Results 4,561-4,580 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Officials from my Department are looking into this matter and will respond to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the Teaching Council Acts the Teaching Council is, since 2006, the body with statutory authority for the registration of teachers. My Department does not have any direct involvement in the registration of teachers by the Teaching Council. The charging of a registration fee is standard among professional regulatory bodies. The fee for initial registration with the Teaching...

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

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department provides funding toward the provision of furniture and equipment including PE equipment in both primary and post-primary schools. In relation to post-primary schools, where my Department provides a sports hall as part of a building project, the equipment provided forms part of the overall furniture and equipment grant to that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childcare Services Provision (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Ministerial responsibility for the Childcare regulations concerned rests with my colleague Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone T.D.  I understand that it is not expected that the new inspection and regulatory environment introduced for childcare providers will result in an overall reduction in the number of school-age childcare places.  A public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (11 Jun 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 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 Building Projects Status (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am aware of the delays in the project to which the Deputy refers which, as he knows, has been devolved for delivery to Westmeath County Council (WCC).   Significant delays have been experienced in delivering this project.  These arose initially because the contractor encountered bad unforeseen ground conditions together with severe weather events last year. However,...

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

Joe McHugh: I am aware of the delays in the project to which the Deputy refers which, as he knows, has been devolved for delivery to Westmeath County Council (WCC).   My Department has worked closely with the school authorities and the patron of both schools in question to put in place contingency arrangements in the event that the project is delayed beyond September...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Starting Age (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: In accordance with the Education Welfare Act, 2000 the compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age and the Rules for National Schools provide that a child must be at least 4 years of age before he/she may be enrolled in a National School. If children are not in school by 6 years of age the Education Welfare Service must be satisfied that the child is receiving a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can advise the Deputy that an application for funding under the Department's Emergency Works Scheme was submitted by the school to which he refers. This application, to replace its floors, was deemed to be outside the terms of the scheme and was refused.  The correct mechanism for applying for funding for works of this nature is my Department's Summer...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 and 238 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for organising and planning provision for children with Special Educational Needs, including the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools. Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of special classes from 548 in 2011 to 1,459 for...

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

Joe McHugh: In April 2018, my Department approved funding for the provision of one additional classroom and one Special Education Teaching room together with a WC for assisted users at the school to which the Deputy refers. A Stage 2a submission (detailed design) for this project was received in my Department in February, 2019. This was assessed at that time and, following on from this, revised plans and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I fully recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools. In the period 2011 to 2015 the capitation and related grants for schools were reduced by just over 11% in aggregate.   I am pleased to have been able to provide for a 5% increase in capitation funding for primary and post primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2019/20 school year. Over the course of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Tá mo Roinn i mbun anailísiú sonraí i láthair na huaire i gcomhthéacs acmhainní atá le leithroinnt d'fhonn riachtanas a shainaithnítear a mheaitseáil, lena n-áirítear athróga a scrúdú arb eol iad a bheith ina réamh-mheastóirí maithe maidir le míbhuntáiste oideachais.  Tá...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: I recognise the very important work done by school secretaries, and indeed by other support staff, in the running of our schools and I am grateful to them for the contribution they make to our education system.  I have spoken to a number of school secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised. I have recently relaxed the moratorium for those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2012 increased the appointment and retention ratios for small schools, i.e. schools with four classroom teachers or fewer. Since 2015, measures have been introduced to improve the staffing of these schools which has seen improvements in the appointment and retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and more favourable enrolment thresholds for one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the following table. Number of schools with 3 or fewer teachers in 2010, by year of closure Year of Closure Schools Closed Schools Amalgamated Total 2011 3 3 6 2012 7 3 10 2013 4 4 8 2014 6 5 11 2015 6 6 12 2016 3 2 5 2017 2 5 7 2018 3 5 8 Total 34 33 67 School Closure List Roll Number School Name County Number of Teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the following table. The data is given for the 2017/2018 academic year. Data for 2018 is being finalised, and will be available at the end of June. Number of schools by total teaching staff, 2017/2018 Total Teachers (Whole Time Equivalent) Number of Schools 1-7 1,569 8-11 342 12-13 243 14-16 244 17-19 166 20-23 197 24-26 129...

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

Joe McHugh: I announced on 27 May that 792 additional SNA posts will be allocated to schools for the beginning of the 2019/20 school year, with up to 130 additional posts expected to be allocated by December 2019. 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. The National Council for Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff Appeals Mechanism (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. A staffing appeal process is available...