Results 13,121-13,140 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that officials in my Department have been working with officials from Meath County Council in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent site for the school to which he refers. Subsequent to appraisal of options, a suitable site option has been identified and is being progressed. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The building project to which the Deputy refers is currently under construction. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in the second quarter of 2016 at which stage it will be handed over to the school authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has written to the school in question relating to the matter raised and a response is awaited. A reply to the Deputy's correspondence will issue when a response has been received and considered.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided grant aid to the school in question in 2011 for a mainstream classroom. My Department was not in a position to provide grant for ancillary accommodation as part of the project due to the necessity to focus investment on providing essential classroom accommodation. This continues to be the Department's priority. It is open to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently completing the advanced stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained. The Stage 2b submission has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Major Building Project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The school's Design Team are currently working on Stage 2b - Detailed Design, which involves obtaining planning permission, fire certificate and disability access certificate and the completion of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. A Brief Change Request...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department gathers information from schools as to whether they operate book rental schemes. The most recent figures available at primary level indicate that 94% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme. The most recent figures available at second level indicate that 68% of second level schools operate book rental schemes. A breakdown by county of these schools, as requested...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 827 and 828 together. Four new multi-denominational primary schools are expected to open in September 2015 under the patronage divestment process. Three of these schools will operate under the patronage of Educate Together. The fourth school will be a Gaelscoil operating under the patronage of An Foras Patrúnachta. This development will bring to nine...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy may be aware that actual changes of patronage for existing schools are relatively rare. Under the patronage divestment process, what is more usually involved is the reorganisation of existing schools which can free up provision to facilitate the opening of a new school under alternative patronage, either in an existing or an alternative school premises. There are two cases of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In the course of Ireland's appearances at UN treaty monitoring bodies in Geneva, questions from the Committees on school patronage issues were answered by the Irish delegation. In answering the questions, the delegation outlined the work on the implementation of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector and how this is providing greater diversity of patronage and choice for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The recognition of a patron is linked to the establishment of a school. My Department identifies the requirement to establish new schools based on demographic requirements. When my Department identifies the requirement for a new school in an area, the requirement is publicised and applications are invited from prospective patron bodies. A prospective patron body does not have to be on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The report to which the Deputy refers outlined the significant work that had been undertaken in relation to the implementation of the recommendations of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. I have no immediate plans to publish a further standalone document in this regard. However, the annual report of my Department, as well as reports on the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tabular statement. Organisation/Body 2008 2011 2015 Department of Education & Skills 43 45 47 National Council for Curriculum & Assessment N/R 50 50 *Quality & Qualifications Ireland N/A N/A 49 The Teaching Council 38 41 42 An Comhairle um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta 47 50...

Topical Issue Debate: Teaching Qualifications (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy McConalogue for raising this issue. I am aware of the concerns of Saint Nicholas Montessori College Ireland about the recognition of its teacher education programmes. As the House will be aware, the Teaching Council is the independent statutory regulator for the teaching profession. The council sets standards for all elements of the continuum of teacher education including...

Topical Issue Debate: Teaching Qualifications (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I did not refer to that particular issue in my earlier response. I expect the early years education advisory group to have an initial report back to me before the end of the year and I intend to meet it in the autumn. The group has started having meetings and looking at some of the issues. However, the group is focusing primarily on the early years rather than school age sector. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has a number of strategies and initiatives in place to ensure that education and training meets the skills requirements of the workplace. SOLAS, with the assistance of relevant experts such as the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), employers and local and national organisations, have published a five year strategy for the further education and training sector which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that an architectural design competition was announced in June 2014 to develop a primary school building at Harcourt Terrace. The submission deadline for shortlisted entrants for the second stage of the design competition, organised on behalf of the Department by the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, is 17th July. It is expected that the winner of the design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Tenders for the new primary school on Haddington Road were received by the Design Team on the 8th July 2015. The Design Team are currently preparing a Tender Report for submission to my Department. Subject to no issues arising the project will then progress to construction. The brief for the project is to provide a new 24 classroom school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The delivery of a new 16 classroom school building for Griffith Barracks Multi-Denominational School has been devolved to the Office of Public Works (OPW). At the end of June, approval was given to the OPW to proceed to tender for the new school building. The outcome of the tender process will determine when works will commence on site.