Results 6,001-6,020 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to do that. I have worked closely with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, who has responsibility for the higher education sector. I am happy to take the Deputy's constructive suggestion about getting involved.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Eligibility (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 80 together. 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. The calculation of the level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 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: Autism Support Services (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs including Autism, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE). This includes the establishment of special class and special school placements in various...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together. My Department has very significantly increased the number of special education teachers provided to schools since 2011.  More than €1.75 billion, almost 19% of the overall spend in the sector, is dedicated to special education. The additional provision which has been made in recent years includes an increase of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools. Details of the allocations which will be due to be made for schools for the 2019/20 school year will be advised to schools in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (6 Feb 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 88 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs including Autism, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE). This includes the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The Government 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 Goatstown_Stillorgan_DLR school planning area.  The Department is currently examining all potential suitable site options to serve the relevant area and in the interim the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: The recruitment and appointment of Special Needs Assistants is a matter for the individual school authority. Department's Circulars 34/ 2018 and 21/2011 and Appendix H of the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2015-2019 sets out the current minimum educational requirements for appointment as a Special Needs Assistant (SNA). People appointed to SNA posts are required to have: 1....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: No power or duty conferred on the Minister for Education and Skills by or under the Technological Universities Act 2018 has been delegated to a Minister of State.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (6 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: No final decisions have yet been made on how the additional funding requirement in 2019 is to be met.  I understand the Minister for Finance and PER will be bringing his proposals in this regard to Government next week.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: This is a very difficult issue for the student and the family in question. I appreciate that and I am happy to take their details from Deputy Quinlivan later and follow up directly on this matter. I want to give a little bit of background on the system, for the record. Overall it is a very good system and I agree with the Deputy on its overall benefits and co-ordination. However, we are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to take the details of this case. The transition from primary school to secondary school is hard enough in itself. It is a big step up and receiving nine letters of rejection is not in keeping with the idea of a smooth flow from primary to secondary level. I reassure the Deputy that once I receive the details I will follow up directly with my officials. The Deputy mentioned the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: A new model for allocating special education teachers to schools was introduced in 2017. Under this model, children can receive additional teaching support based on their learning needs, rather than on a diagnosis of disability. Parents of children who have Down syndrome have certainty that their children can receive as much additional teaching support as required in school, taking account...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: A new model for allocating special education teachers to schools was introduced in 2017. Under this model, children can receive additional teaching support based on their learning needs, rather than on a diagnosis of disability. Parents of children who have Down syndrome have certainty that their children can receive as much additional teaching support as required in school, taking account...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: My Department's capital allocation in 2019 is €941m of which €672m is being allocated for capital spending in primary and post-primary schools. The school sector allocation will be expended primarily on the delivery of large scale projects and on the Additional Accommodation Scheme. Funding will be available for large scale projects that commenced on site in 2018 or earlier and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. Information on the number of applications received in 2017 and 2018 is not available. 44 applications have been received to date in 2019. Information in relation to all approved additional accommodation applications since 2011 and the current status of each is available on my Department's website and this information is updated on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that applications received under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation scheme are considered where an immediate long-term enrolment need has been identified and additional teacher(s) has been appointed and the school’s existing accommodation is not in a position to meet that need. In such cases, my Department would provide funding to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (5 Feb 2019)

Joe McHugh: A new model for allocating special education teachers to schools was introduced in 2017. Under this model, children can receive additional teaching support based on their learning needs, rather than on a diagnosis of disability. Parents of children who have Down syndrome have certainty that their children can receive as much additional teaching support as required in school, taking account...