Results 7,201-7,220 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme is one of a number of options made available by my Department for Senior Cycle students which schools can choose from. The LCA programme is a two-year Leaving Certificate programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life. The programme sets out to recognise the talents of all students and to provide opportunities for developing...

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

Joe McHugh: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for fulfilling the functions of the NCSE Council within a designated area in relation to the identification of and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with disabilities. The NCSE employs SENOs to provide a nationwide system of local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Retirement Scheme (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The person to whom the Deputy refers was awarded early retirement with a pension on grounds of ill health some years ago. When assessing an application for retirement on grounds of ill health, the Department must be satisfied that the terms of the pension scheme have been complied with. It must be determined based on medical evidence that the teacher is incapable by reason of infirmity of...

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

Joe McHugh: The closing date for pre-qualification of contractors was November 1 2018 at 5pm. 17 potential main contractors have expressed an interest in the project. An assessment of the submissions is to commence this week, arising from which further information may be requested and a short list will be prepared. Following this process, the pre-qualified contractors will be invited to submit tenders...

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

Joe McHugh: Engagement with the vendor is still ongoing in respect of outstanding clarifications regarding the proposed school site acquisition. Progress is being made on aspects of the proposed sale, however the appointment of a design team cannot be progressed at this juncture - I can assure you that officials in my Department are working to do so as soon as is possible.

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

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design which includes the application for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The outcome of the pre-qualification process has been notified 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. A design team is not...

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

Joe McHugh: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for the provision of a PE hall for the school in question. As the Deputy is aware, my Department is committed to a PE Hall build and modernisation programme, starting in the second half of the Project Ireland 2040 period, that will ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to state of the art facilities to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The provisions regarding teaching whilst on Career Break are set out in Chapter Eight of the “Terms & Conditions of Employment for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools” Paragraph 5.1 states: “In exceptional circumstances a teacher on a Career Break may be employed on the following basis: in Post Primary – for a maximum of 300...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 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. A revised Brief Change Request has recently been reviewed and approved by the Department. Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: The issue referred to by the Deputy relates to a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) . The position is that post primary PGCE is awarded on an unclassified pass/fail basis and the associated allowance is paid at pass Higher Diploma level. In order for the allowance to be upgraded to honours Higher Diploma level the teacher concerned must present her employer with a letter from the...

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

Joe McHugh: At primary school level, social, environmental and scientific education enables the child to learn and practice a wide range of skills; and to acquire open, critical and responsible attitudes, including caring for animals. Engagement with the Living Thingsstrand unit in the science curriculum gives children the opportunity to study animals and their life processes in the context of their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: North-South Implementation Bodies (6 Nov 2018)

Joe McHugh: Allocations including those for North South bodies will be made following the publication by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform of the Revised Estimates Volume 2019, which is likely to take place in December 2018.

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

Joe McHugh: My Department has not incurred any expenditure in 2018 in carrying out commissions of investigations and State inquiries as recommended by the Independent Review Mechanism or any State Tribunals.

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

Joe McHugh: Pre 2014, the contractor and the contractor’s design team were fully responsible for ensuring quality and for certifying that the buildings were being constructed in accordance with the works requirements and building regulations. Under current regulations, an independent Assigned Certifier is also appointed.The Assigned Certifier gathers and relies upon the ancillary certificates...

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

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 to 372, inclusive, together. The decision to commence a wider programme of structural assessments of the 42 schools constructed by the company in question was taken following the identification of structural issues at Phase 1 of Ardgillan Community College and at two schools in Tyrrelstown. The structural assessment programme was project-managed by KSN PM...

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

Joe McHugh: The Department's priority has been the implementation of precautionary measures to facilitate safe reoccupation of schools this week. Following structural assessments, it was deemed that precautionary measures were required across 22 schools (with a further school building, Phase 1 of Ardgillan Community College, remaining closed). Further detailed structural investigations will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (25 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, additional funding of €7m was secured in Budgets 2017 and 2018 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students. This benefitted circa 1,000 postgraduate students who met the eligibility criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant for the academic year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Grievance Procedures (25 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: On 20 September 2018, an independent appeals committee held a full hearing on the appeal taken under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 by the person referred to by the Deputy. The appeal has been upheld and the decision of the appeals committee was forwarded to the appellant last week.