Results 12,921-12,940 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 and school personnel in preventing and tackling...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 583 together. There are now more additional teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) supporting children with special educational needs in our schools than at any time previously. The NCSE allocated 6,454 resource teacher posts to schools for September 2015, which is an increase of 554 posts - or 9.4% - since September 2014. Details of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year are set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department's website. The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16 school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also the improved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year are set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department's website. The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16 school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also the improved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year are set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department's website. The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16 school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also the improved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My recent announcement of two new policy measures to better support the sustainability of small schools clearly shows my support for the smaller schools. The first measure provides for improved teacher retention thresholds to be introduced for some small schools commencing in the next school year. It also provides for an improved teacher appointment threshold for isolated one-teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 589 and 590 together. I appreciate that there are concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students in certain parts of the country and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. The HEA are currently working on a draft report on student accommodation which will be available shortly and will give us an up to date picture...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for the replacement of a school gymnasium with a new facility. As the Deputy will be aware, the school's request must be considered in the context of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in my Department's Five Year Capital investment programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoileanna Issues (30 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: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (30 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am informed by SUSI that it received circa 104,000 applications for the 2014/15 academic year. As at 26th June 2015, 51 applications for the 2014/15 academic year have yet to be finalised. Of these, SUSI is awaiting documentation from the applicant in 33 cases, with the remaining 18 cases currently being reviewed by SUSI. The majority of these cases have already received a decision from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Chaplaincy Positions (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The position regarding School Chaplain posts which are paid by the State is set out in Circular 0025/2013 . Such posts are regarded as teaching posts and, therefore, those appointed to them must be registered teachers. The terms and conditions of teachers employed in Oireachtas funded teaching posts are agreed at the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) and are of general application to all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department recently approved additional funding for the extension project to which he refers. The project has been devolved to the Education Training Board for delivery and it will be a matter for the ETB determine a commencement date. I am aware that it was necessary for the ETB to retender the project owing to the withdrawal of an original tenderer.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The issue raised by the Deputy would only have an impact of the grades of Service Officer and Cleaner at my Department as the other grades are in receipt of salaries that exceed the threshold of €11.45 mentioned by the Deputy. The staff presently engaged at my Department as Services Officer and Cleaner are on salaries at the higher end of the scale which exceeds a rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Suicide Prevention (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that Connecting for Life, the new national strategic framework to reduce suicide 2015-2020, was launched earlier this month by the Government. The lead Department for this initiative is the Department of Health. Contained within this document are a number of commitments from various Government Departments and agencies. In respect of the higher education sector, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided a purpose built building for the school in question in 2008. My Department, therefore, has no plans to replace the building in the foreseeable future.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Awareness (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My 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 who might be considered within the broad term of mental health difficulties. The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has recently disseminated €7m in grants to 450 post primary schools for the purchase of computers for use in Design and Communication Graphics (DCG). My Department has also made arrangements for the purchase and provision of CAD Software for Schools. There is an appeals process in place for schools who are unhappy with their allocation under the scheme. Appeals must...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The funding arrangements made by my Department for post primary schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding. My Department provides funding to Community and Comprehensive schools on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil numbers, but also take into account...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I appreciate that there are concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students in certain parts of the country and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. The HEA are currently working on a draft report on student accommodation which will be available shortly and will give us an up to date picture of the situation. In that context, I will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (1 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in...