Results 7,441-7,460 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (18 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. The key data sources used in the DEIS identification process are the DES...

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

Joe McHugh: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school...

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Committee Stage (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: It is good to be back in the Seanad, of which I was previously a member for almost five years. During my time in the Seanad I was afforded many opportunities to discuss various issues and it was always a pleasure to be here. I am particularly delighted to be here today on this issue. I thank Senator Kelleher for bringing forward the Bill. I will support its passage through Committee...

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Committee Stage (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: That was helpful. I thank Senator Kelleher for that. She can be assured that we will work with her on this. We are waiting in a vacuum at the moment but four months will take us to the end of March.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Human Capital Initiative (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: A new Human Capital Initiative has been announced by my Department as part of budget 2019. This initiative will involve substantial investment of €300m over the 5 year period 2020-2024, with €60m being made available in each of those years. This investment will be funded through the National Training Fund (NTF) surplus. The aim of this initiative is to provide targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: In the last two years 5,000 additional teachers have been hired. It is the case that many teachers who would have been available to carry out substitute work are now gaining permanent and long term contracts. In order to ease the situation, in the last school year the limits that teachers on career break can work as substitutes were suspended. Schools were also reminded that, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, this project has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB). The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process. The pre-qualification report is expected from the Design Team shortly. It will be examined by my Department as soon as possible thereafter and approval to move to tender stage can be expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: Universities and Institutes of Technology in Ireland are statutorily independent institutions. Admission is a matter for each individual institution and my Department does not have the authority to intervene in the admissions process. I understand that the practice in a number of Higher Education Institutions in relation to candidates with successful Leaving Certificate appeals is to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 101 together. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department published Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours in October 2017. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance to schools in relation to their current arrangements for the use of school buildings outside of school hours. The Guidelines outline the various scenarios and inform where consent of my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I have had no meetings, either scheduled or unsheduled, with the person named in the Deputy's question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Department is providing an extension to St. Conleth’s, Vocational School in Newbridge which will include 552 m2 of accommodation for children with special needs. The project has been devolved for delivery to the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). Unfortunately, it was not ready in time for the new school year due to a small number of snagging and defects...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 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 outcome of the pre-qualification process for the main contract has been notified to contractors who expressed interest in tendering for this project. Feedback and issues arising from same is currently being dealt with by the Design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: This PQ has already been asked and reply provided for answer on 16 October 2018 (ref PQ 41834/18) refers.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The Technological Universities Act 2018 completed all legislative stages in both houses of the Oireachtas on 8 March 2018 and was signed into law by the President on 19 March 2018. Relevant sections of the Act came into operation on foot of the Technological Universities Act 2018 (Commencement) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 124/2018 ) made on 24 April 2018. On 17 July 2018, the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 103 together. As the Deputy is aware, a project for the school referred to is included in my Department's Capital Programme to primarily replace existing temporary accommodation with permanent accommodation. The Project Brief is expected to be completed shortly, having regard to the complex technical assessment process involved in this case. In that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy is aware, a building project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is included in my Department’s 6 Year Construction Programme. In this regard, the schedule of accommodation for the new school has been finalised and has recently issued to the school authorities for their observation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. Following the appointment of a replacement consultant architect, the Design Team has reviewed the previous Stage 2(b) documentation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (17 Oct 2018)

Joe McHugh: A site has been acquired for the permanent location for the new school referred to by the Deputy. The building project is currently out to tender with a tender return date of 1st November 2018. When the tender process is complete the project will then proceed to construction. The school has opened in September 2018 within existing school accommodation.