Results 12,561-12,580 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ombudsman for Children Remit (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no plans to appoint an Ombudsman for Education. The Ombudsman for Children has responsibility for the investigation of complaints relating to children, whether in relation to the administrative actions of my Department, or of schools or other institutions in the education sector. The Office of the Ombudsman has a related responsibility for the investigation of complaints in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. A framework involving more providers was put in place in 2012 which ensures that improved solutions are being made available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (10 Jun 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: School Costs (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is existing policy to equalise the gap in funding between post-primary schools in the different sectors and progress was made in the years up to 2009 and the economic downturn. The equalisation policy was implemented through incremental improvement in the funding of voluntary secondary schools compared to others, by year on year improvements in the Schools Services Support Fund (a per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is my Departments main policy instrument for tackling educational disadvantage. The recently published ESRI report on "Learning from the Evaluation of DEIS" which was commissioned by my Department, draws together the learning to date from the implementation of DEIS and identifies some of the challenges for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware that a number of universities have announced increases to the price of campus accommodation for the next academic year. I appreciate the concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. Data gathered for the report is currently being validated by the HEA in consultation with my Department and...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Expenditure supporting pupils with special educational needs in 2015 will amount to over €1.3bn. This year we have again increased the number of Resource Teachers and SNAs which will be allocated to schools, while over 120 new special classes will open for 2015/16 school year. 6,454 resource teacher posts will be allocated to schools for the start of the coming school year, which...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. A Common Application System (CAS) was agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The position is that higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in the case of postgraduate study is a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria. Tax relief is available on postgraduate tuition fees paid. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently completing the Design Team appointment process. Upon completion of the appointment of the Design Team, my Department Officials will be in direct contact with the Board of Management to commence Stage 1 of Architectural Planning, which is the initial sketch design stage. It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of Architectural Planning. Following the Pre Stage 1 meeting held in November 2014, the project was authorised to progress to Stage 2A, which is the developed sketch design stage. Upon successful completion of Stage 2A and subject to no issues arising, this project will then be authorised to proceed...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. My Department will revert directly to the Deputy in these matters.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170, 181 and 182 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that details of all applications for major capital funding may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this is updated regularly. The Deputy will be aware that over €2.2 billion in funding is being invested by my Department under its Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171, 172, 180 and 183 together. The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including pupils in Co. Kildare, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Many pupils with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60m during 2015. This funding will be used to provide 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs for our schools, as well as to fund...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoileanna Issues (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently examining the extent and location of additional post-primary places that will be needed on a nationwide basis from 2017 onwards. This will include an examination of the north Kildare area. A submission received from a Patron body in relation to all-Irish provision in north Kildare will be taken into consideration as part of this examination. In the meantime, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is very aware of the importance of small schools to rural communities, and particularly the most dispersed and remote communities. To sustain such communities, I recently announced two new policy measures. The first measure provides for improved changes to the staffing schedule for small schools that are more than 8 km distant from the next nearest school of the same type of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together. There is no requirement on schools to report bullying incidents to my Department. The Deputy will be aware that my Department published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. These procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is the body charged with advising the Minister on curriculum and assessment matters related to early childhood, primary and post-primary education. The NCCA, as a statutory body, keeps the curriculum under review with a view to contributing to education standards generally, as well as to specific aspects of social, cultural and economic...