Results 7,381-7,400 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: But there will still be different groups and individuals-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I am with the Deputy on that. He also mentioned school nurses possibly coming into schools as well and that is part of our wider conversation, whether that is with the HSE or the Department of Health. On focusing on the structure, the Deputy is right that teachers only have a certain amount of time. They are under pressure and I referenced initiative overload already so we have to take...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Yes and it goes back to acknowledging that there are different initiatives in different schools. They involve such matters as the school helping the local athletics club building a new track. That collaboration is there. We can learn a lot from these individual examples where initiatives are working and the collaboration and volunteerism is thriving. There are plenty of volunteers coming...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Report on Positive Mental Health in Schools: Minister for Education and Skills (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: There was one question asked about the NEPS psychologists. I think it may have been from Deputy Byrne. Of their work, 20% is to build the capacity of schools to support all students. That includes delivering CBT continuing professional development training to teachers on a programme to reduce anxiety and build coping skills. The incredible years programme builds social and emotional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Dírítear aird i dTuarascáil an Phríomhchigire (2018) ar chohórt suntasach páistí sna cigireachtaí a rinneadh i scoileanna, sa tréimhse Eanáir 2013 go Meitheamh 2016, nach bhfuil dul chun cinn cuí á dhéanamh acu sa Ghaeilge. Luadh go raibh féidearthacht rímhór ann chun feabhas a chur ar dhifreálú in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Appeals (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I asked my officials to urgently engage with representatives of higher education and the SEC to identify and address the necessary steps arising from the judgement. This group is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. It has begun its work, with a dedicated focus on reviewing and assessing how the Leaving Certificate examination results, the appeals process, the offer of places...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Under the EU (recast) Receptions Conditions Directive which Ireland opted-in to earlier this year, international protection applicants who are waiting 9 months or more for a first instance recommendation from the International Protection Office, now have access to the labour market. Following the op-in to the Directive, my Department set out arrangements for access to further education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Since the beginning of 2018, 18 school building projects have been affected in respect of two contractors who have encountered financial difficulties. A list of the 18 schools in question is as follows: County School Roll Number Cork St Colman’s College, Midleton 71050P Cork Colaiste an Chraoibhin, Fermoy 70990M Kildare Maynooth Post-Primary School 70700A Kildare Maynooth...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Officials in my Department continue to liaise with officials in Donegal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the acquisition of a suitable location for the proposed education campus and have identified a preferred site option. I am aware of media reports that the preferred site had been acquired by a third party however I can confirm that my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 1 of the Architectural Planning Process. Stage 1 is the Preliminary Design Stage where the Design Team will analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and cost plan. A Stakeholders meeting was held last week where the design proposals were presented. Feedback was provided at that meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools. The Programme for Government commits to capitation increases in primary and post primary schools and it is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education. I am pleased to have been able to provide an increase in capitation of 5% from September 2019, the full year cost of which is €10m. I see this increase as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Action Plan on Bullying published in 2013, sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying in schools. These actions focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aim to ensure that all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying, are addressed. As part of the implementation of the Action Plan, anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (18 Oct 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. Fundingfor special education provision in 2018 will amount to some €1.75 billion, up 43% since 2011 and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Data (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: One of the key aims of Junior Cycle Reform was to move from a large number of subjects with heavy curricula examined in a traditional memory based way. After a very detailed consultation process the NCCA recommended a new approach: - limited compulsory subjects around basic literacy and numeracy - 24 statements of learning It is important to say that the 24 statements of learning include...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: My Department conducts a number of checks to assess the solvency of main contractors prior to the award of a contract on any school building project. These measures are set out in "Section 3: Assessment Criteria" of the Department's QW1 Suitability Assessment Questionnaire and Declaration, which draws from suitability assessment advice provided in the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (18 Oct 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: Irish Sign Language (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Act provides inter alia that the Minister will establish a scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language (ISL) classes for the family of deaf children and education and support for children whose primary language is ISL attending recognised schools; and training for teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The redevelopment of the entire primary school curriculum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The pilot inventory referred to by the Deputy was undertaken previously in respect of school buildings in County Kildare and covered two elements: the geographical information system (GIS) and a detailed analysis of the accommodation and condition reports regarding school buildings. My Department has since scaled the GIS element up to national level and the GIS is utilised in my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools. I was pleased to provide for a 5% increase in funding for capitation for primary and post primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2019/20 school year. I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and I have to prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in...