Results 1,341-1,360 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: My Department is conscious of the issues in the English language education sector arising from the Covid-19 outbreak and has established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and representatives of both students and English language education providers including those accredited by ACELS and MEI. As part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of this Department. Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year; with 1,353...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 120 and 127 together. The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for professional standards at all stages of the teaching career. It has established standards for post-qualification professional practice, as set out in Droichead, the integrated professional induction framework for newly qualified primary and post-primary teachers....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The school to which the Deputy refers will not operate from a Ballycullen, Dublin 24 location for the start of the 2020/2021 academic year and due to additional accommodation requirements in the schools in which they are currently located it is not possible for them to continue to operate from the existing location. Interim accommodation for the school will be provided on the Citywest...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of employees and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. On the 1stMay 2020, the Taoiseach announced as part of the "Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business" that schools will commence opening on a phased basis at the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year. Because...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. In December 2019, the Department received the Stage 2(b) submission for this project. In order to expedite the progression of the major building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Covid-19 payment will be treated as reckonable income for the SUSI means assessment process. This will mean that the Covid-19 payment will be treated in a similar fashion to other Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection payments (e.g. Jobseekers Benefit & Allowance), thus ensuring a consistency of approach and an equitable treatment of students and their families in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: 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 redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is the mechanism used to fill teaching posts and is key to the ability of the Department to manage within its payroll...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21. The arrangements include the following provisions: - 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations will be frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, and will automatically rollover into the 2020/21 school year. This means that no school will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education (ELE) sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on students, teachers and providers in this sector. On May 1st, the Taoiseach announced the roadmap for the gradual lifting of the current Covid-19 restrictions. This roadmap sets out a number of phases with the re-opening of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The major project for the construction of the new school building for the school referred to by the deputy is at an advanced stage of the tender process and my Department is currently awaiting the return of the supplementary tender report. Subject to no issues arising, it is envisaged that construction should commence following the finalisation of the tender process with a contract duration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The project in question is at Stage 1 of architectural planning which entails preliminary design of site and location suitability and initial sketch scheme. A review in 2019 of the demand for post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I can confirm for the Deputy that my Department is currently undertaking a site identification exercise in order to appraise suitable sites for the school to which you refer. This exercise is being conducted in line with current restrictions in place due to the covid-19 pandemic, nevertheless, my officials are making progress on the exercise. The exercise is considering options in Kildare...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on students, teachers and providers. My Department recognises the important role that teachers play in this sector and the support they have provided and continue to provide for students at this time. Since the outbreak of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: To assist with the development of contingency plans for the re-opening and operation of schools in an environment that may require social distancing and other public health requirements, my Department is engaging with education partners and relevant stakeholders. This work will be based on the National Return to Work Safely Protocol that was published by Government and will also be informed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 202 together. The Calculated Grades Student Portal opened for registration to Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students on Tuesday 26 May. All Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students were required to register on the portal between 10am Tuesday 26 May and 10pm Thursday 28 May. The deadline for registration was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The terms and conditions of employment of teachers may be considered under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC). The Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Education & Skills and is chaired by an Official of the Workplace Relations Commission. The criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21. The arrangements include the following provisions: - 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations will be frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, and will automatically rollover into the 2020/21 school year. This means that no school will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (9 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Budget 2020 has provided for 1,064 additional SNAs posts, for allocation in 2020, which will bring the total number of SNA posts in schools to over 17,000 in 2020, an increase of over 60% since 2011. Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21. The arrangements include the following provisions:...