Results 10,641-10,660 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that a conveyancing process is underway with regard to the acquisition of lands adjacent to the school referred to by the Deputy. This acquisition is primarily aimed at facilitating access to the adjacent school. My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic review to determine where additional primary school places might be needed from 2015 onwards. On foot...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: With regard to the areas referred to by the Deputy (Cobh, Carrigtwohill, Midleton and Youghal) the following are the sites registered in the Property Registration Authority in the name of the Minister for Education and Skills: 17 acres - Youghal (Pobailscoil na Tríonóide/Youghal Community School) 0.6 acres - Youghal (Gaelscoil Choráin).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In Autumn 2014, CIT and IT Tralee, who had been allocated €200,000 in 2014, reported jointly on expenditure of this funding to the Higher Education Authority. In general the funding was applied to costs associated with the due diligence process €58,999.38), analysis of structures for management and governance (€21,800.19), travel costs (€2365.11) and overheads...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Retirements (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The person to whom the Deputy refers made application for retirement on ill-health grounds and availed of the appeal process, in accordance with the procedure outlined in documentation provided to applicants and available on my Department's website: www.education.ie. The statutory basis for Ill Health Retirement pension benefit for members is contained in the Secondary, Community and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Tax relief is available in respect of fees for part-time courses. Students can contact the Revenue Commissioners for details or go on line at www.revenue.ie. Full details of this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. Under the Student Grant Scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 522 together. The information sought is being compiled at present and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government is committed to delivering a wide ranging reform programme in higher education to enhance the quality of research, teaching and engagement. Restructuring the system and in particular the establishment of Technological Universities forms a key part of the reform programme. As you are aware, recently Waterford IT announced that they were suspending moves towards merger with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the total capital funding issued in the period 2009 to 2014 in respect of the schools referred to by the Deputy amounted to over €420,000 in the case of the first named school and to over €225,000 in the case of the other school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In 2013 my Department approved a devolved grant to provide additional accommodation at the school to which the Deputy refers. The project is at an advanced stage and is nearing completion. My Department is currently analysing the latest demographic data on a nationwide basis to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation might be needed from 2016 onwards. This process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Administration (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of major school projects to meet significant demographic demand nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 528 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's policy focuses on ensuring that all children with special educational needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs and abilities. A range of placement options for pupils with special educational needs is provided, in order to ensure that all pupils can receive a school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. It is schools that employ teachers and not my Department. However my Department has issued a number of Circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Under these Circulars...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While it is intended that the school to which the Deputy refers will be located in the North Wicklow area, the school is being established to meet a demographic demand in the Bray, Kilternan and Ballybrack/Shankill school feeder areas. Priority in the school's enrolment policy will be required to be given to pupils from those areas. It would be expected that this will be reflected in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Campuses (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The delivery of the proposed new Education Campus in Carrigaline, Co Cork has been devolved to Cork Education & Training Board. The project was recently approved to proceed to Stage 2b (Detailed Design), which involves obtaining planning permission, fire certificate, disability access certificate and the completion of tender documents. Subject to the planning process it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language School Accreditation (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The judgment in relation to legal proceedings challenging some aspects of the planned reforms to international education was received last week. The range of options that are available to progress the reforms in a manner consistent with the High Court decision and without prejudice to a possible appeal are being considered by the Department of Justice and Equality in conjunction with my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre (ERC) and the Inspectorate of my Department, the reports of which are available on my Department's website – A consolidated report on DEIS commissioned in 2014 is currently underway. This report will incorporate information in relation to the various...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 and 535 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that total capital funding to the schools referred to by the Deputy in the period 2007 to 2014 amounted to over €1.05 million in one school and over €620,000 in the case of the other school. In the case of the first school, the amount issued included over €0.8 million in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project has been authorised to proceed to Stage 2B of Architectural Planning, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. It is not possible to progress all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (20 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As of the 14th of January 2015, SUSI has confirmed that a total of 71,909 applicants have been awarded their grant. Of this figure a total of 67,443 applicants have been paid their grant and 4,466 have yet to be paid. At any one point in time, the number of students awarded a grant is likely to be somewhat higher than the number of students in receipt of a grant payment. Delays can...