Results 7,101-7,120 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Closures: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I take Deputy Coppinger's point. For an individual Deputy in whose areas the schools are, information is key. I suppose we were in the situation of trying to sort out the two main issues of safety and getting children back to school. I apologise if there were any deficits in information in that regard. Deputy Funchion-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Closures: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: There were updates on the Department website each day. There were 42 schools. I am not saying it affected 42 constituencies but it impacted on approximately 30. That will give the committee a sense of the magnitude. Councillors were ringing the Department. Concerned citizens were ringing me. A former principal in Tyrrelstown was ringing me. Everybody was trying to give their help....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Closures: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: They were happy to come together, as were the construction companies which had to do the temporary work. The construction companies mobilised 250 workers over a long weekend. They felt there was a duty on their part to come forward and try to address this situation as well. Deputy Funchion also asked about minor works for primary schools and summer works. We will be in a position to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Closures: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am determined to get to the bottom of this. I am determined to find out who is culpable and where the responsibility lies. Obviously that will be a job for my legal team, the team in the Chief State Solicitor's Office, CSSO, and the Attorney General. The 2014 regulations are very clear that the sanctions are not just fines; they also include imprisonment. There must be culpability and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Closures: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I shall first respond to Deputy Boyd Barrett. He raised a lot of issues and made a number of allegations. His comments highlight the fact that questions need to be answered. However, people need to be in a position to defend themselves. The Deputy mentioned whistleblowers. I would be interested in hearing any information or seeing any evidence anyone might have. Accountability was...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Accommodation Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an cheist seo a ardú. Aontaím léi go bhfuil an-tábhacht ag baint leis an ábhar seo. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to clarify the current position relating to my Department's plans to meet the demand for school places in the Fingal area and in St. Joseph's secondary...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Accommodation Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I absolutely take the important issues the Senator has raised very seriously. We have to plan for the future. The context for planning does not relate only to schools but to housing. Where there will be more housing, there will be additional pressures. As part of the ongoing conversation regarding where people are going to live and go to school and how they will travel to school, I take...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Ní raibh an Seanadóir ró-mhall. Bhí sé ceart go leor. I thank him for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the provision of a permanent school building for Ballinteer Educate Together national school, which is a co-educational school under the patronage of Educate Together. The brief for the project...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I reiterate my disappointment at the delay. A school community does not just arrive but, rather, results from a campaign involving many people who have expectations and hopes for the project. When a roadblock is encountered, it can be very difficult. I will ensure that there is contact between my officials and the chief executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Drawing on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 278 together. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was approved last July to enable the school in question to build a mainstream classroom with en-suite toilets, a separate assisted users toilet, three SET rooms and two ASD classroom units. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. This means that it is a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial School Visits (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The structural assessment carried out on the schools in Tyrrelstown identified a number of issues with the buildings. While no imminent danger was identified it was decided that the schools should be closed with immediate effect as a precautionary measure. The schools are being enabled to reopen, initially at ground floor level only, following theimplementation of both internal and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home School Community Liaison Scheme (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware a key priority for this Government is ensuring that children with special educational needs are supported and given the opportunity to reach their full potential. This Government has significantly increased investment in special education in recent years. Funding for special education provision in 2018 will amount to some €1.75 billion, up 43% since 2011 and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the following table. The figures given are for the 2017/2018 academic year, the latest available. The numbers given for teaching staff are the full time equivalent posts allocated to schools in Sligo and Leitrim. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The current status of the major building project referred to by the Deputy is that the project brief has been finalised. It is envisaged that this project will be progressed under the new ADAPT 2019-2021 programme. ADAPT is an accelerated programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to coordinate and drive the respective design teams on each project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (6 Nov 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Expenditure (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are separate legal entities provided for under the Education and Training Board Act 2013. Each ETB is responsible for legal matters, including legal costs arising in that ETB. Legal costs are managed directly by ETBs from within financial allocations available to them. Accordingly my Department is not directly involved in expenditure on legal fees in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Consultations (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Details of consultancy payments made by my Department for the years 2013 to 2017 inclusive are available on the Department's website www.education.ie/en/Publications/Corporate-Reports/Financial -Reports/Expenditure-on-Consultancy. Information in relation to consultancy expenditure is compiled annually in respect of theprevious year. The data in respect of 2018 will not be available until...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Details of the total amounts paid to retired Department inspectors for the years 2013-2017 inclusive are set out in the table below having regard to data protection legislation. Information in relation to these engagements is compiled annually in respect of the previous year. The data in respect of 2018 will be available in early 2019. The retired inspectors were engaged to perform a variety...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Administrative Leave is a temporary leave of absence, with pay, which may be granted where it is necessary for a teacher to be absented from work in order to carry out an investigation. It may only be granted in limited situations where the continued presence of a teacher has the potential to present an on-going risk such as situations concerning child protection, serious misconduct or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 260 together. I wish to advise the Deputies that my Department has not received any correspondence from the Patron of the school concerned relating to plans to close the school. I also wish to advise the Deputies that my Department is very aware of the importance of small schools to rural communities and particularly the most dispersed and remote...