Results 1,721-1,740 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy and join him in acknowledging the great innovative and creative work that is going on through distance learning. Obviously, it is not sustainable in the long run. The Deputy referred to how third level institutions have responded to this crisis. It has been incredible to watch the processes to continue learning remotely and to do examinations remotely as well. Within...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank Deputy Feighan for raising the question and he is happy with the answer he received but I want to reassure him that the alignment process and all the detail around calculated grades is very technical. A lot of technical work went into it over the last week. Right up until today we have been working hard on it. Clarification around that will be published tomorrow. Deputy Carroll...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: There is a range of them and I will not get through them all, but I will ensure that Deputies will get individual responses and answers back to them. Deputy Ó Laoghaire raised a specific individual case and I will ensure that is replied to. The Deputy also has concerns around how the calculated grade process will work. The school-calculated grade is the primary process in determining...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus leis na Teachtaí uilig atá i láthair linn arís inniu chun an t-ábhar oideachais a phlé agus an díospóireacht iontach tábhachtach seo a bheith againn anois. I am happy to be in the House again to provide a further update on our work programme. I want to focus on three particular areas, namely,...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy and reassure him that, while there has been a fairly long journey in recent years with respect to Killybegs and its place within LYIT, one of the things I was always clear on was that if we were to tap into tourism and marine potential in the way we need to, we need to have a place such as Killybegs, which has a good track record in that regard. My commitment in my time as...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I suppose. Killybegs has made a great contribution to date as part of the institution, not only given its historical track record of bringing through tourism, catering and all the other courses that have been worked on over the years, and it has a strong future. It certainly has my support. On the issues with SUSI grants, I will take all those suggestions on board. There has been a...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I assure Deputy Harkin that the momentum currently behind the Connacht-Ulster Alliance, CUA, for GMIT and for Mayo, Donegal and Killybegs, as Deputy Pringle will also be anxious to point out, is full steam ahead. It made considerable progress in the back end of last year and they will continue that work. It will be an important project. There has always been an historical link between...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: This is a very important question. I assure Deputy Harkin that we are working on that and there will be further clarity tomorrow.

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: On the pupil-teacher ratio, PTR, for small schools, I had an opportunity last budget to reduce the PTR for one, two, three and four-teacher schools. Fine Gael also committed to reducing the PTR in future budgets. Maidir le Gaelscoil na Laochra i mBiorra, chas mé leis an gceannaireacht uilig an bhliain atá imithe thart agus tá sé soiléir sa scoil agus sa cheantar...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: These are the wider questions we are all going to be grappling with in terms of how we adapt to this phenomenal disruption, not just within the economy but within society, and education is going to be part of that. Certainly, from the conversations I had on Monday with my European counterparts, I know every single country in the European Union is grappling with the same issues. With...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy for his questions and for his contribution last week. We have been deliberating on a number of areas that he raised then and he has returned to the issue of students doing leaving certificate subjects outside of school. It will be guided by the direction in the guidelines that will be published tomorrow. Schools and teachers will be given these guidelines and...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I thank Deputy Berry for his question. A few schools that both the Ceann Comhairle and I would be familiar with were referenced in that last contribution, including Coláiste Íosagáin and the schools in Monasterevin and in Newbridge and the Curragh. Deputy Berry will enjoy great levels of co-operation from the Ceann Comhairle and Deputy Heydon, both of whom have been very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149, 163 and 292 together. My Department has worked closely with the Department of Health and the HSE on the In This Togethercampaign which aims to help everyone in Ireland to Stay Connected, Stay Active, and look after their Mental Wellbeing throughout the Covid-19 Emergency. The In This Togethercampaign draws together the huge range of advice and support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tourism Funding (20 May 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 Covid-19 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. As part of the wider Covid-19 response, the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: The Return to Work Safely Protocol was published on 9 May 2020 by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and queries in regard to its application to any particular sector are appropriate to her Department. In regard to the education sector, there were circa 200 projects on site in early 2020 and in accordance with public health advice, work on projects ceased in March 2020. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: Information in relation to consultancy expenditure in my Department is compiled annually in respect of the previous year. The data in respect of 2020 will be available in early 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that all schools are encouraged to use Individual Education Plans to assist in providing educational supports for children with special educational needs. The Department of Education and Skills Inspectorate's advice is that the majority of schools are now using some form of individual education planning for children with special needs. The Guidelines for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: As part of the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 - Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment, funding of €210m for ICT Infrastructure will be distributed by my Department to primary and second level schools over the five years of the Strategy. €110m has issued over the last three years and a further €40m has recently been issued. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I established the Advisory Group for Contingency Planning for State Examinations 2020 to identify and advise myself, the Department and the State Examinations Commission on arrangements for the running of the 2020 state examinations, the certification of students’ learning in 2020 and any consequential actions arising. The Group contains representatives of students, parents, teachers,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 May 2020)

Joe McHugh: I wish to advise the Deputy that decisions in relation to schools re-opening and operating will be underpinned by the ongoing advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and the Department of Health. Engagement is underway with stakeholders in the education sector to develop contingency plans for the re-opening and operation of schools, including schools for children with...