Results 7,181-7,200 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: ERASMUS Programme (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport for 2014-2020. It aims to make a contribution to meeting the key challenges facing Europe to boost growth and jobs and to foster social equity and inclusion. Erasmus+ will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad. The Programme aims to...

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

Joe McHugh: My Department provides funding for 1 Clerical Officer, 2 Caretakers and 4,978 annual cleaning hours to the school referred to by the Deputy. This is in addition to funding the salary of the Secretary who has now retired. Under current arrangements schools are permitted to fill Clerical Officer and Caretaker vacancies up to a max of 1 Clerical Officer and 1 Caretaker. In this regard my...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 328 together. The structural assessments have been conducted on the schools in question and the outcome is available on the Department's website at www.education.gov.ie. I wish to assure the Deputy that the safety of school students and staff has been, and will continue to be, the Department’s overriding priority during this process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 329 and 352 together. A number of requests to undertake the Senior Cycle (Leaving Certificate) programme over a one-year period are received each year, the Department under its rules does not provide for this option. This is because the programme, both in breadth and depth, was purposely designed to be covered over two academic years and not one. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism (ASD), can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that the applicant in question is not the subject of an appeal to the Student Grant Appeals Board. However, as part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is...

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

Joe McHugh: Though schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools, where staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by the Department, these schemes have been largely phased out and have been superseded by the more extensive capitation grant schemes. Under these schemes, the majority of primary and voluntary...

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2 (b) - Detailed Design. The tender process to appoint a replacement architect for this project was completed on 26th July 2018. The replacement architect is currently reviewing the Stage 2(b) tender documentation. The Design Team is also working on the completion of a...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 337 together. In the National Development Plan (2018-2027) €2.5bn is identified for the refurbishment and construction of schools. Part of this is intended for a deep energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008. My Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are currently involved in an energy efficiency retrofit pilot scheme...

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

Joe McHugh: Neither myself nor the Ministers of State in my Department have met or have had correspondence with the individual/companies named, within the past three years.

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

Joe McHugh: Under my Department's Design Team Procedures, when a contract is awarded the Contractor must provide the Employer's Representative, before the Starting Date, a detailed programme, in the form set down in the Contract, that will permit effective monitoring of the works. The Contractor is obliged to submit to the Employer’s Representative monthly progress reports, in the form set down in...

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

Joe McHugh: Under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations introduced in 2014, an Assigned Certifier must be appointed. Since 2014, the Department has appointed an independent qualified third party to act as Assigned Certifier on all Design and Build school projects. On school projects designed by the Employer, the lead Architect on the design team usually acts as the Assigned Certifier. The...

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

Joe McHugh: My Department's first priority is safety. My Department will separately be looking at the issues arising, including the need for any changes to existing procedures.

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

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that the report referred to by the Deputy was received in my Department in May 2018. The report was referred to the Consultant Architect engaged on the project who subsequently arranged for the original contractor to carry out the necessary repairs over the summer holiday period. My Department has received confirmation from the Architect that all necessary remedial works were...

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

Joe McHugh: In 2017 the ESHTE project published Areview of data on the prevalence of sexual violence and harassment of women students in higher education. The report provides an overview of EU level data and research and includes a country level report prepared by the National Womens Council of Ireland. It reported for example that in Ireland 11% of women students surveyed have been subjected to...

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

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

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

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, the school to which she refers operates under the patronage of the local Education and Training Board (ETB). The ETB has informed my Department that the long term accommodation needs of the school are being reviewed and that it will revert to my Department when this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Payments (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: On 14 September 2018, the announcement of the major package of investment in education under Project Ireland 2040 confirmed that, starting this year, all primary schools will receive the €29 million minor works grant in either December or early January of each school year. I expect to make an announcement shortly with regard to the timing of the payment of the Minor Works Grant for...

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 process of acquiring a suitable site to facilitate the proposed building project has been completed. The project brief has been finalised and this project will be progressed under the new ADAPT 2019-2021 programme. ADAPT is an accelerated programme which uses a professional external Project Manager...