Results 5,821-5,840 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Protected Disclosures (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta fá choinne an tseans labhairt ar an ábhar seo. I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to speak on this issue publicly. I know his county colleague, Senator Maria Byrne, and his party colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, have also raised this issue in these Chambers. By way of background, the Deputy will be aware that the Protected...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It has been raised on the floor of this House a number of times. Her colleagues have raised it and I recently met students from Kildare who also raised it. There are ongoing legal issues involved in the matter. I will get the Deputy a full comprehensive update as to where we are in respect of pre-qualification tenders.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: This is a difficult issue for substitute teachers who find themselves in this position. Officials in the Department have been working very closely with the Revenue Commissioners. A new online system is having initial difficulties and there are anomalies with personal public service, PPS, numbers but I am glad to be able to say today that this week 533 substitute teachers and 177...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Playgrounds (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is designed to allow schools, on a devolved funding basis, to carry out necessary improvement and refurbishment works that will upgrade existing school facilities including play areas. It is open to school authorities to apply under the next Summer Works Scheme which will open...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 197, inclusive, together. The new PAYE system developed by Revenue was deployed for the first time from the 1st January 2019. My Department pays 120,000 staff on a fortnightly basis. Between 5,000 and 9,000 substitute staff who cover absences for teaching and non-teaching staff could be paid each fortnight for the full period or a number of days per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that a decision to sanction a Special Needs Base in a specific school is a matter for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Schools may apply to the NCSE to open a Special Needs Base where a need has been identified in their area. The local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO), in looking to open Special Needs Bases, must take into account the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The building project referred to by the Deputy is for an extension (on the existing site) to accommodate a 12 classroom school with 1 Special Class and appropriate ancillary accommodation. The project is included in my Department’s 6 year Construction Programme and will be delivered via the ADAPT programme. The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: After-School Support Services (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. In common with other buildings of its kind, there is a charging lease in place on the property, in this case dated 1947 for 99 years to protect the state's investment in the property. In circumstances where a property has ceased to be used as a school, and a request is received from the property owner to release the State's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities. The core function of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained. The Design Team is currently completing work to ensure the new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 219 together. 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 sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application under Category 10 of the Summer Works Schemes (SWS) from the school in question regarding a boundary fence. Under the 2016-2017 Summer Works Scheme, almost €117 million has been approved to date in respect of over 940 school projects in categories 1-9. Details of successful school applicants are published on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Designation (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently liaised with the school Patron, of the school in question, regarding an application to change the status of the school to co-educational. My Department will continue with this engagement as part of the assessment process. A decision is expected to be conveyed to the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Circulars (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The position is that my Department issued over 80 Circulars in 2018, the status of which depends on the individual Circular. In relation to the disciplinary procedures, Circular 0048/2018 sets out the disciplinary procedures for teachers and Principals employed by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) . The procedures were negotiated and agreed with the education partners in accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Revenue Commissioners introduced real time PAYE (PAYE modernisation) which went live on the 1st January 2019. This was the biggest change to the PAYE system since the 1960s. From 1 January 2019 employers are required to report their employees’ pay and statutory deductions to Revenue for each payroll issue. The salary issue relates to the taxation of the substitute staff who were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: No Education projects will be delayed as a result of the Department's contribution to the National Children's Hospital. The Department of Education and Skills has agreed to pay, in 2019, €10m of an existing €17m commitment to higher education facilities in the National Children’s Hospital. This funding will come from within the existing overall amount allocated to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 and 211 together. There is no provision currently in my Department's budget for the Gaeltacht placement grant or an element thereof in 2019. However, to assist with the costs of the Gaeltacht placement, students who are in receipt of a student grant which includes a 100% fee grant, or who would have qualified for a full fee grant but for the Free...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, the Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Supervision and Substitution Scheme Data (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Substitute teachers are employed by the managerial authorities of schools and paid salary by my Department. The number of substitutable days in primary schools where no substitution cover was claimed in the 2017/18 school year was 92,299. The number in post primary schools excluding ETBs was 25,608. This information has been extracted from the Online Claims System (OLCS). The Online...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is currently not in receipt of any application for emergency works funding from this school. The Emergency works application form and circular are both available on the Department's website.