Results 14,601-14,620 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications including that from the school referred to by the Deputy will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0055/2015), is available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Initial teacher education programmes for primary and post-primary teachers are facilitated through a range of concurrent (undergraduate) and consecutive (postgraduate) programmes. Minimum entry requirements for programmes of primary initial teacher education are set by my Department, in consultation with the Teaching Council. Applications for undergraduate programmes (4 year Bachelor of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that I have made provision in Budget 2016 for some 2,260 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools next year. These posts will provide for an improvement in the staffing schedules at primary and post primary levels, enhance the leadership and management roles of deputy principals at post-primary level by reducing their teaching time, an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy should note that Board appointments, while made by me as Minister, are not in all cases made at my sole discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute of the body concerned. Under currently Guidelines for Appointments to State Boards, which can be viewed on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: While the study of Irish is compulsory at both primary and post-primary there are a limited number of specific circumstances whereby an exemption from this requirement may be granted. The granting of exemptions is governed by Departmental circulars, 12/96 for primary and M10/94 at post-primary. Under these circulars the authority to grant exemptions within the terms of the circulars has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The funding arrangements made by my Department for post primary schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding. My Department provides funding to Community and Comprehensive schools such as the one referred to by the Deputy on a budget basis that is based mainly on pupil...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, I am currently engaged in a series of meetings with the different education partners involved in implementing the recommendations of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism. The key objective of these meetings is to make further progress on the recommendations of the Forum which include a recommendation that the Rules for National Schools be reviewed and updated, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The tabular statement contains the information requested by the Deputy. The tabular statement gives details of the Professional Bodies, the number of staff concerned and the cost of subscriptions in 2015. Membership details Professional body/institution No of staff to whom payment relates Total Cost Reimbursement of Professional Memberships Note 1 Association of Chartered Certified...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Information in respect of payments made by my Department for the purchase of newspapers or magazines have been extracted from the Department's Financial Management System (FMS). Total expenditure in 2015 was €8,959.58. The details of publications purchased are in the table. LIST OF CURRENT PUBLICATIONS DAILY WEEKLY BI WEEKLY IRISH TIMES X 5 ECONOMIST X 7 PHOENIX X 2 IRISH...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Information in respect of the cost in 2015 for advertisements placed in newspapers, magazines, television, radio and social media by my Department have been extracted from my Department's Financial Management System (FMS). The total spend in 2015 was €100,178

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provides funding by way of per capita grants to all voluntary secondary schools within the Free Education Scheme. The school referred to by the Deputy is a voluntary secondary school within the Free Education Scheme and receives funding on the same basis as other voluntary secondary schools. The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 48/2009 clarifies issues relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland Accreditation (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency with statutory responsibility for maintaining the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The NFQ is a system of ten levels which aims to make the qualifications system in Ireland easier to understand. QQI also hosts the Irish centre of the European Network of Information Centres/National Academic Recognition Information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Staff (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 771 to 773 together. Since the introduction of the moratorium on public sector recruitment, an Employment Control Framework (ECF) has been in place for the higher education sector which provides institutions with considerable flexibility to fill vacancies, through recruitment or promotions on the basis of meeting an overall ceiling of posts. The current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware of the concerns raised by the Deputy in this case. My Department has been in contact with the school concerned regarding arrangements for a meeting to discuss this and related issues.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school building project in question is currently at construction stage and is due for completion in March 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications including that from the school referred to by the Deputy, will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0055/2015), is available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provides funding to all recognised primary schools. I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over the recent years. In Budget 2015 I was able to secure the first increase in education spending in recent years and a further increase in education spending was achieved in Budget 2016. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, a set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely, SIPTU...