Results 1,421-1,440 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I ask the Deputy to send me the detail on Termon national school and I will be happy to follow up.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: It is like closing time. I have a short window here. The Deputy is right. Schools need to know the picture. That is why I will bring a memo to Cabinet next Friday with that picture, not just for schools reopening in late August and early September but in regard to children with special educational needs and disadvantage. I know there is a big debate about the 2 m and 1 m restrictions and...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: On Down's syndrome, services will not be exclusive to autism. We will widen the programme out. The most important word for parents is choice. If they want education provided at home, it is possible to explore whether we can get a tutor or teacher to do that. We can also consider whether it is possible to open a school. The most important word from the point of view of a tutor, SNA and...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: We will make formal contact with schools next week. The memo I will bring to Government at the end of next week will be a comprehensive guideline for schools and parents to let them know what options are available to them. I want to acknowledge the INTO, which has been very proactive on this. I have spoken to Mr. John Boyle a number of times. It is reaching out to its schools and is doing...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I am sorry. I thought I had the whole time for myself.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: We will do that.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The cost of the State indemnification will be dealt with by the Office of the Attorney General. Teachers are indemnified. That has been guaranteed. A Cabinet decision provides for indemnification to protect teachers in this process. Whatever costs arise will be borne by the State.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I acknowledge the Sherkin Island community. I have visited the island twice. I commend the community on its creative and innovative approach to issues, including its involvement with DCU on an art project. A great example is Glenroe national school in Limerick which is looking to open up in September. There is nothing to say a school cannot open again in the future. I have confidence...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Deputy is correct in saying that the alignment process has started in terms of estimating grades. There is daily interaction between teachers, teaching colleagues, deputy principals and principals so that work will continue. The executive office that has been set up in the Department is up and running. We have an independent monitoring group chaired by Dr. Áine Lawlor. There are...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Less than one minute. Let me be clear - we have an inclusive educational model. It is not just an urban issue or a rural issue. In my town of Letterkenny, I believe that one of the primary schools has 38 nationalities. It has all ethnicities from around the world. It is a global school. When I attended an event, one of the students summarised the school by saying that it was an...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: The answer to the question is "Yes". There most definitely will be. It will be different to previous July provisions because it will not only be exclusive to autism. We are widening it out. We have upwards of 8,000 students in our autism spectrum disorder classes. We have 8,000 students in special schools. That is 16,000 straight away. We want to add to that number. We want to look at...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: We will be looking next week at contacting the schools and we are looking to start at the beginning of July.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I am reluctant to give a picture of what this is going to look like because we are not announcing it formally until next week. I am going to bring a memorandum to Cabinet and we are going to publish the guidelines. I will offer two examples in terms of disadvantage. We are looking at school completion. This will involve targeted disadvantage to try to get some form of school completion...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I reassure the Deputy that bus transportation is a key factor in our deliberations as to what the end of August and September will look like. We are looking at the practicalities of that for the summer programme as well. The feedback from the teachers and the teacher representative bodies is that they are looking at everything. They are looking at the set-up in the morning and what will be...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I will work my way backwards. The good news is that over the past few weeks with what has happened between Department of Education and Skills officials and the Department of Health there has been a sea change on a summer programme. We are looking at the school inclusion model which we all want to work towards for children who need physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech and language...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht a cheiste. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a bheith tofa. Guím ádh mór air sa ról úr atá aige. Is dualgas agus onóir mhór é a bheith tofa mar Theachta Dála. I want to take the Deputy back to his first point around the €750 billion fund. We are now working in that world of...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Congratulations to Deputy Dillon on his election and on his maiden speech today. In his last point, he referenced clarity concerning the leaving certificate. The school alignment process has started and we have set up the portal, which will be going live between the executive office and the Department and the schools. We are looking to trigger that on Monday so the schools can start...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I am glad to hear the Deputy and others are meeting collectively with both presidents. I take this opportunity to acknowledge their individual roles in bringing it to this stage. They are in the process of preparing an application this year even amid all the uncertainty, difficulties and challenges we have at the moment. As the Deputy knows, there have been roadblocks and challenges with...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: I can certainly ask my officials.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Joe McHugh: Beidh mé sásta é sin a dhéanamh.