Results 9,361-9,380 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the 300 hours Post-Qualification Employment (PQE) requirement, which is applied as a condition to all post-primary school teachers after registering under Regulation Four of the Teaching Council Registration Regulations 2009. As the Deputy is aware, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for the procedures and criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Reading Recovery Programme (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Reading Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). There are over 500 schools currently participating in the programme. My Department, through the PDST, continues to prioritise support for DEIS Band 1 and DEIS Band 2 schools as well as maintaining ongoing support for other schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Reading Recovery Programme (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Reading Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). Emerging evidence from work carried out by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) is positive on the range of interventions including Reading Recovery in place for DEIS schools. An evaluation by the Inspectorate in 2011 also demonstrated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy is currently under consideration and a decision will issue when the assessment is complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Forward Planning Section of my Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to analyse demographic data in order to determine the areas where additional school accommodation may be required. A variety of data sources are used in this analysis, including census data, school enrolment data, and child benefit data obtained from the Department of Social Protection. An analysis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government gave approval in March of this year for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014. The General Scheme has since been referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government for drafting. Drafting of the Bill is currently underway. The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will note that the primary school and Pobalscoil Rosmini post-primary school buildings are not included in the property which is on the market. With regard to the property for sale, I wish to advise that when the proposed sale was brought to the attention of the Department, officials from my Department met with the Rosminians (Institute of Charity). My Department has sought and has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually. 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 arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Job Initiatives (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 to 514, inclusive, together. Circular Letter 46 of 2011 issued by my Department in October 2011 authorised recognised schools and Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) now Educational Training Boards (ETBs) to participate in the National Internship Scheme- JobBridge which is administered and funded by the Department of Social Protection. The mentoring...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has an application with my Department for large scale capital funding. The current status of all schools on the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The Deputy will be aware of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. Given the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 519 together. Between 1 January and 31 August 2012, QQI/ACELS processed 13 applications for ACELS recognition, of which 7 were successful and 6 were refused. In the light of the necessary preparations for the establishment of QQI through the amalgamation of HETAC, FETAC and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), new applications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As ACELS is a voluntary scheme, English Language Schools may operate outside the scheme and may close without coming to the attention of the Department or its agencies. For that reason it is not possible to provide definitive figures. For 2013, the Department is aware of the closure of a single school offering English language tuition. The school concerned had had its recognition...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012, QQI is responsible for the establishment of an International Education Mark and related Code of Practice for the provision of education to international learners. QQI published its White Paper on the International Education Mark in May and will be publishing a draft Code of Practice, developed in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In developing the reforms of the international education sector, the two Departments had regard to a range of issues including protecting the consumer and education interests of genuine international students, the labour market implications, the integrity of the immigration regime as well as impacts on the sector, particularly high quality Irish education providers. On the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The reforms referred to by the Deputy are necessary to protect the consumer and educational interests of genuine international students, to tackle abuse of the labour market and the immigration regime and to safeguard the strong international reputation of high-quality Irish education providers. The Policy Statement launched by the Minister for Justice and Equality and I on 2 September...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, it is advisable that there should be consultation with members of the school community including parents. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Management before a decision is made. An advice sheet on the adoption...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the acquisition of a site for permanent accommodation for the school to which he refers is at an advanced stage. The site acquisition is subject to satisfactory completion of the conveyancing process. Once the site acquisition is completed, officials from my Department will be in contact with the relevant school authorities with a view to progressing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am informed by QQI that the application referred to by the Deputy has been processed by ACELS/QQI and the provider concerned has been informed of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. It is a matter, in the first instance, for Caranua to plan for the delivery of its services and to ensure that its resources are adequately deployed so as to enable it to meet the demands being placed on it. I am aware...