Results 4,941-4,960 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Grant Scheme 2019 and the Student Support Regulations 2019 were published on Thursday, 25th April 2019. Both documents are available to view and/or download from the Department's website: SUSI’s online system for the 2019 Scheme is now open. Students attending college in the academic year 2019/20 are required to submit their grant application to SUSI (viawww.susi.ie), to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I met with officials of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in November of last year and asked that a review of the optional nature of history under the new Framework for Junior Cycle be carried out. As part of their review the NCCA has also been asked to identify how the study of History in our schools can be best promoted. A new Council of the NCCA was appointed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. Management bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post primary to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects such as STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish and Home Economics. In response to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: If the Deputy can clarify where she is referring to I will be happy to provide the information requested.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: If the Deputy can clarify where she is referring to I will be happy to provide the information requested.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is the over all policy of my Department to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. In the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and in this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is the over all policy of my Department to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. In the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and in this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of temporary accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department has spent €2,375,944.00 on prefabricated accommodation, at primary and post primary schools, in counties Laois and Offaly since 2016. As requested, the information is also provided in tabular form. Accommodation Laois/Offaly County 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total Offaly €400,349.17 €224,457.89 €489,558.65...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy, in relation to the school to which he refers, that officials from my Department have been in contact with the relevant school authority regarding its application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme. Additional information has been requested from the school in respect of this application. When this information is submitted, the application will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: One of the broad objectives of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for primary schools states that the SPHE curriculum should enable the child to develop a sense of safety and an ability to protect himself/herself from danger and abuse. The SPHE curriculum is divided up into strands and strand units for each two-year class grouping (junior and senior infants, first and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Insurance Costs (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is aware of issues relating to rising insurance costs in some special schools which have been brought to my Department’s attention, through correspondence received from a number of special schools, including St Teresa’s Special School, and through discussions with the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education (NABMSE). Officials from my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Funding (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that officials from my Department have been in contact with the school to which the Deputy refers to clarify the position with respect to recently approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. The school will be required to revert to my Department's Planning and Building Unit prior to entering into a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I want to assure the Deputy and Parents that concerns regarding a shortage of appropriate school places for next September are being taken very seriously. My Department Officials and the NCSE are actively engaging with local schools and school patron bodies to address this urgent and important issue. Ensuring that every child has a suitable placement available to them from September is a key...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes. It is open to any school to make application to the National Council for Special education (NCSE) to establish a special class. The NCSE, an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department wrote to the school referred to in this question, on 15th March 2019, in relation to the request the school had submitted for a review of the schools Special Education Teacher Allocation, on the grounds of exceptional circumstances arising in the school, since the development of the school profile. The correspondence from my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Student Contribution, which currently stands at €3,000, was introduced with effect from the 2011/12 academic year. 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 Student Contribution), and taking into account expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is a matter for individual schools to decide what material they use to support teaching the curriculum in accordance with Circular 42 of 2018 for Primary and Circular 43 of 2018 for Post Primary. The Healthy Eating Guidelines and Food Pyramid are the policy tools used to define the government recommendations on healthy eating and a balanced diet. The revised Healthy Eating Guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: The main support available to assist students with the cost of higher education is the student grant scheme. SUSI’s online system for the 2019 Scheme is now open. Students attending college in the academic year 2019/20 are required to submit their grant application to SUSI (viawww.susi.ie) to have their eligibility for grant assistance assessed. Students attending approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision making authority for any amalgamation belongs to the Patron/Trustees of the school, and this is subject to the approval of the Department. Any proposed change involves extensive negotiations at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (8 May 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 299 together. Under Section 24 of the Education Welfare Act, 2000 where a board of management of a recognised school or a person acting on its behalf is of the opinion that a student should be expelled from that school it shall, before so expelling the student notify the Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of Tusla, of its opinion and the reasons...