Results 3,301-3,320 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: The Leaving Certificate Music syllabus states clearly that: ‘Students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to input via electronic instruments (and/or conventional instruments with electronic controllers providing a midi interface) a musical score of at least two real parts.’ Turntables do not allow for the input of musical score, and are therefore not suitable for...

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

Joe McHugh: Very significant levels of financial provision are made to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. My Department currently spends approximately €1.9 Billion or almost 20% of its total current educational and training budget annually on making additional provision for children with special...

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

Joe McHugh: The supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) were established on foot of proposals brought forward by the Labour Relations Commission when the Haddington Road Agreement was being agreed. These supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs continue to operate under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 - 2020, and both unions representing SNAs,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy is aware that my Department officials and I have engaged with City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) in relation to issues concerning youth services. My Department understands that the report referenced in the Deputy’s question is an internal organisational review conducted on foot of an agreement between CDETB and a staffing union relating to resources,...

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

Joe McHugh: The Major Project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Stage 1 of architectural planning which entails preliminary design of site and location suitability and initial sketch scheme. A revised Stage 1 submission, including an up to date cost plan, was requested from the Design Team following an increase in the schedule of accommodation to cater for up to 1200 pupils. That submission...

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware the Comptroller and Auditor General included a chapter in its recently published Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2018 on the purchase of sites for school provision.  As part of its review the C&AG selected the acquisitions of Roslyn Park, Sandymount, Dublin 4; Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6W and Cathal Brugha Street/Marlborough Street, D1 for...

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the deputy 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. All statutory approvals have been secured. The Design Team has confirmed that it is working on finalising the Stage 2(b) Report ensuring the new...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 to 106, inclusive, together. Enabling children with Special Educational Needs including Autism to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for Government. There is now unprecedented investment in special education. The Government is spending nearly one euro in every five of the education budget on special education –...

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

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that in the case of all new schools as well as replacement schools, it is general practice to include a Special Education Needs Base (SEN Base) in the accommodation brief, 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...

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

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

Joe McHugh: On 27 March 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: In the event an educational psychologist at the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is absent due to leave or maternity leave the schools concerned are given access to the Scheme for Commissioning of Psychologist Assessments (SCPA). At the link is a copy of the Scheme for the Deputy's information. ">SCPA Scheme

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments Waiting Times (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department’s Wellbeing Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting wellbeing in education.  It outlines a comprehensive, whole-school approach to the promotion of wellbeing and positive mental health. It focuses on the whole school community, as well as groups and individual young people with identified needs.  Schools promote...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Department of Education and Skills provides for the education of children through the provision of recognised schools. Recognised schools must fulfil a number of conditions regarding curriculum, inspection and other matters. The Irish constitution recognises the family as the primary educator of the child and defines duties and responsibilities for parents and the State in the education...

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

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the Additional Accommodation project at the School to which he refers was approved to proceed to the Planning Application Stage in early October, 2019. As responsibility for the delivery of the project has been devolved to the school, it is now a matter for the Board of Management to advance the project.

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

Joe McHugh: 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. The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that circa 40% restoration will be achieved.  In addition to the increase above the estimated cost of restoring the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements (17 Oct 2019)

Joe McHugh: Universities and institutes of technology, under the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts, are autonomous bodies and, as such, have responsibility for their own academic affairs, including issues relating to the admission of students. Therefore, it is a matter for the institutes themselves to set admissions requirements for individual programmes of education and...

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

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the building project for the school to which he refers is being devolved for delivery to Cavan & Monaghan Educational Training Board (CMETB). The first step in this process is the execution of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between my Department and CMETB. This is currently being arranged. Once the SLA is in place, the...

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

Joe McHugh: Firstly, it is important to clarify that the appropriate term is special class and not 'unit' when referring to the provision of special classes in mainstream schools. 11 special classes for emotional behavioural disturbance, 8 in mainstream primary schools and 3 in mainstream post primary schools will be provided for the 2019/20 school...

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

Joe McHugh: The estimated first and full year cost of permitting ETB, Community & Comprehensive schools with an enrolment of 700 or more to fill Caretaker vacancies provided they have less than 2 is €0.7 million and €2.1 million respectively.