Results 10,361-10,380 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commemorative Plaques (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the proposed Memorial, which was to be integrated with the Garden of Remembrance, in November 2013. Subsequently, the Memorial Committee advised that the Journey of Light proposal was not transferable to another site as it is inextricably linked with the Garden of Remembrance. Neither did it consider that the Board's decision should be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the application from the school, in question, is currently being further assessed and my Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities concerned shortly.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank members of the select sub-committee for this opportunity to discuss my Department’s requirement for a Supplementary Estimate of €103 million for 2014. As stated by the Chairman, a briefing in this regard has been circulated to members, and I therefore propose to keep this opening statement brief. The Supplementary Estimate sought will increase my Department’s...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: What happened is that the moneys were lodged into the banks in 2013 but were not available to teachers and pensioners until 2014. The view then of the Comptroller and Auditor General was that the funding should more properly have been accounted for in 2014. It will have no knock-on effects. As I said earlier, taking the two years together, there will be zero effect.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are, in terms of what is being done now, correcting both.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I was not Minister for Education and Skills at the time, but my understanding is that a view was taken that because the money was paid into the banks in 2013 it could be accounted for in 2013. However, the Comptroller and Auditor General took a different view and felt it should be accounted for in 2014. I understand a similar problem arose in two other Departments. As the pay date was 2...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes. It relates to teachers' retirement and salaries.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Provision for teachers' salaries in primary, secondary, comprehensive, community and ETB schools amounts to €3.674 billion in 2014. This provides for some 62,000 teachers and 1,380 additional posts, including 300 additional resource teaching posts. Given the amount of money involved, it is extremely difficult to be exact for every subhead. When the Estimates are settled, the aim is...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It can be quite difficult to forecast the actual numbers, because teachers can retire at any time between the ages of 50 and 65. Statistics show that only 10% of teachers retire on age grounds - they retire across the age spectrum for a variety of reasons. In 2012 more than 3,300 teachers retired, but in 2013 only 1,670 retired. The figures vary from year to year and, obviously, the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is about forecasting. One tries to be as accurate as possible, but the numbers are variable. The Department does its best to forecast the numbers each year. There have been various grace periods in recent years and they have affected teachers' decisions on retirement and made it harder to predict retirement figures.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes, although obviously new teachers enter the system.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes; it would be offset.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A number of them are already in the system and will get the more permanent, long-term positions. There are new numbers because the demographics are taken care of, but there is a constant flow of retirement and recruitment. Vacancies arising on retirement are filled.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The figures apply across the country, and teachers are required to give three months' notice.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The actual date of retirement is 31 August - the end of the summer holiday, in other words. Once notice is given, a new teacher is brought in for the beginning of the school year.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Some teachers are employed on short-term contracts, and the aim is to get them into contracts of indefinite duration as quickly as possible. Many teachers begin on temporary contracts, and that is an issue in the teaching profession. An expert group was set up by my predecessor to address the issue of permanency for teachers and I hope to implement its recommendations by the start of the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We do not want that to happen and it is something we are trying to eradicate from the system.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are now redeployment panels that supply teachers for available posts.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Retired teachers are not supposed to be brought back.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary) (10 Dec 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Department has a good idea of what is happening in terms of panels and so on. The rehiring of retired teachers is discouraged because we want to create opportunities for young teachers, as many feel insecure in their positions. This is why the group I mentioned was formed and requested to make recommendations. We monitor the practices of schools to ensure they recruit younger teachers...