Results 14,061-14,080 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants (HEG) Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' (VEC) Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees (TLT) and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses (PLC). The decision on...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 605 together. The July Education Programme caters for pupils with autism or severe or profound general learning disability. It is available to all special schools and mainstream schools with special classes catering for children with autism. Where school-based provision is not available, parents may apply for home-based tuition. There has been a...
- Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The scheme for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers in second level schools was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The scheme is currently set out in consolidated format in Department Circular 29/2007. The person referred to by the Deputy is...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The funding provided by my Department to the National Parents' Council Primary in 2008 was â¬355,000 for core funding for the running of the council and â¬73,115 for training courses and information seminars. In 2009, â¬355,000 was also provided for core funding with â¬25,000 for training courses and information seminars. The indicative funding allocation for 2010 is â¬355,000 for core...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: In accordance with the renewed programme for Government and a commitment made in budget 2010, my Department has this month issued funding to schools to enable them to provide assistance for school books. Details of the funding were notified to schools by circulars 0041/2010 (second level) and 0043/2010 (first level). I have allocated this funding on a per capita basis as follows: Primary...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the current difficult economic circumstances have necessitated tough choices to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In these circumstances, from September 2010, as announced in the budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses,...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: A written response to the Deputy's question issued from my Department on 28 June 2010.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The course referred to by the Deputy is an approved course under the terms and conditions of the PLC scheme. However, not all students attending this course would be deemed to be eligible for funding when previous academic attainment is taken into account as they may not be deemed to be progressing under the scheme. The PLC scheme prescribes the terms and conditions of funding in respect of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the property to which he refers has been fully accepted under the terms of the 2002 Indemnity Agreement. The property comprises a period building on c.6 acres of land. The property has been transferred to the ownership of the Health Services Executive and the plans for the future of this property is a matter for the HSE.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: A grant is payable for the normal duration of an approved course and is renewed annually subject to ongoing compliance with the terms and conditions of the third level grant schemes. Under the Higher Education Grant Scheme, the college referred to the Deputy has the following two courses approved for grant aid, both of which are of four years duration. BComm (Hons) combined with NUI Diploma...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child. The NEWB has indicated that it will treat children for whom an appeal under section 29 has been unsuccessful as priority cases in offering such assistance. The Deputy may be aware that a...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I wish to inform the Deputy that an application for a new school building has been received from the school authority to which he refers. The school's application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria of my Department and the application has been assigned a band rating of 1.4. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project,...
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension and a PE hall. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.1. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...
- Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including making arrangements for the marking of examinations. I have been advised by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) that a production error in the Leaving Certificate Accounting Higher Level paper affected a number of schools in south Dublin on...
- Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation of the certificate examinations. As I indicated in my response to the Deputy's previous question (No. 470) the recent High Court judgment confirms the earlier view of the Circuit Court in October 2007 that the actions of the SEC, and my Department prior to the establishment of the Commission in 2003, in annotating...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced details of the successful applicants under this year's Summer Works Scheme on 19th April 2010. Full details are available on my Department's website. This scheme covers projects in school buildings such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, window replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access...
- Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I have arranged for officials of my Department to provide the information requested directly to the person named by the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Departmental Allowances: Departmental Allowances (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Honours Degree Allowance is payable in respect of degrees conferred and designated as honours degrees by appropriate awarding authorities. My Department received confirmation from the National University of Ireland in 2001 that the BSC courses are structured so as to require a specific threshold to be achieved to qualify to proceed to an honours degree course, students not qualifying for...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The inventory on school accommodation is available to schools through the Department's Esinet portal. Esinet is a platform for interactive communication between my Department and its partners. It is a secure web-based system which not only allows schools access to the online inventory, but also allows schools access to other facilities such as an online claims system, the September Returns...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 to 265, inclusive, 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...