Results 1,301-1,320 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Planning permission for the school building project referred to by the Deputy was granted by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on the 13th June 2019 subject to 18 no. conditions.  Two of these conditions relating to the provision of a public greenway were subsequently the subject of a first party appeal by my Department to An Bord Pleanála.  The decision of An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I can inform the Deputy that the project to which he refers, for which funding has been provided under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme, has been devolved to the School Authority of the first named school in question for delivery. I can also inform the Deputy that the project is in the final stages of the tender process in that respect.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is intended that the school in question will relocate to an existing building currently occupied on an interim basis by another school while awaiting the construction of a building project for that school. In this regard, the building project for that school is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2(b) Detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Department's social media is managed by the staff in its Communications Unit. No additional cost is incurred by the Department for social media monitoring.

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank both Deputies for their contributions. If we went with last year's July provision, we could announce it and everything would be out there. The reason there has been a delay is because we are incorporating two other Departments, the Departments of Health and Children and Youth Affairs on the disadvantaged side. Deputies can tell their constituents that children with severe and...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for his contribution and his proposal. We are keeping the conversation line open on early intervention classes, and there will be more detail on same on Friday. I agree with his point about the transition from preschool to primary. We are engaging on it and will provide more clarity on Friday. He raised a range of issues concerning needs and schools knowing what the...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy spoke about school places for children with special educational needs. What has happened here is that this is not just a Dublin or Cork based issue any more. Obviously there was a lot of pressure last year in Dublin 15. I did enact the legislation to which the Deputy referred but critical to that legislation was the co-operation of school authorities. We had a tremendous focus...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for his contribution. He asked a question around resources that will go into the summer programme. Obviously, it is a demand-led scheme and is based on volunteerism. Last year, the July provision cost a little over €16 million. We are looking at an expanded scheme this year. This involves bringing in other groups. We will be looking to add significantly to the...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: We have 70,000 teachers in the primary and post-primary sectors. The pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools will decline naturally because of demographics. Speaking as a former school teacher, the fewer pupils one has in a class, the better the teaching environment for the teacher. That is a given but the challenge we have in the annual budget is deciding how much money will go into...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I know the Acting Chairman has raised this issue as well and I am conscious that Deputy Brophy has raised it on a number of occasions. I am aware of the issue and my officials are examining it with a view to finding a solution.

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The details of the scheme will be discussed on Friday and I will provide the information at a public level. With regard to the specific concern of the parent in Lucan who does not have a school opened in the general area, and perhaps never had, we call it home-based tuition but it does not necessarily have to be in the house. It can be as creative as possible. There is a lot of evidence in...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The pupil-teacher ratio and the allocation of teachers are all part of the budget and I will not change the budget midway through the year. I get the Deputy's point and it was raised quite extensively in the House in discussing the challenges we will encounter in August and September with regard to extra resources. This is why I am engaging very closely with education stakeholders to ensure...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: That is a matter for the Business Committee. I was here last week and I was here two weeks before that. I am second to the Minister, Deputy Harris, as the most frequent ministerial visitor to the House. I am happy to be here again today but last week I said quite clearly with regard to coming here today that the memo on the roadmap would go to the Government on Friday. To respond on the...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: There will be further clarity on the range of openings. One thing I have identified, as have my officials and the team with which I work, is that as the summer programme has a home-based strand and a school based strand, there could be different starting points. Registration starts on Friday and one will have a very simplified process. I do not want a bureaucratic process in terms of...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: There always will be individual examples and cases. In the main, since 12 March schools have stayed connected and have not closed. While school buildings have closed, the education has not closed. Parents of children with special needs have seen ongoing engagement, be it the SNAs or principals staying in touch. Maybe that did not happen in all cases but in the main, that is the feedback...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: There are three strands, if the Deputy wants to break it down into specifics. There is a health-based strand, and I am working very closely with the Minister, Deputy Harris, and his officials are working closely with mine, with regard to children with complex medical needs. There are potentially 600 students in that category. I am meeting the Minister, Deputy Harris, at 3 p.m. to go...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: NEPS has continuously been directly involved with the schools since 12 March and, in fact, it would have had a significant role in determining the cancellation of the leaving certificate in terms of the impact on well-being and mental health of students. NEPS has a critical role. Part of the weakness and the negative we in the Department have identified is that, because of the regression,...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I appreciate the comments made by the Deputy. I do not know how much longer I will be in my current position. One of the things I have greatly valued during my time in the Department is that its officials are very open-minded and good to work with. There are times when we have differing opinions, but that is life and it brings discussion and an energy to the Department. On the issue of...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for his contribution. As for the different analyses of last week's contributions from the officials and what happened on Friday, basically what happened on Thursday was under certain health advice but Friday changed everything. On Friday, the NPHET advice was that schools will reopen and the school summer programme could go ahead. When we were given the green light,...

July Education Programme: Statements (10 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Yes, this might cover a lot of the other questions that have been raised on the summer programme. On Scoil Chrónáin, I will be happy to ask one of my officials to reach out to her in that regard. There is anxiety and a need to bring clarity to the summer programme as soon as possible. I get that, the frustration coming from parents and the need for that clarity. That is why I...