Results 14,421-14,440 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. A letter of Intent issued to the preferred tenderer on 2nd December. Subject to no issues arising in the supplementary tender report, it is anticipated that works will commence in early 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. I understand that there are a number of children who wish to avail of transport to the school in question...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Apprenticeship Council devised and issued a call for proposals from enterprises and education and training providers for the development of new apprenticeships early in 2014. Following the receipt of proposals and an evaluation process, the Council reported to the Minister recommending 25 proposals for priority development. The Minister approved this recommendation and announced the 25...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, the project for the school referred to, is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme that I announced on 17th November last, and is listed to proceed to tender and construction in the period 2019-21. Due to my diary commitments, I am not in a position to meet with the school in question. However, my Department will be in contact with the school authorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that currently there is a population of 8,106 employed apprentices at various stages of the Apprenticeship Programme. The on the job wages and off the job allowances paid to apprentices are determined as a percentage of the qualified rate for the occupation in question and were agreed by unions and employers in the relevant sectors. The rate increases as apprentices move through...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures is the Government's overarching National Policy Framework for children and young people (aged 0-24 years). This cross-government approach will run from 2014 until 2020 and accommodate a number of constituent strategies. The Framework sets out common outcomes, policy commitments and key actions to ensure innovative and effective ways of working to improve the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Apprenticeship Council devised and issued a call for proposals from enterprises and education and training providers for the development of new apprenticeships early in 2014. Following the receipt of proposals and an evaluation process, the Council reported to the Minister recommending 25 proposals for priority development. The Minister approved this recommendation and announced the 25...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A scheme was initiated in 1978 for the employment of Clerical Officers in primary and secondary schools. While a small number of these staff remain in schools, the schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive grant scheme. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: JobBridge is a national internship scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection. The scheme was introduced to provide a pathway to appropriate employment, training and education opportunities for a specific cohort of jobseekers on the Live Register. Changes to the scheme are therefore a matter for the Department of Social Protection in the first instance. In this regard I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Religious Instruction in Schools (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Constitution and in accordance with the Education Act 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religion classes and it is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request. The practical arrangements by which schools ensure that the right to opt out of religion classes is accommodated is a matter for each individual school. On...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Economic constraints and the moratorium on recruitment, albeit alleviated to some extent for schools, have presented challenges within the education sector. They also provide an opportunity to review the role of the principal so that our principals are leaders of learning, and to reconfigure the middle management structure to support principals in their role, ensuring ownership of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Availability (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While the number of places offered on courses within Higher Education Authority (HEA) funded institutions is a matter for the institutions themselves to decide upon, the issue raised by the Deputy has arisen in the main due to the proliferation of specialist undergraduate programmes in recent years (and the limited number of places available on such programmes). This is a cause for concern...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to schools is determined by the numbers of eligible pupils enrolled and the associated levels of those pupils' language proficiency. Reforms introduced in the 2012/13 school year created a single simplified allocation process for both learning and language support. At primary level, learning/language support hours are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing schedule at primary level operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 28 pupils. More favourable ratios operate in DEIS Band 1 schools. Under an agreement reached with the Education Partners for the 2010/11 school year my Department provided 50 additional posts to the primary sector and 100 additional posts to the post-primary sector. At primary level as...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I would like to point out that an extensive identification process to select schools for inclusion in DEIS was conducted in 2005. In spite of a number of reminders issued by my Department, a completed survey form was not received at that time from the school in question and therefore it could not be assessed for participation in DEIS. Furthermore, the school did not participate in a...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 to 162, inclusive, together. The school in question was established on 1st September 2011 following the amalgamation of a DEIS post-primary school and non-DEIS post-primary school.In accordance with the approach adopted in relation to all such amalgamations, additional non-teaching resources are provided by my Department in respect of eligible pupils from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Superannuation Schemes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the Superannuation scheme a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) who is not "a new entrant" under the terms of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, must retire at the end of the school year in which he/she reaches age 65. The abolition of the compulsory retirement age under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that a suitable permanent site for a new post primary school to serve the Ballinteer/ Stepaside area has been identified and the acquisition process is underway. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. I can, however, assure the Deputy that the acquisition of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Dec 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...