Results 9,721-9,740 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The details supplied by the Deputy consist of a comprehensive submission in relation to the future of DEIS. As the deputy may be aware, the DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and my Department's Inspectorate who have produced a series of evaluation reports to date, (copies of which are available on my Department's website). I have also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Riarachán Thionscadail Tógála Scoileanna (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Is féidir liom a dheimhniú gur chuir an scoil dá dtagraíonn an Teachta iarratas faoi bhráid ar rangsheomra príomhshrutha breise. Tá 3 rangsheomra príomhshrutha ar fáil don scoil 3 rangsheomra seo. Mar is eol don Teachta, is é is cuspóir thar gach ní eile ag mo Roinnse ná a chinntiú go mbíonn rochtain ag gach...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will appreciate, in relation to the school's request for a PE hall, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of essential additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it is not possible to provide for a PE Hall at this time. As previously...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childcare Education and Training Scheme Administration (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Childcare support was introduced in the late 1990s as a way of providing assistance to people participating on specific Further Education programmes who faced barriers returning to education. In 2010, this programme was restructured into the Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It is not intended to extend the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that the schools in question submitted major capital applications for extension/refurbishment to my Department. My Department has been liaising with the school authorities regarding the schools long term projected enrolments (LTPE) and a revised LTPE for each school has recently been agreed. The Schedules of Accommodation have also recently been finalised. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (16 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Teaching Council Act, 2001, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory regulatory authority to review and accredit initial teacher education programmes. As such it is the Council, not the Minister, that sets out the programme criteria. Changes to the structure and content of the Gaeltacht Placement arose from the Teaching Council's new accreditation criteria, published in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has no specific North-South programme that provides financial assistance for students who wish to study in the USA. The normal advice given for such requests is that individuals should direct their enquiries concerning scholarships or bursaries to the educational institution in which they intend to study. The Deputy may be interested to know that my Department provides an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand from enquiries made to the Deputy's office that this query is seeking to establish whether there is any financial assistance available from North-South bodies for post-graduate study in America for three months for a student from Lurgan. There is no specific North/South programme that provides financial assistance for students who wish to study in America. The normal advice...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (21 Oct 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 to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. The processing of individual applications is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Redeployment (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can advise the Deputy that no staff in my Department have transferred to County Mayo since 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (21 Oct 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: Departmental Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A specific code for archaeological expenditure was only introduced at the beginning of 2011 into the Department's financial management records. Therefore, the information requested can only be supplied for the years 2011 to date and is as follows: Year Amount 2011 €11,338 2012 €52,139 2013 €63,665 2014 (to date) €26,611The calculation of archaeological...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Archaeological Sites (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the current building project at Buttevant, Co. Cork, which has been devolved to Cork Education and Training Board for delivery. The conditions attached to the planning consent granted by Cork County Council in relation to this project contained a requirement that archaeological monitoring be undertaken during the removal of topsoil and other ground...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Fees (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The fees to be applied to legacy providers seeking to re-engage with QQI, such as the organisations referred to by the Deputy, have yet to be determined. QQI's proposals in that regard, and any associated issues, will be considered when they are made. Officials from my Department recently met with AONTAS to discuss the concerns of community education providers in that regard and to explore...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Awareness (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Guidelines for primary schools on promoting pupils well-being and mental health are currently being developed by my Department. It is expected that the guidelines will be available later this year or early in 2015. These guidelines will complement 'Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention' which were published by my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: An appeal from the student referred to by the Deputy was heard by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on 02 September 2014 and considered further on 30 September 2014, upon receipt of additional documentary information, with the decision of the SUSI appeals officer upheld. In order to be assessed as an independent mature student an applicant must provide sufficient evidence to show...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that some €1.3 billion will be spent in support of children with Special Educational Needs this year, which represents approximately 15% of my Department's budget. The equivalent proportion of expenditure from 2007 to 2010 was approx. 10%, 10%, 11% and 14% each year while from 2011 to present it represented approximately 15% of my Departments expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Statistics (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The administrative resources necessary to obtain the information requested by the Deputy are not available in my Department at present.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Work is underway in the NCCA on the development of a new integrated English and Irish specification at primary level. The NCCA has consulted on their work so far which is focussed on junior infant classes through to second class. The findings of the consultation are informing the development of the curriculum. It is expected that the new curriculum will be available to schools from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (21 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 506 to 513, inclusive, together. As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was...