Results 6,541-6,560 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (12 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme which set out to ensure that the Scheme is achieving the best outcomes possible for children with special educational needs was published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on 30 May 2018.   The Review contains 13 recommendations, one of which is the provision of nursing support for students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: This project is currently at Stage 2B of Architectural Planning.  Planning Permission has been received and the Disability Access Certificate and Fire Safety Certificate have been granted. The Department has authorised the pre-qualification of contractors. The school was informed of the timeframe for progression of the project to tender stage and construction stage and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (12 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: 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.  Under SWS 2016-2017 almost €80 million has been approved to date, in respect of over 640 school projects in categories 1 - 6.  The applications in categories 7-10...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (12 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: Special Educational Needs Staff (12 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am not aware of any specific proposal along the lines outlined by the Deputy.  The purpose of the Supplementary Assignment Arrangements is to facilitate eligible SNAs who are being made redundant by one employer in filling SNA vacancies that may become available in another school or ETB.  The arrangements are in place for recognised Primary, Secondary, Community and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Professional Development (12 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme which set out to ensure that the Scheme is achieving the best outcomes possible for children with special educational needs was published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in May this year.  One of the recommendations in the Review is the development of a national training programme at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: English language schools in Ireland seeking to recruit non-EEA students are required to have the relevant education programmes listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP).  The ILEP, which is operated and maintained by the Department of Justice and Equality, is a list of education programmes considered to justify the granting of permission to non-EEA students to live and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: There is an existing legislative framework in place to protect employment rights in the English language education sector.  This includes the Protection of Employment (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003 and the Workplace Relations Act 2015.  There is also a comprehensive industrial relations machinery in place for dealing with workplace relations issues including collective bargaining issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 Dec 2018)

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 National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The changes to the minimum entry requirements for entry to primary Initial Teacher Education programmes, as announced in October 2017, are as follows: Entry 2018 - Irish: H5, English: H7/O5, Maths: H7/O6 Entry 2019 and beyond - Irish: H4, English: H7/O4, Maths: H7/O4. (For information on the new Leaving Certificate Grading Scheme, see )   The changes introduced took account...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Correspondence (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The final response to the representation referred to by the Deputy was issued on the 25th October 2018.  The response has now been reissued.  If there are any further queries in relation to this matter then my office can be contacted directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: Universities 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.  The higher education institutions have delegated to the Central Applications Office (CAO) the task of processing applications to their first year undergraduate courses. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The school referred to by the Deputy was established in September 2015 under the patronage divesting process.  In order to facilitate the opening of the school, its initial establishment, as with most new schools, has been in interim start-up accommodation, pending a permanent school becoming available.  In order to cater for the school's growing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to inform the Deputy that all new school buildings are built in accordance with my Department's Technical Guidance documents. Included in these documents is specific information regarding measures to be undertaken in relation to the management of the acoustics of the building. In the case of older school buildings, should the school authority identify...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: In April 2018, the Government 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 delivery of the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers recently made an application under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for the works in question.  However, as this application is related to an additional accommodation project already approved for the school, the issues raised in the applicaton will be considered by officials within my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the appointment of a Board of Management of a school is a matter for the relevant school patron. The mechanisms under which a Board of Management member may be removed are as follows: Section 16 of the Education Act provides that a patron may, with the consent of the Minister, for good and valid reasons stated in writing to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application under the Summer Works Scheme for a Category 10 - external environment project. The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2016 -2017 was applied on a multi-annual basis.  The Deputy will be aware that nearly 50% of schools applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand.  Almost €80...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Dec 2018)

Joe McHugh: A building project which involves a replacement school building for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s 6 year Construction Programme.  A project brief has been finalised and the project will be delivered via the ADAPT programme.  The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to coordinate and drive the respective design...