Results 12,961-12,980 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant assessing authority, i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the assessing authority decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department by submitting an appeal form...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, 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. All schools...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department had discussions on this matter with senior representatives of the Catholic Church. The Catholic School Patrons and my Department agreed that it was essential to engage in planning for change. In order to advance the matter, my Department agreed that it would explore the range of issues involved by identifying specific geographical areas where a change of patronage might be...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Higher Education Grants Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Under the scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. There are no plans at present to extend the scope of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The eligibility requirements for student grants, including those relating to nationality, are set out annually in the relevant grant schemes drawn up by my Department. Under the terms of the Higher Education Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) Courses. The Higher Education Grant Scheme is...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the current difficult economic circumstances have necessitated tough choices to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In these circumstances, from September 2010, as announced in the Budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses,...

Written Answers — Fuel Charges: Fuel Charges (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has sought clarification from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in relation to the issue in question and has been informed that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the independent body responsible for the regulation of Bord Gáis BG) Energy's tariffs and pricing structures from small domestic customers to large industrial sites. Under the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In connection with Saint Patrick's Day, 2010, my predecessor as Minister for Education and Science, Minister O'Keeffe travelled to Japan/Korea on a working visit from the 10th to 18th March accompanied by three persons in the party to promote bilateral and trade relations. A new element of this year's traditional overseas visits for St Patrick's Day was the Government's focus on strengthening...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under my Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The process of assessing eligibility for third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. The average waiting time for the processing of grant applications varies between the 66 awarding bodies depending on a number of variables including the volume of applications received, staffing resources and whether or not properly completed application forms...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy is set out below and provides the number of new applications which are awaiting decisions as at 5th March 2010. This information has been supplied to my Department by the local authorities. As at the 5th March 2010 there were 1,879 new applications awaiting decisions of which 1,865 had documentation outstanding and 14 had yet to be processed. It is...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that both local authorities and VECs are experiencing pressures due to the increased workload associated with the increased demand for student grants, particularly in the context of the recruitment moratorium in the public sector which, in some instances, will have impacted on the processing of grants. However, every effort is being made by these bodies to ensure that...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The number of inspectors employed within the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science on the 31 December 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010 is shown below. 31/12/07 - 166 31/12/08 - 154 31/12/09 - 133 20/04/10 - 133 Since the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the Public Service was introduced on 27th March 2009 the number of inspectors in my Department has fallen...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The project was approved to progress to stage 2(a) in May 2009. A stage 2(a) submission was received from the school's Design Team in March 2010 and is currently being reviewed by my Department. In light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school referred to by her recently received approval for a grant to carry out building and renovation works, proposed by the school, to cater for their enrolments for September 2010.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: All primary schools were allocated Learning Support/Resource Teaching support through the General Allocation Model. These teaching resources were provided in order to enable schools provide additional teaching support to pupils who have learning support needs or who have been assessed as having a high incidence disability. Prior to the introduction of the General Allocation Model, schools...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (21 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that applications have been received from three higher education institutions for designation as Universities; Waterford Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology. The issue of university designation does not just affect the institutions and the regions from which applications have been received; it also impacts on the future...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (21 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware the Teaching Council has statutory responsibility for the determination of the education, training and qualifications required for a person to be registered as a teacher. The requirements for registration with the Teaching Council are set out in its 2009 Registration Regulations and, in relation to the post-primary sector, the key qualifications requirements are: a...

Written Answers — Fee Paying Schools: Fee Paying Schools (21 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The schools referred to by the Deputy fall into two categories, namely, private fee paying schools which are recognised by my Department and private fee paying schools which are not. Capital works in private schools which are not recognised by the Department are not funded by the Department. Catholic fee paying schools recognised by the Department receive 50% of the costs of any capital...