Results 13,921-13,940 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (3 Nov 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. All schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for additional accommodation from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application is currently being considered and my Department expects to be in a position to convey a decision on the application to the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has made an application to my Department for capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation. Additional information sought from the school has recently been received and is currently being considered. My Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities concerned as soon as the assessment process has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (3 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Momentum Programme was designed to provide individuals who are long term unemployed with learning opportunities to assist them to gain in demand skills in sectors of the economy where there are job opportunities. SOLAS will evaluate the outcomes from the Programme and widening of participation in any future iteration will be considered in that context. I am informed by SOLAS that in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Eligibility (3 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I indicated on 13 October 2015 that a Minor Works Grant for 2015/2016 will be paid to primary schools in November 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (3 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise that my Department has no record of receiving an application for any works relating to prefabricated facilities at the school referred to by the Deputy. It is open to the school authorities to submit an application to my Department for consideration. Any application received will be considered in the context of competing demands on my Department's capital budget and other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Career Breaks (3 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Twenty three staff have been re-instated following a career break since 2012. A further nine were either redeployed at the end of their career break, resigned or retired in the same period. The breakdown for each location in the Department of Education and Skills is outlined in the attached table. Grade Date returned from career break Reason for Career break Athlone S.O. 26/11/2012...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides a range of supports for pupils with Dyslexia attending school. All mainstream Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model (GAM) to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The data sought by the Deputy is provided in the attachment. Student Grant holders Westmeath and Longford 2008-2014 County 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Westmeath 1303 1567 1853 1975 1875 1845 1957 Longford 656 763 825 916 887 893 938 Total 1959 2330 2678 2891 2762 2738 2895

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that in July last, I secured Government approval for an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts which were made available for allocation to schools this year to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs. This builds on the increases of 365 additional SNA posts provided for in last year's budget announcement and the 390...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, an appeal was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on 22 September 2015 and the Board's decision issued directly to the appellant. The student was advised of his options in the decision letter. The options are that he may appeal to the High Court on a point of law under Section 21(6) of the Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (4 Nov 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 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 is set out in my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: On 29 September, 2015 I announced that significant capital funding will be invested in the education system through the Government's €27bn Capital Programme. The intention is to replace all purchased prefabs with permanent accommodation over the lifetime of the programme. Details of the schools are not available at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to repair a retaining wall. As the scope of works is outside the terms of this scheme, the application cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been informed of this decision. It is, however, open to the school authority to apply for funding under a future Summer Works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's policy in relation to Traveller Education is informed by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with Traveller representative groups and other relevant stakeholders. The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy. The focus of both current and future provision is on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. In this context, the government established a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. The Forum advised on how the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A survey of my Department's administrative staff conducted in 2013 indicated that approximately 10% of staff have proficiency in Irish. 1.5% of administrative staff indicated a high level of proficiency in Irish while 8.7% of staff indicated a medium level of proficiency. In addition to the administrative staff, many field staff such as inspectors and educational psychologists have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools at primary and post-primary level, including data relating to PTRs. The most recent published information which includes the primary PTR 16.2 and post primary PTR 14:2, relates to the 2014/15 school year. Data for the current school year, including PTRs, will be published when the national school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (4 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, I launched the Digital Strategy for Schools on 7 October last. A fund of €210m to support the implementation of this strategy has been announced, beginning with an investment of €30m in the next school year (2016/2017), rising to €50m a year towards the end of the strategy. The Digital Strategy for Schools sets out an ambitious Five Year Plan to...