Results 6,741-6,760 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sports Facilities Provision (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, over the course of the mid-term break my Department undertook structural assessments on all 42 school buildings constructed by Western Building Systems since 2003 which were part of the Department's Design and Build school building programme.  The safety of school students and staff has been and will continue to be, my Department's overriding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student.  It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college.  Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for the 2011/12 academic year, including the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The position of my Department is that all pupils who are enrolled in a school should attend school for the full day, unless exempted from doing so for exceptional circumstances, such as medical reasons. Reduced timetables should not be used as a behavioural management technique, or as a de facto suspension or expulsion. Where schools apply a shorter school day in relation to a child,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (28 Nov 2018)

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 Enrolments (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the matter of enrolments is one for managerial authorities of schools who are required to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.  Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The position is that currently under the terms of my Department’s Free Fees Initiative, tuition fees are not paid in respect of a repeat period of study, where the previous third level course attracted exchequer funding (including free fees). As the student in question has already completed one year of a Level 8 course in Trinity College  Dublin (TCD) she is therefore not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold the specific information to which he refers.  More detailed information relating to enrolment levels in all primary and post-primary schools nationwide is available on the Department's website at the following link: . In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2011 was €27,814. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €36,318 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. As a result, the starting salary of a teacher is now €36,318 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for Public Expenditure and Reform] shall, within three months of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, over the course of the mid-term break my Department undertook structural assessments on all  42 school buildings constructed by Western Building Systems since 2003  following the identification of significant structural issues at Ardgillan Community College in Balbriggan during an assessment undertaken by a structural engineer at the school on 19...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The current entry level qualification for Special Needs Assistants is set out in my Department's circular 0021/2011 which requires a FETAC level 3 major qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications, OR a minimum of three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate, OR the equivalent. The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme which set out to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning – Stage 2b (Detailed Design) which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.  All statutory approvals have been secured. Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB and its Design Team are actively progressing this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, last year my Department 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.    Schools are not required to make an application for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take question 91 and 101 together. As the Deputy is aware a Major Capital Project for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school in question to cater for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1,000 pupils is being addressed through my Department's Capital Programme. It is envisaged that this accommodation will be provided through a campus arrangement with Kildare...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The number of financial settlements and the cost of these settlements, reached by the Department of Education & Skills with staff in schools over the past five years is included in the table. Year The number of financial settlements reached by the Department of Education & Skills in the last five years with staff in Schools. The cost of these settlements. 2014 0 2015 0 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: In response to the combined demographic and funding challenge, my Department appointed an Expert Group to identify and consider issues related to the long term sustainable funding of higher education in Ireland and to identify funding options for the future.  The expert group report, "Investing in National Ambition: A Strategy for Funding Higher Education” (2016) identified that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department is working to continue re-investment in Higher Education building on the progress made in Budgets 2017 & 2018.  Current expenditure on higher education, excluding pay restoration and pension provision, will increase by 10% in 2019 compared to 2016.  We are adopting a number of measures to address the financial challenges in higher education and to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently advancing building projects in a number of post-primary schools in the South Kildare school planning areas and these projects, when completed, will provide additional capacity in the region of 1,700 school places. The Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design). All statutory approvals have been secured. The Stage 2(b) report was submitted to my Department in late September 2018 and following an initial review was deemed incomplete. The report has been returned to the Design Team for revision, along with guidance comments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The school referred to by the Deputy will be part of a shared campus. The building project will deliver a new Post Primary school and the new special school building will provide an area of 3,746sqm with 11 classrooms and associated ancillary accommodation to cater for pupils with a range of learning disabilities. The project has recently...