Results 4,601-4,620 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: In the 20-Year strategy for the Irish Language - Action Plan 2018-2022, the Department of Education and Skills is the lead organisation on the action to provide opportunities to support the expansion of Irish-medium education in areas outside the Gaeltacht in the context of the establishment of 42 new schools in the period 2019 to 2022. In this regard, consideration is afforded to...

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

Joe McHugh: The 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. The project will provide new build, extension and refurbishment which will bring the school accommodation up to 16 mainstream classrooms and a 2-classroom Special Educational Needs Base. This...

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

Joe McHugh: The delivery of a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education & Training Board (KWETB).  KWETB is in the final stages of the process of appointing a design team for this project. It is expected that this process will be completed by the end of June.

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

Joe McHugh: The process of Pre-Qualification of contractors for the project in question is underway.  The Pre-qualification process culminates in the compilation of shortlists of suitable candidates for each respective discipline. My Department has recently authorised the Design Team to complete the pre-qualification process. When the Pre-Qualification process is completed the project...

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design. The pre-qualification process to select a shortlist of suitable contractors has been completed and the Design Team is currently carrying out a final review of tender documentation. Once this work is complete, my Department will be in contact with the Board of...

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

Joe McHugh: Tender documents for the completion of the remaining works for the project to which the Deputy refers have issued to the seven shortlisted contractors. The extended deadline for the return of these tenders is today. It is expected that a tender report will be issued to the Department shortly in that context with a view to having a Letter of Intent ready to issue by the end of...

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

Joe McHugh: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education & Training Board. We understand from KWETB that tenders have been invited from the shortlisted contractors and the closing date for receipt of same has been extended to 21st June 2019.  It is expected that a Tender Report will be issued to the Department...

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school in question is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design which includes the application for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents.  All statutory approvals have been secured. The Design Team is currently in the process of compiling a...

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

Joe McHugh: I can inform the Deputy that the direct full-year cost of employing 16 additional psychologists (pay and non-pay) to my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) would be an estimated €1.2m.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware Caranua ceased to accept applications for support from former residents on 1 August 2018.  Since then, the organisation has been processing applications it has on hands. Under section 29 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 contributions from religious congregations towards Caranua are capped at €110 million. To date a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Based on the information currently available to me it appears unlikely that there will be any significant balance of unspent funds remaining on the dissolution of Caranua. The position will however be kept under review and, if required, provision will be made in legislation for the usage of any remaining unspent funds.

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

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that 439 schools have been constructed since 2009. My Department does not hold details of the number of schools constructed prior to 2008. There are a total of 3,962 primary, special and post primary schools in the education system.

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

Joe McHugh: In the National Development Plan (2018-2027) €2.5bn is identified for the refurbishment and construction of schools. Part of this is intended for a deep energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008.  As this scheme is currently in a pilot phase it is not currently open to schools to apply for inclusion. My Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland...

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

Joe McHugh: The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme – A New School Inclusion Model to Deliver the Right Supports at the Right time to Students with Additional Care Needs was published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on 30 May 2018. The review found that the SNA scheme was working really well particularly for younger children and for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Places (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Having relatively high minimum entry requirements in core subject areas of Irish, English and Mathematics is one of the key policy levers that help ensure quality teaching and learning in primary schools.  The 2011 Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and subsequent review identified the need to raise standards of achievement and included decisions to raise the entry requirements in the core...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has issued a reply to this Parliamentary Question directly to the Deputy.

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's capital programme. A preferred site for the school has been identified and negotiations are ongoing at present. Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time.  I can assure the Deputy that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (11 Jun 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the Digital Strategy for Schools, each school is expected to draw up a Digital Learning Plan using a whole school approach and taking account of its context and circumstances. Support and guidance for schools on developing their Digital Learning Plan can be found at . Direct school support is also available through the professional development support services for teachers (PDST) in...

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

Joe McHugh: Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is a matter for the Board of Management of each school. Where the introduction of digital devices is planned, consultation with members of the school community including parents is advised. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made. It is...

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

Joe McHugh: Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by the NCCA, the decisions on which textbooks to use, if any, in primary and post-primary schools are taken at school level. My Department does not generally approve, commission, sponsor or endorse educational textbooks or other materials.  The only requirement from the Department, on any resource used in a school,...