Results 13,941-13,960 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level for the coming school year is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2009. The staffing schedule for the 2010/11 school year was published by my Department in March, 2010. The additional posts in the renewed Programme for Government enabled some improvement to be made to the staffing schedule. It...

Written Answers — OECD Reports: OECD Reports (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The OECD Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) feasibility study aims to assess whether it is possible to measure learning outcomes at the international level in order to provide relevant information to higher education institutions, governments and other stakeholders, including students and employers. The feasibility study was launched with the participation of ten...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 458, 465, 487 and 488 together. As you may be aware, 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. Having worked closely with my colleague the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The Deputy will be aware that a Common...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The project has been assigned a priority band rating of 2.4 under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: An EGF application in respect of workers at Waterford Crystal and ancillary companies was submitted to the European Commission in August 2009. In late April 2010, the person in question contacted FÁS in relation to his potential eligibility for EGF assistance. Supporting documentation requested by FÁS in this regard is currently awaited.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 469 together. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in all mainstream and special schools. This includes determining the level of SNA support in schools. The NCSE operates within my...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: An application form has issued to the candidate referred to by the Deputy. Application forms for the 2010 student maintenance grant schemes can be obtained from a candidate's local authority or VEC. Alternatively, it can be downloaded from www.studentfinance.ie.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has not received any correspondence or application in relation to either the access/egress or traffic management works from the school to which the Deputy refers. In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. It is open to the school authority to use funds allocated to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project has been assigned a priority band rating of 1.2. The project was authorised to commence stage 2(b) of architectural planning earlier this year. Work on the stage 2(b) submission is ongoing and I understand that notification of the final grant of planning permission was received in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department funds learning support/resource teacher posts in schools to enable the provision of support for pupils with high incidence special needs including dyslexia. Grant assistance is not provided in such cases. Each primary school has an allocation of learning support teaching hours. It is a matter for the school authorities to determine how these hours are utilised to support...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the operation of the certificate examinations. The recent High Court judgement confirms the earlier view of the Circuit Court in October 2007 that the actions of the State Examinations Commission in annotating certificates where a core element of a subject is not assessed, is permissible under Irish law and is not discriminatory....

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information in question is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Civil Service Scheme of performance related awards for posts at the levels of Assistant Secretary and Deputy Secretary the Chief Executive Officers of both the State Examinations Commission and the National Council for Special Education were eligible for awards. This Scheme was terminated last year. Awards made to individual officers under this scheme are not disclosed as they are...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the spreadsheet. *To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of special advisors her Department has had since June 2007; the names of same; the amount each has claimed in expenses in each of the past three years; the amount that has been spent on travel, including foreign travel, and entertainment...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As indicated in PQ 481 of 15 June 2010, the Teaching Council is the designated competent authority, under European Union legislation, for the recognition and assessment of qualifications and the registration of teachers at Primary and Post - Primary levels in this State. My officials have made enquiries with the Teaching Council and are advised that Queen's University, Belfast have not...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Details of resolutions expressing the views of the Irish Federation of University Teachers' union at its Annual Delegate Conference, in relation to fixed-term contract appointments and to non-replacement of staff in the university sector arising from maternity, adoptive and sick leave, were supplied to my Department in early June. From time to time my Department receives for its information...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is checking the position of the person referred to by the Deputy. I will arrange for him to be advised of the position as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware of the Government's commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of...