Results 6,461-6,480 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all pupils and employees in their school. In this regard, schools are required to have a range of policies and procedures in place which are conducive to the provision of high quality teaching, learning and student engagement. Students who have a challenging behavioural needs should, in the first instance, be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Education Review (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: Current staffing arrangements for special schools are in line with policy advice provided by the NCSE in 2013, which did not recommend alteration to staffing ratios established under SERC Report in 1993. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: As a significant amount of detail has been requested by the Deputy, which requires input from a number of sections within my Department, as well as other Departments/agencies, it has not been possible to compile this information in the timeframe allowed. My officials are currently compiling same however, and will arrange to have the material forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that the decision making authority for school amalgamations belongs to the Patron/Trustees of a school, and this is subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills. Any proposed changes involves extensive negotiations at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department maintains a register of patrons. The Education Act 1998 (Section 8) provides that the register may be amended in respect of a school on the application of the existing registered patron. No such application has been received in respect of the schools referred to by the Deputy. The information requested in relation to the current patronage of these schools will be forwarded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The policy of my Department is that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving an application for improved accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. It is open to the school in question to submit an application under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to address any immediate deficits of accommodation the school may have.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware DEIS Plan 2017 was the culmination of more than 18 months of consultation and discourse with education partners and other stakeholders to ensure that identification of schools and future delivery of interventions is fully informed by the practical experience of teachers, parents, students and non-governmental organisations working on behalf of children at risk of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: In April 2018, my predecessor announced a review of Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) in schools. This review is currently underway and covers both the content of RSE curriculum and support materials, as well as the delivery of the curriculum to students. Included in the areas for particular consideration during the review are: - Consent, what it means and its importance -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The delivery of high quality internet connectivity for all schools is a key objective of my Department. It is accepted that good connectivity is essential to ensure that schools are facilitated to progress the embedding of digital technologies in teaching and learning and for the implementation of new and revised curriculum. The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS), launched by the Department of Justice and Equality in June 2017, takes a whole of Government approach to improving the lives of Travellers and Roma in Ireland in practical and tangible ways. As part of the NTRIS, officials from my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality and TUSLA have been engaging with Traveller...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for additional accommodation to my Department in recent days. The application will be considered and a decision conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Facilities (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that following consultation with relevant school authorities, Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours were published by my Department in October 2017. These guidelines can be viewed on my Department's website at this link: The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance for schools in relation to the use of school buildings...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: A project to construct a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers is on my Department's capital programme. The site identified for the school is in the proposed Clonburris SDZ which has not yet been adopted. The SDZ plan is currently with An Bord Pleanála and the oral hearing is scheduled for 22 January 2019. Once the SDZ has been finalised the acquisition of the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: It is my understanding that the school to which the Deputy refers carried out unapproved works which generated an overspend on the building project. I can confirm that the school has recently submitted clarifications in relation to this work. My Department officials will review this information and inform the school of the decision shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. The Department is in the process of appointing a service provider to conduct a comprehensive review of the Pilot Schools, i.e. the first bundle of five post primary schools that were delivered in 2001/2002 through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The service provider will conduct a comprehensive review of the Pilots...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for holiday earnings made by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period. The value of this income disregard...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 to 223, inclusive, 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. My Department also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for SUSI to determine. In assessing an application for the 2018/19 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant: 1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant; 2. Total reckonable income, after income disregards and Child Dependant Increase(s) are...