Results 11,261-11,280 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Reading Recovery is a literacy initiative that was initially made available for DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 schools only as part of Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, which was launched in May 2005. Each of these schools was given an opportunity to have a teacher trained as a Reading Recovery teacher. In some areas where training took...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Over €2.2 billion in funding is being invested by my Department under its Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan (2012 – 2016). Over €1.5 billion of this is being allocated for the funding of major school building projects. The balance is being used for the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the Emergency Works Scheme and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Preschool Services (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The principle vehicle for delivery of pre-school education is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which was introduced in January 2010 by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and provides early learning to children in the year before they commence primary school. I consider this to be a comprehensive pre-school education system with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that both parties involved in the dispute at the school in question have accepted a Labour Court recommendation and agreement has been reached to end the current dispute which I warmly welcome and wish to thank all involved for engaging meaningfully in the resolution process. Late last year I met with all Unions representing construction workers involved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: When the new building for the post-primary school to which the Deputy refers is delivered it will have capacity for 1,000 pupils. The Deputy will be aware that a second post-primary school for the area opened last September and this too will have capacity for 1,000 pupils when its new building is delivered and when it is a fully developed school. Both of these schools would be expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Education Review (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently announced that I am not proposing to change the way teachers are allocated to schools for children with Special Educational Needs for the coming school year. In taking this decision, I have been guided by the advice of the NCSE Working Group report, which recommended sufficient time be allowed for consultation before the new model is implemented. Through consultations, there was a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Schools are contributing to the 'Healthy Ireland' agenda of the Department of Health and supported by my Department. The results of the last Lifeskills survey, published by my Department in 2014, indicate that 96% of post primary schools are involved in sporting activities outside of school time and the vast majority encourage physical activity during break times. However, the survey also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Munster consortium consisting of Cork IT and IT Tralee submitted a plan towards merger to the HEA in 2014. This was assessed by an international expert panel appointed by the HEA and found to be on a clear trajectory to meet the very robust performance and quality criteria that have been set down for merging institutes who wish to apply for the new technological university status. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Education Review (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently announced that I am not proposing to change the way teachers are allocated to schools for children with Special Educational Needs for the coming school year. In taking this decision, I have been guided by the advice of the NCSE Working Group report, which recommended sufficient time be allowed for consultation before the new model is implemented. Through consultations, there was a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Qualifications (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A considerable amount of work has been done on occupational profiles in early childhood care and education. This culminated in the 2002 publication of Quality Childcare and Lifelong Learning: A Model Framework for Education, Training and Professional Development. This Model Framework identified a number of occupational profiles and associated skills/attributes depending on the role of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 493 together. It is important to be clear that it is a parent who decides the religious denomination of their child. It is not a decision of a school. Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Exemptions (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated devolved funding for the provision of 2 mainstream classroom and a resource room under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme in 2014. The school authorities recently sought additional funding towards this building project. My Department's Planning and Building Unit has sought further clarification from the school authority and this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that students with a special educational need, including those with an autism spectrum disorder, have a range of options available to them in the higher and further education sectors. Some students choose to participate in educational programmes through further adult educational programmes or in adult settings. While the Department of Health and Children/Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school referred to by the Deputy is located on Valentia Island which is situated on the west coast of the country. The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is strongly supportive of the promotion of positive mental health awareness in schools. The Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with the broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and social. The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The first step in the establishment of the school in question is the determination of a patron to operate the school. This process, which is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group, has commenced. The closing date for the receipt of applications from Patrons and prospective Patrons is the 20th March 2015. I will announce the outcome of this process as soon as the application process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that an application for redundancy has been received by my Department relating to the person referred to by the Deputy. Further information is required in relation to the application and officials from my Department are in contact with the Principal of the Royal and Prior College regarding same. Once the relevant information is received, the application will be processed by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have recently announced the establishment of a new Inclusion support Service within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The new service will include the Special Education Support Service, the National Behavioural Support Service and the Visiting Teacher Service. Work has now commenced on issues arising from this decision. If individual members of the services have...