Results 13,341-13,360 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The key points to note in relation to Junior Certificate are that 29,100 candidates sat the Higher level examination in 2015 – an increase of 1,740 on the candidature for 2013. 21,678 candidates sat the Ordinary level Paper in 2015 – a decrease of 1,567 candidates from 2013. 1,217 candidates sat Foundation level in 2015 - a decrease of 171 candidates from 2013, showing a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There was a significant policy change implemented from 2012 which significantly increased the proportion of marks assigned to the Irish oral component of the Leaving Certiifcate. The oral examination is now worth 40% of the total marks, compared to 25% formerly. 46,565 candidates presented for the Leaving Certificate Irish examination in 2015 compared to 43,647 candidates in 2013. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1362 and 1363 together. The information requested by the Deputy is below. Academic Year* Exemption Description JUNIOR CERTIFICATE TRANSITION YEAR LEAVING CERTIFICATE TOTALS 2014 IRISH : PUPIL FROM ABROAD 3,480 1,169 4,772 9,421 2014 IRISH : PUPIL WHOSE PRIMARY EDUCATION UP TO 11 YEARS OF AGE WAS RECEIVED IN N.IRELAND OR ABROAD 1,087 276 1,390 2,753 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (22 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Internal Audit Unit (IAU) of my Department is an independent unit which reports directly to the Accounting Officer (Secretary General). The IAU carries out its work in accordance with its Charter and has a staffing level of four. The Unit operates on the basis of risk-based auditing in accordance with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) The International Standards for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts Data (22 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, there is an existing requirement for all Government Departments to publish quarterly details of payments totalling in excess of €20,000 to private companies for services each Department procures. mAccordingly, details in respect of my Department's expenditure in excess of € 20,000 on an annualised basis is readily available on my Department's website: In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy may be aware that I signed a Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and the County and City Managers' Association (CCMA) in 2012. This Memorandum of Understanding fosters increased levels of cooperation and formalises the Local Authorities' part in identifying and securing sites for educational use. In that context, my Department has worked closely with Cork County...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that some €1.37 billion will be spent in support of children with Special Educational Needs this year, which represents approximately 15% of my Department's budget. The investment which is being made to support children with special educational needs is an area of spending which has been prioritised above most other areas by this Government. We now have the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (23 Sep 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: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The eligibility criteria for student grants including the income thresholds is reviewed annually in my Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. No changes to the thresholds were included in Budget 2015. As the Deputy will be aware, all proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including changes to income thresholds, will be considered in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The current qualifying distance for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant, at 45 km, takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis. There are no plans at present to revise the distance criteria.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards are not entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Those who do meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 126 together. The Student Assistance Fund is a component of the Third Level Access Measure which is managed on behalf of my Department by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and comprises two sub-priorities: the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. The determination of the allocation of this fund between the two...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware the Student Contribution stands at €3,000 for the current academic year, 2015/16. It should be noted that some 50% of students who qualify for free fees funding have the Student Contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer under my Department's Student Grant Scheme. An Expert Working Group chaired by Peter Cassells is currently preparing a report on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: On the 11th of May 1999, the Taoiseach, on behalf of the State, apologised to the victims of childhood abuse and announced a range of measures the Government intended to introduce to assist victims. In 2002, the Oireachtas enacted the Residential Institutions Redress Act in order to provide a means for making financial awards to assist people who as children were abused while resident in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that my officials engage in ongoing consultations with key stakeholders such as the Department of Social Protection. These consultations with the Department of Social Protection subsequently informed decisions I made in terms of including a number of new income disregards in the 2015 Scheme. These new income disregards are no longer assessed as part of the reckonable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (23 Sep 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 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 which are set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a proposal for alternative accommodation from the school to which he refers. In order to fully consider the accommodation issues arising, my Department's technical staff visited the school. Following this visit, the proposal is being considered further and my Department expects to be in a position to convey a decision to the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that my Department is in the process of acquiring a site for the school, referred to by the Deputy. As part of this acquisition process, a technical site visit was carried out in order to assess the site concerned. In addition, my Department is also considering the long term projected pupil enrolment position of the school, in question, and in that regard my Department will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that a number of sections of the EPSEN Act have been commenced, including those sections establishing the National Council for Special Education and those providing for the inclusive education of children. In light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved in fully implementing the EPSEN Act, however, the previous Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (23 Sep 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the Student Grant Scheme are announced annually as part of the Budget. No changes to the rates or thresholds were included in Budget 2015. Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The means test arrangements of the Student Grant...