Results 6,761-6,780 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, the project to which he refers is included on my Department's Six Year Capital Programme. Officials in my Department have worked closely with officials from Meath County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent location for the school in question. A preferred site has been...

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

Joe McHugh: A range of resources are available to support schools in dealing with identified additional educational needs, including needs which may arise for children who are experiencing homelessness. These include National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) supports and Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) supports. Identification of Need and Early Intervention Strategies are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Payments (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Minor Works Grant 2018/2019 will be paid this week to all primary schools throughout the country.

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

Joe McHugh: Textbooks form part of a range of resources that are available to schools. The decision on which particular resources are most appropriate to be used in a school remains under the remit of the school itself. Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), there are no requirements placed on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am aware of the demand for additional special class and special school placements in the North Dublin area.  As the Deputy is aware, I have asked the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to provide my Department with a report on current and future identified need in the area so that evidence based decisions may be made on the development of the necessary placements in the...

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, demographic exercises carried out by my Department led to the announcement of a new 8 classroom primary school to open in Swords South in September 2019 as well as 41 other new schools to open nationwide over the next four years.  This new primary school in Swords South is intended to meet the primary school place requirement emerging in the areas to which she...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (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...

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

Joe McHugh: There are two methods of tendering (the Restricted procedure and the Open procedure) for the appointment of main building contractors on school building projects. For less complex projects of a small to medium scale, the open procedure is generally used and all contractors meeting the minimum standards are entitled to submit a tender (thus facilitating the inclusion of small to medium...

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 Government negotiated a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. As a result of these changes, since 1 October 2018 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Data (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Administration (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware NEPS is a school-based educational psychological service, which supports the personal, social and educational development of all children, having particular regard for children with special educational needs (SEN) and those at risk of marginalisation due to educational disadvantage. NEPS also has a particular focus on supporting schools to promote the wellbeing of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Data (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: By way of background I might inform you that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides guidelines and resource materials for schools to enable them to deal with certain traumatic events which can adversely affect pupils and school staff. This publication 'Responding to Critical Incidents: NEPS Guidelines and Resource Materials for Schools' also outlines...

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

Joe McHugh: As part of the rollout of the new Framework for Junior Cycle, Geography was one of five new subject specifications that were introduced to schools in September of this year. There are no plans to make the subject mandatory in schools.

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, 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 600 pupil post-primary school to be established in September 2019 to serve the Drogheda and Laytown school planning areas as a regional solution. This announcement follows nationwide, demographic exercises carried out...

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

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) operates a number of appeal processes in relation to the provision of resources to schools, such as for Special Needs Assistant support or for the provision of Special Education Teachers to schools. As this question relates to the number of appeals received by the National Council for Special Education, and...

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

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers operates under the patronage of the local Education and Training Board (ETB). The ETB recently informed my Department that the long term accommodation needs of the school were being reviewed and that it would revert to my Department when this process had been completed. My Department understands that the review has now been concluded and that the...

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

Joe McHugh: I can confirm to the Deputy that in April 2017, my Department approved funding for the provision of a Special Educational Needs Base at the school referred to. The project has progressed to the point where approval to proceed to tender stage, as per drawings and costings submitted, was granted by my Department in September. My Department received a further application for an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (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 the company in question 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 priority. The summary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (28 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department is not in receipt of an Emergency Works Scheme application from the school to which the Deputy refers. Should an application be received, this will be processed as quickly as possible in accordnace with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

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

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large-scale projects, including those in Naas, County Kildare, being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website, www.education.ieand this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website. I also wish to...