Results 14,161-14,180 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department records numbers of rented prefabricated buildings on a county by county basis. There are currently 304 prefabricated units being rented by 110 schools throughout Dublin city and county. I include a table of these units on a school by school basis for the Deputy's information. SCHOOLS RENTING PREFABS IN DUBLIN CITY AND COUNTY - (PRIMARY & POSTPRIMARY) 2010 Roll...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy on the number of staff employed in schools in Dublin 15 is not readily available in the requested format.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A reply from the former Minister for Education and Science Mr. Batt O' Keeffe T.D. issued to the candidate referred to by the Deputy on the 7th of October 2009. Clause 2.2 of the Higher Education Grants Scheme provides that a candidate is not eligible to hold a grant if s/he holds: "(i) a scholarship/grant awarded by another Local Authority, a Vocational Education Committee or the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together. Chapter 11(n) of the Primary Board of Management Information Manual, issued in 2007 to all members of Boards of Management of primary schools, refers to the rights of pupils and parents regarding religious instruction. It states that the State shall not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can inform the Deputy that a psychologist from my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) conducted an educational assessment on the pupil referred to in this question on 17th June, 2010. A feedback meeting on the assessment findings was held between the psychologist and the school authorities and parents in question on 21st June. A formal report on the matter is...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The candidate referred to by the Deputy was awarded the full non-adjacent rate of grant for the 2009 academic year. I understand that the candidate did not qualify for the Special Rate of maintenance grant as total reckonable income in this case exceeded the qualifying threshold and the awarding authority's decision in this regard was upheld on appeal by my Department. If there has since...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools are published annually on my Department's website. Department Circular 0015/2009 set out the resources available to schools for language support (EAL) and is also available on the Department website. Under present arrangements a school can be allocated up to 4 language support teachers. Additional support is also available for those...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (6 Jul 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 — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy may be aware, historically, it was church authorities rather than the State that acquired the vast majority of land for educational purposes. In the recent past, the Department relied primarily on the Office of Public Works (OPW) to source and acquire suitable lands for schools. More recently the Department has utilised a number of avenues to acquire land, including the VEC...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published criteria for large scale capital projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with assessed applications for major capital works,...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department approved funding for improvement works to the water mains and sewerage in March 2010 and for roof works in June 2010 at the school in question.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers applied to my Department for large scale capital funding, following completion of an extension to provide additional classrooms and ancillary accommodation. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published criteria for large scale capital projects and assigned a band 4 rating. Information in respect of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published criteria for large scale capital projects and assigned a band 3 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with assessed applications for major capital works,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published criteria for large scale capital projects and assigned a band 3 rating. An updated application for large scale capital funding was recently submitted by the school to the Department. This...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to use the site in question for buildings for educational purposes, in accordance with demand for such facilities and the availability of the necessary resources. My Department is not aware that there are any issues regarding the condition of the site.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The new post primary school referred to by the Deputy, is one of eight schools which were approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This bundle is in the pre procurement stage. Detailed output specifications and Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) are being finalised and outline planning permission has been received in respect of the eight...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Special needs assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools to enable them to support pupils with disabilities who also have significant care needs. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and SNAs to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As part of the multi-annual school building programme, my Department has invested heavily in the modernisation of school facilities throughout the country, including science facilities in post-primary schools. Provision of science facilities is an intrinsic part of all major projects at post-primary level. Typically, this investment involves the provision of modern science facilities in new...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that 12 centres in the ABA pilot scheme have applied to be recognised as special schools. Following discussions with the ABA tutors' union, it has been agreed that the ABA tutors will become Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in the special schools. The question of ignoring Departmental circulars does not arise as the normal terms and conditions of the SNA grade will...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (6 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The composition of university governing authorities is determined by Section 16 of the Universities Act 1997. In the case of the appointment of a local authority member to Dublin City University, Section 16(5) (a) (i) of the Act specifies that a committee of the Governing authority shall be established comprising the Chief Officer of the university and two other members, nominated for that...