Results 4,041-4,060 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0007/2019 for primary schools and 0008/2019 for post primary schools were published in February 2019.  These Circulars set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools.  Since the 2017/18 school year the new Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Data (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can inform the Deputy that the average direct pay and non-pay cost per annum of employing an Educational Psychologist in my Departments NEPS service is €75,000 per annum. The estimated annual additional cost, therefore, of employing 10, 20, 50 or 100 psychologists would be; 10 posts - €0.75m,   20 posts - €1.5m,  50 posts- €3.75m and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. The core allocation in 2018/2019 was €8.1 million.An additional €1m was added to the Fund in 2017 which is specifically ring-fenced for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) will carry out a review of Science in Q3 2019, as this is when the first cohort of students will have completed the course. The new Framework for Junior Cycle presents a dual approach to assessment that supports student learning over the three years of the junior cycle and also measures achievement at the end of those years. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child and Family Agency Staff (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Child and Family Agency comes under the remit of my colleague The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Under Section 19 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs appoints all of the members of the Board of the Agency. I have not spoken to the person concerned in relation to the issues raised or their resignation from the Board of the Child...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Student services, which are an integral part of the whole student experience at third level, support students to achieve their intellectual, cultural and social potential while supporting and complementing the formal academic programme.  Student services can fall under a number of headings, particularly ‘Welfare and Guidance’ which includes counselling...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Data (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: According to SUSI’s records, 77,495 students were paid a SUSI grant in 2017/18 at a cost of €362,900,084. This figure is made up of both maintenance and fee grants. The cost of the maintenance grants in 2017/18 was €167,616,986. Therefore, applying a 1%, 5% and 10% increase to the maintenance grants would cost €1.7m, €8.4m and €16.8m respectively.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Following a request from the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills for an economic examination of the three policy options proposed by the report on future funding of higher education (Cassells report), my Department engaged with the European Commission Structural Support Service throughout 2018 to ascertain the scope for the economic evaluation to be carried out with support from the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: In relation to staff employed directly by the Department of Education & Skills, 19 such staff  have retired to date  and are either in receipt of a pension or their pension is being processed by the National Shared Services Office who has responsibility for pension administration on behalf of staff at my Department. These numbers are broadly in line with Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: Springboard+ which incorporates the ICT skills conversion programme, is a targeted initiative which is used to provide funding for higher education courses aimed at meeting the need for in-demand skills in the economy. Springboard+ supports jobseekers to return to employment and those in employment to upskill or reskill. Springboard+ is funded through the National Training Fund,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Contribution, which currently stands at €3,000, was introduced on a incremental basis from the 2011/12 academic year.  It is important to recognise that there has been no increase in the contribution rate since 2014/15. Based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2017/18 (and were therefore liable to pay the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Strategy: Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life 2011-2020 called for a “learning outcomes” approach...to be incorporated into all curriculum statements at primary level. Since then, the NCCA has embarked on a review of the primary curriculum with language and mathematics being the first areas to be redeveloped using a learning outcomes approach. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Communications (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 312 together. The Department of Education and Skills has issued a total of 285 circulars since 2016 – 81 in 2016, 84 in 2017, 84 in 2018 and 36 to date in 2019. All of these circulars are published on my Department’s website. A number of circulars are issued on an annual basis and thereby amend or replace the previous versions. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Climate Change Policy (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department fully engages in any discussion relating to the Government's Climate Action Plan and will continue to participate in future discussions on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a Request for Tenders for the appointment of a Programme Manager and Design Team for the project has recently been issued by the NDFA. While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a Request for Tenders for the appointment of a Programme Manager and Design Team for the project has recently been issued by the NDFA. While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, the project to which he refers has been devolved to Westmeath County Council (WCC) for delivery. The Deputy will recall from previous answers that the initial delays with the delivery of the project were due primarily to unforeseen ground and weather conditions. However, I can assure the Deputy that I consider that the delays with this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Westmeath County Council (WCC).   The Deputy will be aware that my Department has met and worked closely with the patron and school authorities of both schools to which he refers. Together, they have put in place contingency arrangements to ensure that the needs of the school that has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (11 Jul 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,...

State Ex Gratia Scheme: Statements (10 Jul 2019)

Joe McHugh: It will be 21 years this September since the first time Louise O'Keeffe made contact with the Department. It has been too long and there have been too many words. There is no solace in words today. There is no solace in words for me unless there is action. I understand that because it is not only about Louise O'Keeffe. People in a similar position have been wronged. They have been let...