Results 3,281-3,300 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Teaching Council is the professional body for teaching in Ireland. It was established on a statutory basis under the Teaching Council Act, 2001 in March 2006. One of its functions is to establish and maintain the Register of Teachers. Conditional Registration may be granted when an applicant for registration has not fulfilled all of the Teaching Council's registration requirements. If...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The person referred to by the Deputy has made an application in November 2015 for retirement with pension on grounds of ill-health. A decision to award or refuse a pension on such grounds must be grounded on a detailed assessment of the medical evidence in the case. To this end, the opinion/recommendation of an appropriately qualified medical adviser retained by my Department as part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Teaching Council Act the Teaching Council has statutory authority to establish procedures and criteria for probation of teachers including periods of probation. Currently, the Council allows three years for the completion of probation for registration purposes. I have referred this query to the Teaching Council for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream school placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school in question was established on 1st September 2011 following the amalgamation of a DEIS post-primary school and Non DEIS post-primary school. In line with all such amalgamations, the new school continues to receive the current level of supports in respect of the number of eligible pupils from the former DEIS school until that pupil cohort have left the school. In the case of a post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Staff (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Based on information supplied to the Department by Cork Institute of Technology, the position in respect of the matters raised in the Deputy's question is as set out below. Four employees of the Institute have received redundancy or severance payments since 2010. Arrears payments are not an uncommon feature of payroll systems, and the Institute is no different to others in this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is aware of the current situation at the school in question. My Department recently approved funding for the provision of additional accommodation and for roof works to be carried out for the school. My Department is liaising with the school, in question, in relation to its long term accommodation requirements.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (8 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The total legal costs incurred by my Department for legal services procured by it during the years in question are as follows: 2011 - €21,039.83 2012 - €1,414.50 2013 - €25,009.14 2014 - €35,819.05 2015 - €36,975.50 (Up to end November 2015).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. A framework involving more providers was put in place in 2012 which ensures that improved solutions are being made available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, I announced details on 17th November last, of the major school building projects that are scheduled to proceed to construction over the next six years, as part of the Government's €2.8 billion capital investment programme. A project for the school in question is listed in this announcement to proceed to construction in 2018. The school in question has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the schools to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning – Stage 2b. This stage includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. As the Deputy is aware on Tuesday 17th November 2015 I announced details of the major school building projects...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Oversight (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Standards are established for new syllabuses in Ireland in advance of examining. The approach taken is sometimes described as a "college of professionals" approach. In the first instance, a group of people who are deemed to have an expert knowledge of what the students in the target audience ought to be able to achieve in the subject concerned reach a consensus regarding the content...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Exemptions (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations for candidates with special needs in the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations. The scheme is designed to support candidates who cannot show attainment in an area of the examinations system, for example a waiver from the testing of spelling and grammar for candidates who have a specific learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cyberbullying Issues (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Action Plan on Bullying, which was published in January 2013, sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying and promoting an anti-bullying culture in schools. These actions focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aim to ensure that all forms of bullying are addressed. Implementation of the actions in the Plan is ongoing and good...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWG) for the removal and replacement of a boundary fence. As the scope of works is outside the terms of this scheme, the application cannot be considered for funding. To be eligible for EWG funding, the works must be sudden, unforeseen and, if not addressed, would cause the school to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. An independent student must be a mature student, aged 23 or over on entry to college (or re-entry after a break in studies of at least 3 years) who has not lived with his or her parents for a period before...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 246 together. Other than in very limited circumstances, all teachers working in publicly funded schools must be registered with the Teaching Council. In order to be registered, they must meet minimum standards for qualifications which have been established by the Council. Once registered, the recruitment and deployment of teachers is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (3 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that details of all of the special classes for children with special educational needs, which are attached to mainstream schools, are published each year on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie. The list of post-primary Autism classes in Cork City and County has been compiled and I have arranged for this list to be forwarded to the Deputy.