Results 13,881-13,900 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Jun 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 to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 505 together. I refer to the reply to Question Reference No. 24632 of 9th June 2010. FÁS met with workers representatives on 11th June to inform them of the EGF situation to date. The Department is actively taking steps to identify a suitable EGF services coordinator and to establish a Steering Committee, to include workers representatives, with a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data from the Central...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under the terms of the DEIS Action Plan, a commitment was made to extend the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project to the 50 School Support Programme (SSP) schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantage over the five years to 2010, with extension to further SSP schools to be considered subsequently. To date, the Project has been extended to 20 of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Jun 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 the...

Written Answers — Course Accreditation: Course Accreditation (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The accreditation by professional bodies, such as the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), of awards made by higher education institutions is not something which would be brought to my attention as a matter of course, and therefore I was not aware of the withdrawal of accreditation referred to in the question. However, officials in my Department have looked into this matter and I note...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. The Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the certificate examinations....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established to co-ordinate the delivery of services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. This co-ordination occurs through a network of 89 Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) posts, including 12 Senior SENO positions based in over 40 NCSE offices throughout the State....

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (16 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. The purpose of CE is to help unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the student grant schemes specify that students' means and those of their parents/guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that the parents' income be taken into account, irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not an independent mature student. Only...

Written Answers — School Libraries: School Libraries (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 to 179, inclusive, together. Library staff, like other public servants in the Education Sector, other than teachers and SNAs, are subject to the public sector recruitment moratorium. Exemptions from the moratorium are, in the context of the public finances, a matter for serious deliberation. However, I am pleased to say that it has been decided to...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised my Department that it issued guidelines to schools in February 2010 setting out the timelines within which schools should submit applications for transport for children with special education needs enrolling in September 2010. Primary schools were advised to submit applications to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser...

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that my Department has received an appeal from the school to which the Deputy refers in relation to its application under the Summer Works Scheme 2010. The appeal is under consideration and a decision will issue to the school authority in due course.

Written Answers — School Libraries: School Libraries (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Funding is currently allocated to all schools hosting the Demonstration Library Project. However it should be noted that the librarians in these schools, like other public servants in the Education Sector, other than teachers and SNAs, are subject to the public sector recruitment moratorium. Exemptions from the moratorium are, in the context of the public finances, a matter for serious...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy may be aware, the recognition of teacher qualifications is now a matter for the Teaching Council, the body with responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards in the teaching profession. My officials have made enquiries with the Teaching Council regarding this case and are advised as follows: The Teaching Council is aware that Qualified Teacher Status awarded in the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and it is the board of management, not the patron, which is the employer of school staff including teaching staff. Provision is made for the inclusion of religious education on the curriculum for primary schools. Thirty minutes of the standard school day of five...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving a submission from the school in question. 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 resources to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I refer the Deputy to my predecessor's response to his parliamentary question of 9th February, 2010 (Reference number 6827/10) in direct connection with this matter. As was explained on this occasion, my Department's National Educational Psychological Service encourages a staged assessment process, whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment in schools. The National Council for Special Education, through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), co-ordinates special needs education provision at...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (16 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I must advise you that the selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools...