Results 5,501-5,520 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, my Department announced plans in April 2018 for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 16 classroom school to be established in September 2019 to serve the area referred to by the Deputy.  My Department lodged a Planning Application to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department is currently progressing the school project brief once this process is complete, my Department will be in contact with the school concerned with regards to advancing the project into the architectural planning process and identifying the delivery method to be used.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department provides for a range of supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Dyslexia, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with complex special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. Special school staff typically have extensive engagement with parents, HSE multi-disciplinary teams and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate independent statutory agency, is responsible through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for planning and coordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the position of my Department is that all pupils who are enrolled in a school should attend school for the full day, unless exempted from doing so for exceptional circumstances, such as medical reasons. Reduced timetables should not be used as a behavioural management technique, or as a de facto...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Departments Inspectorate has recently introduced a model of inspection of provision for children with special educational needs in post-primary schools (SEN-PP).  As part of this inspection model, inspectors will engage with schools on a range of issues including the use of reduced timetables.  This mirrors the practice that has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (7 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my officials were advised by SUSI that the student in question has been awarded 100 % special rate of maintenance grant at the adjacent rate.  A letter advising the student of this decision was issued by the awarding authority on 19th February 2019.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation Provision (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy is right. There is an anxiety with regard to the situation a few years down the line. The problem will not necessarily arise this year or next but in three or four years. Gorey community school is at maximum capacity at the moment. I had an opportunity to visit Creagh College, which has a fine new building. We were talking about autism earlier. There are four special classes...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Autism Support Services (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to do that. The answer I have is a stock answer similar to the answer to the Deputy’s earlier question. It is very similar so I will not read it. We will pass on the answer. We have work to do in this area. The approach the Deputies in this House have taken since Christmas has been to table a range of parliamentary questions in this area. Even though we are spending...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Autism Support Services (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am not a person for the bata mór, the big stick. Telling schools what to do is not my approach but, if we continue to highlight the great work going on in the schools that have special classes, people will see the benefits not just for the young people with special needs, but for the children around them. When that is in operation it is an enriching environment in which to be. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Multidenominational Schools (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The recent round of the patronage process showed that every school that was chosen by parents was multidenominational, whether they were ETBs or under An Foras Pátrúnachta or Educate Together. I am aware that there is demand and the choice of patron is also an option. On the question of capacity at Cabra community college and its plans for expansion, the geographic information...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Multidenominational Schools (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to do that. My officials are always looking at ongoing needs and ongoing review. On a personal level I would say that sometimes when we have this debate we talk about the things that are not there, or the options that are not there for parents, but other parents look at other options. I am a Loreto boy myself and religion was not rammed down my throat at Loreto secondary school....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Multidenominational Schools (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I take the Deputy's point. The majority of schools in the conurbation are of one religion and it is important to give parents choice, but it is also important to value the contribution of schools from other patronages.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation Provision (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne na ceiste. Mar atá a fhios ag an Teachta, tá dul chun cinn déanta. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project to which he refers has now been devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board, WWETB. A schedule of accommodation has been provided to WWETB in that respect and I understand...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation Provision (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: I cannot give a timeframe because of the planning permission process. I hope the proposals get through that process and I know the Deputy will be speaking to his colleagues on the ground about it. I was speaking to the CEO of Wexford County Council yesterday. There is a good team at local authority level and I am sure their vigilance will be second to none so that it gets through the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: Taking off my ministerial hat, as a Deputy from Donegal I know which side my bread is buttered on to ensure we get a level playing pitch and are treated in a fair manner. I commend the groups, from boards of management to communities, that have been driving these projects. Ultimately, they are the arbiters who decide when a project is needed and aontaím leis an Teachta maidir leis na...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that last October and November my Department carried out initial investigations into 42 schools that were built by the company to which he refers. He will also be aware that of those schools, 22 required precautionary measures to ensure that they could be safely occupied. The safety of pupils and staff has been and remains our first priority. Following on from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: We were faced with a major issue last October and November. In the middle of the debate and the prioritisation of making sure students, teachers and the workers within the schools were safe, questions were also raised in the House about the ongoing capital programme and how other schools would be impacted. My officials and I were faced with the challenge of how to prioritise both...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2019)

Joe McHugh: This is about being vigilant and processes that are fit for purpose to ensure that lessons are learned where they are needed. We will learn if there are better ways of doing things. We have a dedicated team in Tullamore with a rich history and tradition of ensuring that schools are being built in a proper way. I indicated and committed in October and November that the review will be...