Results 7,341-7,360 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Third Level Costs (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I take the point on the wider constraints facing students and, in most instances, parents given those costs. Since the launch of the strategy, 18,729 bed spaces have been completed or are in the planning process. The figure is broken down as follows: 5,500 bed spaces have been completed; 4,800 bed spaces are under construction; planning has been approved for nearly 8,000 bed spaces and a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Third Level Costs (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to work with the committee on that. I will also be working closely with my colleague, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, in this regard. I am happy to take on board Deputy Funchion's suggestion that we work collectively on this matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy whose kind words I appreciate. I look forward to working with him on a number of important education matters. No doubt, the Ceann Comhairle will be very interested in a number of these issues also.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together. The Department is currently advancing building projects in a number of post-primary schools in the south Kildare school planning area and these projects will, when completed, provide additional capacity in the region of 1,700 school places. The current status of each of these projects is as follows. At St. Conleth's community college,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: It is an issue I have already raised with my officials. The timing is very important. School principals are under enough pressure without delayed funding. I have asked my officials to ensure that money for minor works grants is paid at the end of this year, not in January. If we can do it in November, that will be great, but I cannot commit to that here today. One thing I can commit to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I have been made aware of the building project for the school to which the Deputy is referring. Delays have, unfortunately, been experienced in delivering this project. These arose because the contractor encountered unforeseen bad ground conditions, together with severe weather events, which we will all remember from earlier this year. The project had been scheduled for completion for...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: While the Deputy will be aware of the status of the project, for the purposes of the public record, I point out the contractor is on programme to complete the development in line with its construction programme by April 2019. More than 90% of the blockwork is complete overall, with 100% of the structural blockwork complete to roof level. Concrete roof beams are almost complete and the roof...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: A number of issues have arisen on the project, as the Deputy will be aware from hearing it anecdotally on the ground, and these have been referred to conciliation in accordance with the contract. Conciliation is confidential as it deals with contractual issues. While I cannot give the specifics of the issue in this conciliation case, I take on board that the Deputy has raised this issue...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Third Level Costs (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: In 2018 my Department will spend some €450 million on access measures for further and higher education students. This includes approximately €380 million on student grants and related activities, which is expected to benefit approximately 78,000 further and higher education students. Some 16,000 students are expected to be assisted in 2018 through the student assistance fund...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: No pressure. I thank the Deputy for raising the question. I confirm that the school to which the Deputy referred was approved for funding in 2017 to provide a mainstream classroom, two resource rooms and a WC for assisted users. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery. This means that the school itself engages a design team to bring the project through the design...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The really important piece of work is the reassessment of the school's long-term accommodation needs. It will be required to ascertain the merit or otherwise of the school's proposal. As the Deputy will be aware, over recent years decisions on the location of schools have been based on demographic analysis. The 42 new schools announced earlier this year point to increasing pressures and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy has made suggestions and I will certainly relay them back to my officials. I am happy to do that.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department’s capital allocation for the school building purposes is €540 million in 2018 and this will increase by 15.2% in 2019 to €622 million. This is facilitating an ambitious schools building programme. Construction activity in 2018 and 2019 will involve over 130 large-scale projects and about 280 smaller-scale projects under the additional accommodation...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Building Projects (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: There will be a summer works programme next year. From speaking to principals and school boards of management, I know they need a good run-in time. That announcement will need to happen sooner rather than later. There will also be a minor works programme, for which there will be a good enough lead-in time. I know there is no application process involved there. The Deputy is correct in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Site Acquisitions (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am sorry for repeating myself but the site acquisition process is complex, as the Deputy knows. It is subject to completion of successful negotiation and conveyancing processes. Given the complexities involved, I am not able to give a timeframe for the completion of acquisition today and I would be disingenuous in doing so. I and my officials will endeavour to bring the process to a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Special Educational Needs Staff (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy. I remember that day very well and also the Deputy quoting Mark Twain. I think the quote was about the two most important times in our lives being the day we are born and the day we find out why we were born. I will not say what the Deputy told me about that second day but she may tell her constituents in private. She did not say she was born to meet me, to be clear -...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Special Educational Needs Staff (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for her observations about the importance of SNAs in schools. I know we talk about the broader global figures, which will exceed 15,000 in 2019, but I place a high value on the work SNAs do and have gained insight into how they contribute to the overall running of the schools. They play a vital role. We need to provide them with certainty and ensure that they have proper...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Special Educational Needs Staff (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The recommendations are under consideration and in the meetings and briefing sessions - my head is about to explode with all the briefing sessions I have had between yesterday and today - SNAs were a subject of those conversations. We will give the recommendations in-depth analysis and ensure they are given proper and adequate consideration.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Site Acquisitions (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Parents like certainty when it comes to knowing which school their children will attend. It is something I take very seriously. On ways by which the system can be improved, I will be making an announcement shortly. I am saying this publicly as the Deputy needs that certainty. There are five post-primary schools, namely, those in Donaghamede, Howth, Galway city, Laytown and Wicklow,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh (Atógáil) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Schools Site Acquisitions (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Before I get to that point, interim measures, an issue the Deputy raised in his first question, will also be needed. It should be noted that, where necessary, an initial start-up phase is envisaged for the new schools. It will typically involve the use of interim accommodation as part of my Department's forward planning. This is the first time the requirement for new schools has been set...