Results 14,381-14,400 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Other Questions: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We will invest €2.8 billion by way of public funding In the school building capital programme for the next six years and a very small percentage by way of PPP after that. The Deputy is actually telling the story of how successful we have been in terms of restoring the economy in that we have got our borrowing rates down that low and we have restored the economy to health.

Other Questions: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are taking in a considerable amount more than we expected in terms of taxation of various kinds. The Government believes we should be investing in public infrastructure, particularly in schools but also in other areas of public infrastructure. As the economy recovers, there will be more public money to invest. We are funding the schools primarily through public investment, which is as...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: All mainstream schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia, either under the general allocation model at primary school level or though high incidence and learning support allocations for post-primary schools. Schools have access to psychological assessments through the National Educational...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy is talking about a situation she is very well aware of in a particular school. In general, schools should, where they can, provide facilities at a cost that is not too prohibitive and they should certainly consider the kind of organisation to which they are providing the use of the school. However, I do not know the individual circumstances of the particular school. The...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I would be happy to meet the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, although, to the best of my knowledge, I have not had a request for a meeting. I am not clear from what the Deputy has said whether the classroom is used during or after school hours.

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In general, we would encourage schools to ensure school premises are used for different kinds of appropriate uses, and I certainly think this is appropriate. I would be happy to find out more about exactly what the issue is and to see if we can help to resolve it.

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The primary focus from the Department's perspective is to ensure we provide in-school supports for children with learning needs, and that would be my main driving force in terms of working on the new model. In addition, the issue of diagnosis should not be an obstacle to getting the supports children need. I would be happy to look at this issue. The Deputies have pointed to two different...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable because access to professional assessments is not always readily available to those who cannot afford to access them privately. The council also advised that the current model leads to unnecessary labelling of children from a young age. For the...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The new model was proposed because the system was perceived to be unfair in so far as people felt they had to pay for private diagnoses. The National Educational Psychological Service was not designed to spend all its time on diagnosis. It is meant to be a support service. Nevertheless, a huge amount of time is being taken up on the process of diagnosis. One can certainly question the...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will ensure that information is provided to schools in time. I realise there is a time issue in this case but, as of now, I have not had an opportunity to engage with the pilot programme in any meaningful way and, as such, I do not want to pre-empt what information might emerge. In terms of the issue with regard to the needs of individual children, the concept of an individual learning...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Broughan. The Government recognises the importance of the higher education sector to Ireland's future economic and social development. It also acknowledges that the sector must be resourced sufficiently and in a sustainable manner to ensure it can deliver on our national ambitions. The reality of the economic situation and the public expenditure corrections that had to be...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The indications are that a range of options will be proposed by the Cassells group. We will consider all of them. I will not pre-empt that before I even see the report. Certainly, all options will be considered. Regarding the Deputy's general points, I agree that we must broaden access, but a high percentage of our young people go on to higher education compared with other countries....

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We want to improve that level. Next week, I will publish a plan for access to higher education. It went through the Cabinet yesterday. It will include specific plans and targets for broadening the opportunity for access to higher education. Of course, higher education is not the only option. We will also introduce 25 new apprenticeships, which the Minister of State, Deputy English, and I...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I assure the Deputy that we did not cut any budget because that was what we wanted. We faced extraordinarily difficult political decisions.

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We did not have choices-----

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----in terms of the overall amount of money available to us. What one takes in in taxation and what one must borrow are issues that one must deal with when in government. We dealt with them and have begun the recovery. My strong view, which has been supported by my colleagues in government in so far as we have attained an increase in the education budget in the past two years, is that...

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In September 2014, implementation of the junior cycle commenced with a new specification in English and the availability of a number of short courses. Talks with the two main teacher unions continued during 2014 and 2015 and the 2015 junior cycle framework was published in August 2015. Agreement was reached with the leadership of the two unions in May 2015 on revised reform proposals and...

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Implementation has commenced in respect of English. All of the other education partners have supported the changes. We held detailed negotiations with the unions. A relatively small percentage of ASTI members voted. They have rejected the proposals despite the fact that their leaders signed up to them. We are continuing to engage with the leaders, who are engaging with their members to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, consultation with members of the school community including parents is advised. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made. An advice sheet on the adoption of tablets in schools is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools on public roads, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter, for the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on...