Results 13,781-13,800 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 24 together. In his speech in the Dáil on 23 March the Taoiseach announced a number of Ministerial and Departmental changes designed to ensure closer alignment of the Government's economic objectives to the administrative functions of its departments and agencies. As part of these changes the Employment Programmes and Services and Skills Training...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The 3,436 grant applications referred to by the Deputy relates to the number of new applications awaiting decisions under the maintenance grant schemes administered by the Vocational Education Committees as at 6th May, 2010. This figure has been reduced by some 35% to 2,240 in the intervening period. It is understood from the awarding authorities that the applications awaiting...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied for large scale capital funding for a new school. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band rating of 2.2. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works,...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) advises the Government on current and future skills needs and on other labour market issues that impact on Ireland's enterprise and employment growth. The Group brings together industry, academia and State agencies in identifying the overall skills requirements in the economy. My Department and its education and training agencies are...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at 30 September. The final position for any one school will depend on a number of other factors such as the allocation of...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Further to the answer given to the Deputy on 18 May 2010, I can confirm that my Department is considering with FÁS the implications of the Labour Court recommendation.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine and to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under the superannuation provision for teachers, any teacher including a principal may retire voluntarily on pension at any time throughout the school-year provided s/he has accrued the necessary pensionable service and has reached the specified age threshold. Teachers including principals, other than those who are new entrants as defined in the Public Service Superannuation...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory programme for junior cycle since September 2003. In addition, all schools are required to have an RSE programme at senior cycle. Schools are currently supported in the implementation of RSE by the SPHE and RSE Support Services which are provided in collaboration with the health sector. The supports available to schools include...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: When the moratorium was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal appointments in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is therefore limited to the Assistant Principal and Special Duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion. I am conscious that the impact of the moratorium on...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I understand that there are 151 persons currently in line to take up training courses delivered through FÁS in North Tipperary. Training courses held in North Tipperary are delivered by contracted trainers and are operated subject to demand. Waiting times for courses vary depending on the nature of the training provided. The Live Register figures for the North Tipperary area since November...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Government's mainstreaming policy a range of schemes and grants are provided by FÁS to assist people with disabilities, including graduates, to promote their employment prospects in the open labour market. In this regard the recently launched FÁS Work Placement Programme is open to all unemployed people, including graduates with disabilities. The programme provides the...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Responsibility for FÁS and all of its functions in regard to employment services, community programmes, skills and training programmes have recently been transferred to my Department under the transfer of functions between Government Departments announced by an Taoiseach in March, 2010. Subject to the enactment of legislation, it is intended that responsibility for employment services and...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In November 2004 the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced a policy change to the Job Initiative Programme that provided for contracts to be renewed for participants who wished to remain on the scheme thus removing the requirement for participants to leave. This policy change brought about an amendment to the rules regarding redundancy payments and allowed for the payment...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Taoiseach and relevant Ministers, including myself, met with representatives of the religious Congregations that were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, on 15th April. The context of the meeting was their responses to the call for further substantial contributions following the publication of the Ryan Report and the Report of the Independent Panel appointed by the Government to...

Written Answers — Labour Market Activation Fund: Labour Market Activation Fund (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Following an open tender competition in which 370 tenders were received, I announced on Tuesday details of Activation Fund support for 26 different organisations across the private, not-for-profit and public sectors for 6,500 additional training and education places in programmes for priority groups of the unemployed. These programmes will be coming on stream from this month onwards.

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. It has clearly been a very tragic and difficult period for the family in question. Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 2000 requires all schools to have in place a Code of Behaviour. The Act further requires that such a code be prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB). These guidelines...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of carrying out a detailed analysis of over 40 locations of highest population growth in order to identify the school accommodation requirements up to and including the school year 2014/2015. When the required reports have been completed for these initial areas selected the Forward Planning Section will continue to work on...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is mindful of the need to keep all costs in respect of the change in title of my Department to a minimum. Many of the changes required have already been effected and a table of costings is currently being compiled. Information in relation to all relevant costs will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.4 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...