Results 3,641-3,660 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: SUSI does not collate data in the format request by the Deputy. Therefore, it is not possible to cost the increase in the non-adjacent distance criterion from 24km to 30km, 35km and 40km. However, the cost of reversing the change to the distance criteria from 24km to 45km for the student grant is estimated to be in the region of €26m. The above costing assumes that a change to the...

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

Joe McHugh: It is not possible to definitively estimate the full year cost of restoring the SUSI grant scheme to pre-2011 levels. To put it in context, in 2010/11 there were 71,532 students who benefitted from grant support at a cost of €355m, whereas in 2018/19 there were 74,557 students in receipt of grant support at a cost of €363m. In the intervening years we have centralised the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (24 Sep 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: Teaching Council of Ireland (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for the recognition of qualifications obtained by a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pyrite Issues (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Department is fully aware of the pyrite issue in this school and the health and safety issues to which it gives rise. 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 that scheme. At the same time, the school is progressing with its application for works under the Additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Insurance Payments (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the matter referred to by him has been resolved. The information available in my Department has been forwarded to the Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection. There are 120,000 teaching and non teaching and retired staff paid on a fortnightly basis on payrolls operated by my Department. There are up to 20,000 changes to the payrolls...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: There are no unnecessary delays to the payment of teachers on payrolls operated by my Department this September. There are 120,000 payees paid on a fortnightly basis. The process for the payment of an individual teacher is that where a contract is awarded by the managerial authority of a school, application forms are submitted to my Department to enable payment to be set up. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to clarify for the Deputy that all teachers were paid in January 2019. An issue arose at that time in relation to incorrect amounts of income tax being deducted from substitute and part- time teachers. This arose as incorrect end dates were included in payroll submissions reported to Revenue under the changes introduced by the modernization of PAYE. The inclusion of these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (24 Sep 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 in consultation with the relevant stakeholders and the HSE. This includes the establishment of special class and special school placements in various geographical areas where the NCSE identifies need....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: Agreement in principle has been reached with a landowner for the acquisition of a site at Donaghcumper, Celbridge. There are technical considerations crucial to the delivery of the site and my Department continues to engage with the landowner and Kildare County Council on these issues in order to enable architectural planning to commence. I can assure the Deputy that it is a priority for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Relations (24 Sep 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. Earlier this year I relaxed the moratorium for those C&C and ETB schools with enrolments of 700 and more which allow them to employ additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: A building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. This building project will provide a 16-classroom school on the site. A new Design Team had to be appointed as the original brief was for 8 classrooms, but was increased due to greater enrolments. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Appeals (24 Sep 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: State Examinations Appeals (24 Sep 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: Special Educational Needs Staff (24 Sep 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: Schools Site Acquisitions (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that good progress has been made in determining the permanent site location for the school to which he refers. My Department has assessed various site options and has narrowed down its search to one site. Officials are in active engagement with the owner of this site. The location will be confirmed as soon as it is possible to do so.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: The property to which the Deputy refers is in the ownership of Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB. Its suitability for the provision of school accommodation has been assessed and it was determined that the property did not provide a viable solution. On that basis my Department approved a proposal from the ETB to dispose of the property.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (24 Sep 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government announced plans in April 2018 for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022) including a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school to be established in September 2021 to serve the Booterstown, Blackrock & Dun Laoghaire school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide, demographic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (24 Sep 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 Services Staff (24 Sep 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. Earlier this year I relaxed the moratorium for those C&C and ETB schools with enrolments of 700 and more which allow them to employ additional...