Results 9,401-9,420 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently analysing the latest demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where additional school accommodation might be needed from 2015 onwards. This process includes an examination of the Lucan area. When this exercise has been completed arrangements will be made to make accommodation available where it is needed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Weight of Schoolbags (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags recognised that many of the solutions to this issue belong at local school level and made various recommendations in this regard, such as optimum use of storage facilities, developing pupil organisation skills and timetabling. My Department issued circulars to all primary and post-primary schools in 2005 to highlight the potential...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded a Postgraduate Fee Contribution grant of €2,000 for the academic year 2013/14 and a letter issued on the 19th September 2013 advising him of same. The letter also advised that he had the right to appeal this decision by using the official...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department does not collect data from schools in relation to students who are homeless. Statutory powers in relation to the educational welfare of all children, including those who are homeless, are contained in the Education Welfare Act 2000 which comes within the policy remit of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The total allocated budgets and actual outturns for my Department for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to end August 2014 as requested by the Deputy are contained in the attached spreadsheet.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Local Drugs Task Forces (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The number of local drug task force meetings attended in the years in question by officials from my Department is shown below: Dublin 12 Local Drug Task Force: 2011 -9; 2012 - 10; 2013 - 6; 2014 - 4 to date. South Inner City Local Drug Task Force: 2011 - data not available; 2012 - 9; 2013 - 8; 2014 - 6 to date. I can confirm to the Deputy that the education sector is represented on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fund for Students with Disabilities (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The table shows the grant allocated to Higher Education Institutions (HEI) under the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) in the period from September 2012 to August 2014, the academic years 2012-13 and 2013-14. This table also provides details on the number of beneficiaries. In order to be eligible for support under the FSD a student must be enrolled on an approved courses. Approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that as part of my Department's large scale school building programme, prefab accommodation continues to be replaced with modern, high quality permanent accommodation on an on-going basis as part of major building projects in schools. In addition, since July 2008, schools allocated devolved funding for the provision of additional classroom accommodation must...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that all schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific Learning Disability (SLD), of which dyslexia is one such Specific Learning Disability. All mainstream Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model (GAM)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Budget 2012 provided for a 2% reduction in the funding for capitation and related grants in both 2012 and 2013 and a further1% reduction in 2014 and 2015. The 2015 element of this multiannual savings measure will result in an estimated saving of €3.3 million per annum.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The position is that the student contribution is payable by students who qualify under my Departments Free Fees Schemes. The Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees, through my Department's free fees schemes, in respect of eligible full-time undergraduate students. It is estimated that some 129,200 students qualified for free fees in the 2013/14 academic year at a cost of some €310m....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced. However, in light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) had suggested that additional investment over a period of years of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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. Where children have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that there has been no reduction to the amount of time which may be allocated to pupils in respect of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support or any limitation on the amount of time that an SNA may spend with a child who has been granted access to SNA support by the NCSE. There has also not been any reduction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is anticipated the review of the configuration and development of post-primary provision for Limerick City and part of its environs will be made available shortly.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I hold Senator Byrne personally responsible.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. St. Peter's national school, Dunboyne, County Meath, is an English-medium, co­educational school under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare. The school is located in prefabricated accommodation on a temporary site. The Department has been made aware that this site has recently become restricted due to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I again assure Senator Byrne that we are very much aware that there is a particular issue with the current site and that we need to move on this as quickly as possible. I appreciate the fact the Senator accepts that I cannot give him details regarding the land acquisition process. I share his view that politicians should stay away from that element of it but I assure him that we recognise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (2 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 183 together. Changes to the structure and content of the Gaeltacht Placement arose from the Teaching Council's new accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which provide, inter alia, for "an extended and reconceptualised Gaeltacht residency which will now form part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (2 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am informed by SUSI that as at 30th September 2014 SUSI has received 61,907 new student grant applications for the 2014/15 academic year. Of these 19,194 applications have been processed to completion. Of those processed to completion 8,742 new applications have been awarded grants. Confirmation is currently being sought from colleges that the students awarded grants are registered and in...