Results 9,781-9,800 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis.My main priority for any additional resources for the foreseeable future will be to cater for the continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system. We have a growing population of young people in this country and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Local Authority Leases (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department understands that there is a lease between the organisation, referred to by the Deputy, and Cork City Council. Leasing arrangements between Cork City Council and the organisation, in question, are not a matter for my Department and I am therefore not in a position to comment on those arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Designation (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The key priority of my Department at present is to continue to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of disadvantage. In the current economic climate this means that there is no scope for any additionality to the DEIS programme. As the Deputy may be aware, DEIS is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre (ERC) and my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing arrangements for the current school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is available on the Department website. The school referred to by the Deputy has a staffing of Principal and 15 classroom teachers in the current school year based on an enrolment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Work and diary commitments would not facilitate a visit to Co. Kerry such as outlined by the Deputy.The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2014/2015 school year is set out in the Staffing Schedule (Circular 0007/2014) which is available on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the school in question was allocated a devolved grant to provide significant additional permanent accommodation comprising 3 mainstream classrooms and 7 resource teaching rooms. Additional funding was subsequently approved to address traffic management at the school. The devolved project has been completed and the final instalment of the grant was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 30th September. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Circular 0007/2014, which is available on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 175 to 177, inclusive, together. The cumulative savings achieved to date from the 2012 small schools budget measure are of the order of €20m. The number of posts lost and not gained as a result of the increased pupil threshold is of the order of 160 posts. This gives an indication of the overall costs involved in relation to restoring teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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. Circular 0007/2014 sets out the criteria for the allocation of teaching posts to primary schools for the 2014/2015 school year and is available on the website. The staffing schedule also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Value for Money Reviews (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am currently reviewing the report of the value for money review of small primary school provision. As the organisation of school provision is of general importance to communities, it is appropriate that the Government collectively considers the report's findings and recommendations. As soon as this collective consideration is complete, the report will be published on my Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a continuum of special educational provision to be made available for children with special educational needs, so that regardless of the level of need of the child, educational provision can be made for them. This includes the provision of mainstream educational placements, special classes, or special school placements for those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Libraries (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that €10m will be made available next year for the library project to which he refers. This project is designed to meet requirements for additional library space and information services at the institution. The project in question is one of the three major capital projects in Irish universities which will benefit from the €20m of funding in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware my Department appointed Contractors Administration Services (CAS), to conduct random audits on school building projects. CAS have been requested to carry out a full monitoring service for the duration of the contract at the school in question. Should irregularities be uncovered in terms of non-compliance with relevant employment law, enforcement and prosecution falls...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The management of personal finance is an important life skill which must be practised by everyone, young and old. To enable students to understand financial management skills as they apply to households and businesses both the current Junior Certificate Business Studies and Leaving Certificate business syllabuses include learning outcomes that focus on budgeting and financial management....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Some €15.6m was spent on renting prefab accommodation at primary level in 2013. €20.35m has been allocated in 2014 to cover the rental of temporary accommodation at primary and post-primary level, including – but not limited to - prefabricated accommodation. While the overall allocation for the Department's Vote in 2015 has now been decided upon, the breakdown of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 to 188, inclusive, together. Details of Primary and Post Primary schools in counties Galway and Roscommon that have rented prefab accommodation, together with the number of rented units and annual rental cost is attached for the Deputy's attention. There are currently no schools in Leitrim renting prefab accommodation being funded by my Department. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Permanent accommodation for the school in question is warranted to meet what continues to be a strong demand for primary education through the medium of Irish in the area served by the school in question. As well as teaching through the medium of Irish, the school is the only multi-denominational provider in the area. While enrolments may have decreased in some schools in the area since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18 June 2014. The NCSE, consulted widely with education partners, representatives of the disability sector, stakeholders and parent representative groups, during the course of the development of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (22 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. The Deputy will be aware that the establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers...