Results 12,201-12,220 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project to provide permanent accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at Stage 2a (Developed Design) of the architectural planning process. A tender exercise for a replacement Consultant Mechanical and Electrical Engineer has become necessary in order to complete the stage 2(a) design. This tender exercise is currently in progress and the closing date...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Increment Payments (7 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested by the deputy is not readily available as it is not possible to easily isolate salary adjustments due to increments from other salary adjustments and to obtain this information from across the education sector. To obtain the financial information requested would require a disproportionate amount of effort relative to the resources available.

Topical Issues: English Language Training Organisations (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank both Deputies for raising this issue and share their concern for the students affected by the closures. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien has said 14 such schools have closed, but according to my figures, there have been 16 confirmed private English language school closures since April 2014 and approximately 5,000, mainly non-EEA, students have been affected. There was a disturbing level of...

Topical Issues: English Language Training Organisations (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We certainly want to fix this and regulate the process as quickly as possible. That is why we announced the measures last year but, unfortunately, there was a court case taken and we had to address the issues raised by the decision of the court. It is important to reiterate that the vast majority of private providers of English language training in the State operate to a high standard. It...

Topical Issues: English Language Training Organisations (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There would be a scheme in place whereby when the students pay money, it would be protected. We have not yet brought the recommendations to the Government. That is among the areas being examined, as well as what was announced in autumn last year that, unfortunately, were challenged in court. Along with my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, I want to get...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a devolved grant has been approved for works required to facilitate the amalgamation of the schools in question. The Patron and all other relevant parties have been notified in recent days that the amalgamation has been approved and will take effect from September 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Expenditure (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is an operational matter for the Tipperary Education and Training Board and I have asked them to contact the deputy directly in relation to his question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 526 and 554 together. The position is that my Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions including Trinity College Dublin. The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third-level admissions scheme for students with a disability. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves. Further details in relation to the DARE scheme including the eligibility criteria, closing dates and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school referred to by the Deputy has contacted my Department in relation to its school accommodation. My Department has been in contact with the school concerned in respect of their proposal and will continue to liaise with them in that regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has been in direct contact with the school, in question, and has explained that it considers the school has sufficient accommodation to meet its current needs. As the Deputy will appreciate, in view of the financial constraints within which my Department is operating, the position is that priority is being given to school applications for essential mainstream classroom accommodation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Transition Year Selection Process (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Transition Year (TY) is a one-year programme designed to act as a bridge between the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate programmes. It is available to all second level schools. The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year Programme in that school. In some schools, the programme is compulsory for all students....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are no plans at present to introduce Computing / IT as a full curriculum subject for the Leaving Certificate. The focus in schools is on using ICT as a tool in learning guided by the ICT curriculum framework developed by the NCCA. This is supported by digital content on the scoilnet website, by professional development programmes for teachers and by investment in ICT infrastructure....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 May 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: Education and Training Boards Expenditure (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is an operational matter for the Tipperary Education and Training Board and I have asked them to contact the deputy directly in relation to his question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: To satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another, where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course. The objective of this policy is to help as many students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: For the Deputy's information, following the enactment of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012, the Education Finance Board was dissolved in March 2013 and Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board was established. The body is funded from the contributions of the religious congregations offered in response to the request for additional contributions, following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (12 May 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding has been approved for universal access works at the school in question and the school authority has been notified.