Results 11,201-11,220 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down's syndrome, including such pupils in the mild range, currently are entitled to receive additional teaching support. Such support is provided either from a school's allocation of Learning Support or Resource Teaching under the General Allocation Model (GAM), or from an allocation of additional resource...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology for pupils in Primary, Post-Primary and Special schools for personal computers and specialist software for educational purposes under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013. This Circular states that equipment is provided under this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together. The annual costs in respect of section 29 appeals lodged in my Department was €280,000 last year. This figure represents the costs of appeals throughout the country. The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available. I can confirm however that last year there were 411 appeals lodged in my Department. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Student Assistance Fund is a component of the Third Level Access Measure which is managed on behalf of my Department by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and comprises two sub-priorities: the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. The Student Assistance Fund is administered on a local basis by participating higher education institutions and targets those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available. Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Expenditure (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The matter is under examination in my Department with a view to compiling the information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that payslips are issued to an average of 98,000 school employees/pensioners, every fortnight. In 2014, the cost of postage for these payslips was approx. €1.3m. While it had been planned to implement online payslips for school employees/pensioners by end 2014, it has not been possible to progress same, due to other priorities that arose. These priorities included the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Catholic Archdiocese has been able to offer an actual school building for use by an alternative Patron in Castlebar under the patronage divesting process. The building in question is located in the Burren area. I understand that an arrangement may have been in place with a local group for some use of the building in question. My Department will be fully exploring this matter on a local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools. While a small number of these staff remain in schools, the schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive grant scheme. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down's syndrome, including such pupils with mild general learning difficulties, currently are entitled to receive additional teaching support. Such support is provided either from a school's allocation of Learning Support or Resource Teaching under the General Allocation Model (GAM), or from an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Staff (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While the Higher Education Authority (HEA) routinely gathers information on staffing levels in the institutes of technology, it does not currently compile information on a headcount basis. As part of its "Data and Knowledge Management Strategy for Higher Education 2015-2018", the HEA has committed to the development of a staff database for the higher education sector which will expand on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In February 2012 the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of 4 mainstream permanent classrooms. The school authorities have sought additional funding for a new waste water treatment system on the basis that the existing septic tank at the school is non-compliant with Environmental Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A severance payment totalling €45,836 was paid to a former Special Adviser in 2014 in respect of her service to the former Minister for Education & Skills. The three persons mentioned in the Deputy's question were not engaged at any time as Special Advisers at my Department.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The full text of Dr. Travers' proposal document is available on my Department's website. Both sides were asked to confirm whether they accepted or rejected this as a basis for agreement. While the proposal put forward by Dr. Travers requires significant further compromise on my part, I indicated to Dr Travers that I am prepared to accept it as a basis for agreement. In doing so, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is regrettable that I must proceed without the full agreement of the teaching unions but they are not the only partners in education. The other partners want us to proceed with these reforms. Some of those engaged with the media yesterday. Dr. Travers stated that he intended his proposals to be the basis for agreement, not further negotiation. It is the teaching unions that have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wonder what the Fianna Fáil approach to reform is. A former Fianna Fáil Minister has joined the fray and suggested that I completely roll over and accept what the teaching unions are saying. However, they are not the only partners in education. It is not true to say that further CPD for English teachers has not been offered. It is available and our people are ready to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy O'Brien for the question. In regard to the technological university process, detailed plans were submitted to the Higher Education Authority, HEA, early last year by two consortiums of institutes of technology in Munster and in Dublin. Plans have been assessed by an international expert panel appointed by the HEA to be on a clear trajectory to meet the performance and quality...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In terms of them moving forward, as the Deputy knows, the assessment was carried out by an international independent panel. It said they were on a clear trajectory to meet the very robust performance and quality criteria set down and was of the view at that stage of the process that they were on the trajectory to reach the final step. In regard to the financing of the proposals, the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I repeat that they were considered to be on the trajectory when they were assessed in the earlier stages. The governing bodies of the institutions and the institutions are responsible for driving and moving forward this initiative.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Interested parties in any part of the country could have applied for this status. They knew exactly what was expected of them to reach the final point. They chose to engage in the process. The HEA is the intermediary in assisting them to reach that target. It is engaged in ongoing consultations with all of the consortiums. I would not be pessimistic about it as there is a determination...