Results 5,841-5,860 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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 the schools. My Department acts as Paymaster for contracted and substitute staff to over 4,000 schools. In 2018, my Department paid 13,796 substitutes who were employed in primary schools and 10,346 substitutes employed in post-primary schools (excluding ETB schools). In the 2017/2018 school year the average number of days...

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

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for major capital funding to my Department to construct a new school building. Given the need to meet demographic growth, the delivery of new schools, together with extension projects identified by my Department’s 6 year construction programme to meet future demand, will remain the focus of my...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together. Schools have a legal duty to provide an appropriate education to all students, including young people with special educational needs, and obviously they need to plan to ensure this happens. Planning is a normal part of a teacher’s work and planning tools, like the student support file, have been created as a resource to help...

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

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's Capital Programme. My Department is currently finalising the project brief with a view to progressing the project into the architectural planning process. The brief is expected to be completed shortly and my Department will be in further contact with the patron, who has...

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

Joe McHugh: My Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs, including Autism (ASD), in mainstream school settings, unless such a placement would not be in the best interests of the child concerned, or the children with whom they will be educated. The greater proportion of children with Autism attend mainstream classes, but some require the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Free Education Scheme (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The estimated full year cost of increasing the book grant by €3 per pupil at primary level and €6 per pupil at post-primary schools is circa €3.8m. The Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The aim of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for early educational intervention for children with...

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

Joe McHugh: Regarding the recognition of electronic music equipment as musical instruments,while electronic instruments are referenced, no electronic music equipment is specified in any syllabus documentation. The primary school curriculum incorporates the subject’s visual arts, music and drama within the curriculum area of arts education. In the primary school music curriculum, enabling pupils...

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

Joe McHugh: 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 Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

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

Joe McHugh: Planning permission for the permanent accommodation for this school was lodged in January 2019. Tender documentation for the permanent build is currently being developed pending the receipt of planning permission. With regard to the temporary accommodation required on the schools current temporary site for this September, my Department expects to lodge a Planning Application with Dublin...

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

Joe McHugh: Decisions on the use of smart phones and other such devices in schools are taken at local level by the Board of Management of a school, who under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 have responsibility for the direct governance of a school. My Department recognises the requirement to safeguard children from the negative impact of using digital devices but consider that it is also very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: In order to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. This eligibility requirement is important in order to ensure that public funding is...

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, the project to which she refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The pre-qualification process for the project has recently been completed by KWETB. While approval has been given for KWETB to proceed to issue tender documents to the short-listed contractors, the Design Team is currently addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (19 Feb 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 the...

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

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application, for additional accommodation, from the school in question. As part of the assessment process, officials from my Department have been in contact with the school authority regarding additional information which has now been provided. The application is currently under assessment and it is envisaged that a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy will be aware that under the Project Ireland 2040 National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of a new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment of existing school...

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

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving a recent application, for capital funding, at the school in question. It is open to schools' to apply under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) for additional accommodation for the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic need and where additional appointments are being made. The...

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

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question applied for the partial replacement of a roof under the current Summer Works Scheme however the school authority prioritised electrical works which received funding. It is open to the school to apply for the roof works under the next Summer Works Scheme which will open for applications in 2019 for projects to be delivered from summer 2020.

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, the project to which they refer has been devolved for delivery to the local Education & Training Board (DDLETB). That remains the case. My Department acknowledges that the delivery of this project has taken longer than originally envisaged. Most recently, a number of issues, primarily of a legal nature, have arisen in respect of the process for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Appeals (19 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: Universities and Institutes of Technology in Ireland are statutorily independent institutions. Admission is a matter for each individual institution and my Department does not have the authority to intervene in the admissions process. I understand that the practice in a number of Higher Education Institutions in relation to candidates with successful Leaving Certificate appeals is to...