The estimated construction duration for this project is 18 months.  In regard to the site acquisition, good progress is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has recently completed Stage 2(b) of architectural planning and has been progressed to tender stage. A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete. The estimated construction duration for this project is 18 months. The Deputy may be aware that the outcome of the re-commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Small Schools (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Rural schools make up the majority of our primary school sector: nearly 2,000 out of just over 3,100 schools. As such, I fully recognise their value to communities right across the country. They provide a vital link to local heritage and history, help sustain rural populations and often act as a link for sports and social activity. The majority of rural schools (over 1,200) are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Regulations (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that the Department commenced a programme of structural assessments in over 40 schools built by the company in late October last year.  At that time, a part of 1 school building was closed, immediate precautionary measures were put in place in 22 schools, with the remaining 17 schools not requiring immediate precautionary measures pending further detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Considerable work has already 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Rinneadh an cinneadh le deontais do shocrúcháin Ghaeltachta a stopadh le linn na géarchéime eacnamaíochta nuair a bhí gá, ar an drochuair, le cinntí an-deacair a dhéanamh chun airgead an náisiúin a chobhsú. Mar sin féin, thuig mé go maith an dúshlán atá ann do mhic léinn i dtaca le costas an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department administers a number of grants which together aim to improve and maintain school buildings and which can be used to address the issues raised. My Department's Emergency Works Grant is one such source of funding and its purpose is solely for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The development and financing of purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) in the University sector is a matter for the Universities themselves. Since the publication of Rebuilding Ireland in July 2016 2,508 PBSA bedspaces have been completed or are under construction within the universities.  There are an additional 3,100 bedspaces either within the planning process or at plans granted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Global Rankings (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The private higher education ranking systems, of which there are many, each monitor different aspects of international higher education institutions.  In the most recent set of rankings (Times Higher Education global rankings) two Irish universities ranked lower than last year while three maintained and two increased their ranking band. Each of the systems award...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In terms of current projects at Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, 19 projects have recently been approved to Stage 2(b) and are at this latter stage of architectural planning for less than 1 year, 28 such projects have been progressing through the stage from 1-3 years, 15 projects have been progressing from 3-5 years, 8 further projects have been progressing from 5-7 years and...