Results 13,501-13,520 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Officials in my Department have had a series of meetings with the Trustees of the school to which the Deputy refers. The Trustees expressed some concern about the future of the school and it is my understanding that they are considering a number of options in this regard. The Department understands that the Trustees have met with the Board of Management, staff and representatives of parents...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: All schools with permanent recognition from my Department and in non-rented accommodation were eligible to apply to my Department for funding under the Summer Works Scheme for 2010. In my announcement of 19 April last, 1490 successful applicants under the scheme were announced. This included 19 fee-charging schools. This represents less than 1.3% of the total number of successful applicants....

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, schools were invited to apply for funding for water conservation measures as part of the Summer Works Scheme for 2010. Some 2,300 applications, in total, were received under the Scheme. I announced details of the 1,490 successful applicants under the mainstream Summer Works Scheme on 19 April last. It is intended that the applications for water conservation...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My officials are currently making arrangements for the issue of more than 100,000 income levy certificates to teaching and non-teaching staff - both serving and retired who are paid through my Department's centralised payroll system. I understand that the certificates are issuing on a phased basis over the next week.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Financial assistance is available to students under the maintenance grant schemes, which are administered by the local authorities and Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department. Students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic...

Written Answers — An Ghaeilge san Ardteist: An Ghaeilge san Ardteist (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Tá fúm ceisteanna 522, 523 and 524 a thógáil le chéile. Deonaítear díolúintíó staidéar na Gaeilge mar ábhar de réir forálacha Chiorclán M10/94, do mhic léinn mar seo a leanas: mic léinn a fuair a gcuid bunoideachais i dTuaisceart Éireann nó lasmuigh d'Éirinn suas go dtí aois a 11 bhliain mic léinn a bhí ar an rolla cheana mar mhic léinn aitheanta agus atáá gcur ar...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has recently received correspondence from County Louth VEC in relation to the provision of a new post-leaving certificate college building in Drogheda. This proposal is currently under consideration in my Department as part of the overall approach to the provision of education infrastructure in Drogheda.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published its report on the Review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Allocation to Schools April 2009 – March 2010 on its website www.ncse.ie. A small number of schools remain to be reviewed and the NCSE has indicated that these will be reviewed by the end of the current academic year. A final breakdown of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers applied to the Department for capital funding for an extension project in 2000. The delivery of this project will involve the replacement of the prefabs currently on site. The application was assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has organised discussions with school management representatives recently with a view to a more collaborative approach to the procurement of goods and services within the school and VEC sectors. This meeting included representatives from the National Procurement Service (NPS) who explained the potential for the Unit to help schools achieve savings. My officials will be working...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A reply has issued from my Department to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is a long-standing feature of our education system that patronage of Catholic schools in a diocese rests ex officio with the person who is Bishop of that diocese at any particular point in time. Accordingly, it is the case that such patrons have other roles in the context of their church functions. The governance structure of our schools is such that, in accordance with the Education Act...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (19 May 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 examine a number of initial locations to see what scope or options might exist for change of patronage in these cases. The...

Written Answers — Educational Policy: Educational Policy (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department, in its policy formulation process, has regard to international good practice and to policy responses which have proved effective in other jurisdictions, where they are considered to be appropriate and valid. More generally, Ireland is also involved in a range of EU, OECD and other multilateral processes which facilitate structured discussion, exchange and information-sharing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 238 and 241 together. The provision of a new building for the school to which the Deputies refers necessitates the acquisition of a site. I am pleased to inform the Deputies that County Dublin VEC has agreed to make a site available to my Department for this purpose. The Department is awaiting legal documents in relation to this from the VEC. Once the site...

Written Answers — School Enrolment: School Enrolment (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The census for the current school year (2009/2010) is being finalised at present and a full list of schools and their enrolments will be on my Department's website in September. My Department does not collect information on the residential area of primary school pupils.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Placements under the Work Placement Programme are possible in the wider public service, subject to the agreement of the relevant parent Government Department. The placement of individuals under this scheme is not covered by the moratorium on recruitment in the public service. However, it is a condition of the Programme that any such placements should not displace an existing member of staff...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaiochta has an overall staff of 3 persons. The role of the body is to provide advice, research, support services and the provision of texts and resources relating to the teaching of Irish generally, and the teaching through Irish in Irish medium schools. Its primary functions do not involve the processing of entitlement payments, other than...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Advisory Council for English Language Schools which has been subsumed into the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland had a role in carrying out inspections for English Language Schools and TEFL courses. The ACELS had one senior inspector and 7 part time freelance inspectors. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is a statutory body established by Government in March 2003. The...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (19 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The FAS/ESRI Occupational Forecast Report forecasts employment by occupation out to 2015. The forecast implies that the economic recovery, which is expected to begin towards the end of this year, will generate 250,000 additional jobs between now and 2015. It does not offer any view as to how many jobs will be created by the Government's job creation initiatives. The economic forecasts...