Results 10,041-10,060 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers submitted an application for window replacement works under the 2014 Summer Works Scheme. Commensurate with the level of funding set aside for the Scheme, applications were assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the Circular accompanying the Scheme. Unfortunately, due to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular Letter 0062/2013 which was published, as the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2013/2014 issued last November in the amount of €28m, states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". At this time there is no funding available within my Department's 2014 financial allocation for the payment of the 2014/2015 Minor Works Grant. On the announcement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Parents' Council (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Parents Councils referred to by the Deputy are funded by my Department. The annual funding is made up of two elements; a core grant to support the councils in their day-to-day operations and a grant to meet the cost of the councils training activities. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. Table 1: National Parents Council (primary), Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Unions (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provides funding to the Irish Second Level Student Union (ISSU) as follows: For the 2013/14 academic year a sum of €18,000 was allocated. This was paid in two instalments. For the 2014/15 academic year a sum of €40,000 has been sanctioned. One instalment has been allocated. Funding for 2015/16 will be considered on foot of an application for same from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria for the recognition of new schools specifies that a patron must confirm willingness to enrol children from the area for which the Department has identified the need for the school. In this regard, the school referred to by the Deputy was established to help meet the demographic increases in the general Dublin 2 and Dublin 4 areas. The reason for this requirement in the criteria...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that the school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for a General Purpose room. In addition, my Department has been liaising also with the school concerned in relation to its special needs accommodation and in that regard a further application for the provision of additional Special Education Support (SET) rooms is expected shortly. In view of the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (18 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware of the allegations concerning the private college to which the Deputy refers. The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service is pursuing these allegations with the stated owners of the college. The Department of Justice and Equality requires all colleges seeking to deliver programmes to non-EEA national students to abide by the conditions as laid down by the immigration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 significant care needs whereby they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together. I can confirm that the proposed project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently under review. Given the scale of the project, a further site visit is to be undertaken shortly by officials from my Department's Professional and Technical Section. This will allow an informed decision to be taken by my Department on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Work is currently under way on the new digital strategy for schools. A number of research projects have taken place including an online census of teachers and principals, a public consultation process and focus groups with students, parents and teachers. A consultative paper on the use of ICT for teaching, learning and assessment has been published. The strategy development process includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Details of the number of instances where serious shortcomings in relation to school facilities were identified by inspectors in the course of their work, and brought to the attention of the Department's Planning and Building Unit in the period, are not readily to hand but will be compiled and provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular Letter 0062/2013 which was published, as the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2013/2014 issued last November in the amount of €28m, states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". The focus under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 is on meeting the demand for additional school places. At this time there is no funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fire Safety (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and my Department's Planning and Building Unit would generally not be involved in direct communication with Fire Officers in relation fire safety issues in school buildings. Most school building projects require an application for a Fire Cert as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Asbestos Remediation Programme (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Details of Emergency Works applications requesting funding for the removal of asbestos from Primary and Post Primary, together with the outcome of these applications, is outlined in the attached table. Applications prior to the 1st January 2013 were dealt with by the Office of Public Works on behalf of my Department under the Asbestos Remediation programme. In addition to the above when a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the project to provide a new building for the primary school to which she refers was included in my Department's 5 Year School Building Plan and listed among those to proceed to construction in 2015/2016. Officials from my Department have been working very closely with officials from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to secure a suitable site for the school....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular Letter 0062/2013 which was published, as the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2013/2014 issued last November in the amount of €28m, states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". The focus under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 is on meeting the demand for additional school places. At this time there is no funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: New schools are set up to meet identified demographic needs in specific geographic areas. For that reason, the criteria for the recognition of new schools specifies that a patron must confirm willingness to enrol children from the area for which the Department has identified the need. This is to ensure that children for whom the school was set up can have access to a school place and that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware the school referred to was approved a devolved grant in June 2014 to provide an additional two mainstream classrooms. The school in question reverted to my Department in late October seeking an increase in funding for additional mainstream classroom accommodation. In that regard, my Department has sought additional information from the school and when this is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (19 Nov 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160, 161 and 163 together. There is no scope to reverse this budget measure. Since September 2012 guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. In this way principals have discretion to balance guidance needs with the pressures to provide subject choice. My Department helped shelter the impact...