Results 11,401-11,420 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware the economic circumstances of the country were such that a staffing moratorium was introduced across the public sector by the previous Government in 2009. Currently the moratorium in the public service remains in place and community and comprehensive schools are subject to it. Accordingly, the Department of Education and Skills is not in a position to sanction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Exchequer provides free fees funding in respect of eligible students who are attending full-time undergraduate approved courses of study under my Department's free fees schemes. Under the schemes students must be 'attending' courses in order for that course to be considered an approved course. Online courses, therefore by their definition are not considered approved courses under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers has submitted a major capital application to my Department that involves the replacement of an existing school building, the provision of a new school building extension and substantial refurbishment works. The school were advised that the Department was not in position to indicate when a major project for the school can be progressed,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that a site visit in respect of the schools in question was undertaken in December 2014. In the past week, my Departments technical staff revisited the schools to gather further information and the position is currently being considered. My Department will be in contact with the school authority concerned shortly to discuss the next steps in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced I am not proposing to change the way teachers are allocated to schools to support 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....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Further to my response to question no. 2756/15 of 20th January 2015 the Deputy will be aware that, in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (5 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving any correspondence relating to the matter in question. In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. In the case of some existing schools, the provision of adequate on-site parking may be compromised by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing Appeals Mechanism (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. The processing of individual applications is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Engagement with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) is ongoing between officials in my Department and a number of other Government Departments and Agencies to discuss the challenges raised by the CIF in relation to apprentices in the Construction Sector, particularly in the so-called 'wet trades'. My Department and SOLAS are committed to meeting the off the job training costs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Services for People with Disabilities (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down syndrome, including pupils with mild general learning difficulties, are entitled to receive additional teaching support. Support is provided from a school's General Allocation Model (GAM) hours, or from an allocation of additional resource teacher hours allocated to schools by the NCSE. In the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 469 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for approving special classes/units. In that regard, I understand that the school in question has consulted with the NCSE and it is currently reviewing special needs provision in schools in the area concerned. Should the NCSE approve...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While my Department has no plans at the moment to acquire the school in question, it is currently engaged in a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional post-primary school accommodation may be needed from 2016 onwards. The area where the school is located is included in this review. When this exercise has been completed, arrangements will be made to make additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely, SIPTU and IMPACT, have signed up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that in any particular academic year SOLAS advises the Higher Education Authority (HEA) of the requirement for Phase 4 and 6 apprenticeship training provision. The HEA then apportions this requirement to the relevant Institutes of Technology. Currently eleven Institutes of Technology provide the capacity to deliver Phase 4 and Phase 6 apprenticeship training. SOLAS is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. It is important that the school management authority requests parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any pupil attending. Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to confirm for the Deputy that the school to which she refers submitted a proposal to my Department relating to its existing accommodation. I understand that my Department has written to the school's Patron on two occasions seeking further information and that a response is awaited. The proposal can be considered further following receipt of the Patron's response.