Results 5,281-5,300 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Departments Emergency Works Scheme to carry out works to the school building to comply with Part M of the Building Regulations.  The application was of a general nature and did not relate to a specific future or currently enroled pupil. It was deemed to be outside the scope of the scheme in that respect.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media in Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: It is my Department’s policy to conduct procurement in a fair, open and transparent manner that is fully compliant with EU procurement Directives and national procurement guidelines.  Most recently, my Department worked with Government Information Services (GIS) to develop digital media assets to support its work in promoting Teaching Transforms, the Teacher Supply campaign....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media in Education (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Department of Education and Skills uses its twitter account to amplify its messages relating to education policy. In the main these messages relate to press releases but also cover new information or campaigns relevant to its agencies or bodies that have an education message. In addition the Department retweets or refers to messages that are complementary to a whole of Government approach...

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

Joe McHugh: Each Educational Training Board (ETB) receive a administration and maintenance staffing allocation from my Department to support individual ETB schools, colleges, head office and other centres of education. It is the responsibility of each ETB to recruit and manage staffing levels within this allocation. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that for ETB schools...

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

Joe McHugh: My Department's means of analysing demographic trends and data have changed considerably since the report to which the Deputy refers was completed in 2005. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Official Languages Act 2003 Compliance (2 Apr 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is committed to ensuring that it provides the best service possible, in both official languages, to the general public. My Department has had three Irish Language Schemes.  The first Irish Language Scheme ran from 2005-2008. The second Irish Language Scheme ran from 2013-2016.  The third Irish Language Scheme is currently in place and runs from 2016-2019.  This...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I confirm that I was in the school yesterday and I met members of the board of management, the principal and the clerk of works. As the Deputy knows, Westmeath County Council has a service level agreement with the Department to ensure the project is completed. People are anxious to ensure the project is completed before September. I was there because I was invited down by Deputy Peter...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The men were working on site. We met in a venue adjacent to the site. We were not on the construction site so I did not meet the contractor. I know from the enthusiasm and goodwill on the part of the clerk of works, the board of management and the principal that all minds should be focused on ensuring that this project is completed.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Westmeath County Council is keeping the public updated. As recently as last week it stated it is aiming for a July completion. Let us hope that is realised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (28 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Under the Teaching Council Act 2001, the Teaching Council was established in March 2006 as the body with statutory authority for the regulation of the teaching profession. In July 2016 Part 5 of the Teaching Council Act, as amended by the Teaching Council (Amendment) Act 2015, was commenced. From that date the Teaching Council has power to investigate a complaint about a teacher and to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (28 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for professional standards at all stages of the teaching career. It has established standards for post-qualification professional practice, as set out in Droichead, the new model of induction and probation for newly qualified primary and post-primary teachers. The Council has advised me that the Droichead bursary scheme, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 Mar 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. Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Action Plan on Bullying (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The correspondence received addresses a very important topic, that of bullying and student wellbeing in schools. I can assure the Deputy that supporting student wellbeing is a priority for my Department and for schools. In Early Years’ Settings, children are supported in their personal and social development through Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. Within...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. My Department is currently liaising with the patron of the school in relation to the delivery of the building project and is awaiting further contact from the patron in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The selection and enrolment of pupils is the responsibility of the management authorities in each individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The process of Pre-Qualification of contractors for the project in question is underway. For this particular project, pre-qualification of reserved specialists for the mechanical and electrical works is also required. The Pre-qualification process culminates in the compilation of shortlists of suitable candidates for each respective discipline. The shortlist was submitted to my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: National school enrolment figures are collected on an annual basis through the Primary Online Database, based on the number of pupils attending a school on 30thSeptember of that year. The figure submitted is signed off on by the principal and chairperson of the board of management of the school. The records submitted can be, if necessary, verified against the school’s internal records...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I have set out below an outline of the Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity Process for the Deputy's information, the formal Implementation Phase of which has not yet commenced. It is worth noting that a transfer of patronage and consultation with school communities on Reconfiguration is a matter for the current patron in the first instance. I would advise parents who have questions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Religious Education curriculum designed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is an optional examinable subject at Junior and Leaving Certificate. The Department does not require schools to include the NCCA-developed Religious Education syllabuses at Junior or Senior Cycle as mandatory subjects on their curriculum. Accordingly schools have discretion to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (27 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The selection and enrolment of pupils is the responsibility of the management authorities in each individual school. As schools may not have a place for every applicant, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. Under section 15 (2) (d) of...