Results 5,261-5,280 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department has significant engagement with National Traveller organisations in the context of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) to advance initiatives to improve educational outcomes for Traveller students.  Officials from my Department attend at the NTRIS Plenary Steering Group meetings in addition to the NTRIS Education subgroup...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 (NAP)was launched in December 2015, and aims to ensure that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population. Irish Travellers are identified as a target group within the Plan. To support the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I understand that the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to the provision of ASD special classes in the Cork area. Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes.  It is open to any school in the area to make application to the National Council for Special education (NCSE) to establish a class. The National Council for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Status (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. This new model involves a  calculation of the level of disadvantage in each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is implementing new plans aimed at accelerating the provision of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment to reach 400 such schools by 2030.  The previous model of patronage divestment yielded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The position is that the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). Circular Letter 0031/2011, issued by my Department, states that each employer shall ensure that a person proposed for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities Status (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is a matter for the relevant Institutes of Technology in a technological university (TU) development consortium to lead on the progression of their plans to seek designation as a TU under the Technological Universities Act 2018. In relation to the Technological University for South East Ireland (TUSEI) consortium comprising Waterford Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The NCSE’s policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016) noted a national ASD prevalence rate of 1.55% or 1 in every 65 students. The greater...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application, to my Department, for capital funding under the 'Additional School Accommodation Scheme'. The application is currently under assessment, as soon as this process has been completed my Department will be in direct contact with the school authority concerned. I can also confirm...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: A post of Programme Co-ordinator is available to all second-level schools offering one or more of the following programs: Transition Year, Junior Cycle Schools Program, Leaving Certificate Vocational Program, Leaving Certificate Applied Program as outlined in Circular 3/2018 which is available on my Department's website.  St. Ciaran's Community School have an entitlement to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department published Circular 0032/2017 - Measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs - in April 2017. One of the measures under the “Principles of cost-effective practice” which are to be adopted is that school authorities, ‘phase out the use of workbooks which cannot be reused’.  My officials have engaged with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The Council ensures that special schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special school placements. However, occasionally...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Appeals (2 Apr 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: School Enrolments (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, two new Primary schools will be established to provide additional school capacity in the Swords area in North County Dublin. These schools will open in September 2019 in suitable interim accommodation. In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available, the pupil should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can inform the Deputy that approval has been given for an Additional Accommodation project for the school to which he refers. A letter confirming same is being finalised and will be issued very shortly in that respect.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Data (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192, 193 and 196 together. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that an application for Major Capital Funding has been received from the school in question.  Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. It is open to an individual school to apply for accommodation under the 'Additional School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Property (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is only funding the rental of one prefabricated unit in Portlaoise at an annual cost of €18,868. My Department does not hold details on the number of purchased prefab units in schools. The prefabricated unit being rented is due to be replaced as part of the building project for the school which...