Results 7,041-7,060 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As far as I am I am aware, it went through a proper tendering process.

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Let me be clear about it. That company acted and advocated on behalf of the Department. In terms of the certificate of completion, it was not the Department officials who signed off on the certificate of completion but the company acting on behalf of the Department. The project manager was KSN and it was working on the understanding that at each stage of the compliance process all the work...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: From listening to some of the parents of the students in Tyrrelstown and from speaking to the principal, fears were expressed about the fact that KSN had been involved in a number of schools on a project management basis, but let us be clear, in terms of certification of compliance at each stage, KSN was the Department's representative in signing off the certificate of completion that the...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy has raised a number of very important points. When one speaks to people in the building trade and at a wider level it is clear that smaller companies feel that they are precluded from tendering for contracts, even when they have a proven track record, because of the turnover threshold . I am on public record on that issue, and I certainly agree that it is an issue that should be...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: -----will highlight it as well.

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am committing to initiating a programme-led inquiry specifically to examine design, build and operate projects. It has to be independent. The Minister for Health Deputy Simon Harris, appointed an international expert to inquire into CervicalCheck. I am open to suggestions from this House regarding the design of the inquiry to ensure we address culpability and accountability and, first...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy made a series of observations and asked some questions, to which I will try to respond as best I can. To be clear, it was the role of the clerk of works that I was talking about yesterday at the meeting of the joint committee. That role is to give additional oversight. If the clerk of works sees something that indicates safety is not being done right, he or she has a...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: There was a mobilisation of the team in the last fortnight. Over the bank holiday weekend people from different parts of the Department came together in Tullamore. Thirty staff members, from a total Department staff of 1,300, were working on this interim accommodation measure to find solutions for assessment. In the last fortnight there was a deployment of staff. Obviously, this has had...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: According to the information I have, no alert whatsoever was received of any structural issue in any of the schools.

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I need to separate the two elements. In the case of schools where internal and external works are needed such as in the two schools in Tyrrelstown and the school in Lucan, internal works are now complete on the ground floor and we are looking to do the first and second floors in the next few weeks. We are looking to get the students back into their school campuses in the coming weeks. In...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I have made no contact with the local authorities. As the Deputy has rightly pointed out, the local authority building control units have a role in this regard. It is important to get their input into any review of the design and build process. I will be happy to encourage it.

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for his questions. I appreciate that there are difficulties in a number of schools in his constituency. I will begin by providing clarification on certification of compliance. Unlike the Deputy, I have never been involved in major works on building sites, although I did a bit of hod carrying in my day. I remember that there was a need for vigilance, oversight and...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: No, I do not agree there was a cover-up. An intensive assessment of 55 schools was begun in quarter 4, 2017. Last August, a team and plan were put in place to ensure the opening of works, which happened two weeks ago. Before that, assessments were also done in 2014. Fire defects, however, must be separated from the structural defects that were found in the past fortnight.

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: There is a clerk of works from the Department on every major project. Obviously, there are different summer work schemes of perhaps one or two classrooms where there is no clerk of works, but on major extensions and major capital programmes, there is a clerk of works on every one of them.

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: On the question about the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, there has not been an assessment of costs for the past fortnight's work and some of the work is ongoing this morning. As soon as we receive it, we will look for the costs to be recovered. The significant cost will emerge next year and, therefore, I do not expect the Department to seek additional money through the...

Structural Assessments of Schools: Statements (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le mo chomhghleacaithe as ucht seans labhairt i dtaobh imní atá ar na daoine sna scoilenna i gceist agus i dtaobh an ábhair iontaigh thábhachtaigh seo. I appreciate the opportunity to update the Dáil on the structural assessments that were undertaken at 42 schools constructed by Western Building Systems and the next steps...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs 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 greater proportion of children with special educational needs (SEN) attend mainstream class, where they may access...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a major capital project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is being addressed through my Department's Capital Programme. It is envisaged that this accommodation will be provided through a campus arrangement with a local Institute of Further Education on its current site. This project will also include the redevelopment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fiscal Data (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The audited accounts for 2015/16 for Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)  has a significant accumulated deficit (€4.4m deficit after FRS 102 adjustments).  The draft accounts for 2016/17 and projections for 2018/19 continue to show an operating deficit which will further impact on the accumulated deficit position of the institute.  In order to address these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (7 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The number of student enrolments at Waterford Institute of Technology from 2014 to 2018 is set out in the following table. Enrolment statistics are available on the HEA website for all HEA funded institutions. Enrolments 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 Waterford IT 8,201 7,980 7,792 7,550 7,779 Full-time 6,969 6,826 6,453 6,313 6,501 Postgraduate...