Results 14,621-14,640 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The pension provisions for Special Needs Assistants, (other than those who are member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme), who are employed in recognised schools, include provision for the award of added years, for the calculation of pension benefits, where a SNA is successful in his/her application for retirement on pension on grounds of permanent ill health. Where a person has...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's Circular 0044/2014 sets out the current minimum educational requirements for appointment as a Special Needs Assistant (SNA). People appointed to SNA posts are required to have:1. A FETAC level 3 major qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications, OR 2. A minimum of three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate, OR 3. Equivalent The above are the minimum...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 782 and 821 together. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, published in 2011, provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030. This Government has made considerable progress in implementing the recommendations set out in the Strategy, significantly advancing the goal of achieving a modernised, more flexible...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that Cara Junior School currently has capacity for 60 students and Scoil Aislinn has capacity for 36 students for the current school year, 2015/16. The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included where possible, and appropriate, in mainstream school placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where...

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: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 788 and 823 together. The legal issues which arose as part of the conveyancing process have been resolved and the acquisition of the site is currently being finalised. A preferred bidder has been identified and it is anticipated that the appointment of the Contractor can be progressed when the site acquisition process is complete.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Since 2006, under the Teaching Council Act, the Teaching Council is the independent self regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. In accordance with Section 23 of that Act, the Council charges a fee for registration. The fee for renewal of registration, which was already low in comparison with that for registration as a member of other professions, was reduced to €65 per...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 790 and 791 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of 18. At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department administers a Home Tuition Scheme which provides a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons including chronic illness such as Cystic Fibrosis, are absent for a significant proportion of the school year and where the degree of absence is such that without supplementary instruction the pupil is unlikely to be able to perform academically at the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted two applications to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation. The applications are currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority shortly.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Assessment of means under my Department 's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources of the applicant and his/her parent(s)/legal guardian, where applicable, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. It is necessary, therefore, that information regarding all income, including that from after school/weekend employment, is accounted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (13 Jan 2016)

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...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWG) for the removal and replacement of a boundary fence. As the scope of works is outside the terms of this scheme, the application cannot be considered for funding. To be eligible for EWG funding, the works must be sudden, unforeseen and, if not addressed, would cause the school to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (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. At primary level there will be a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule to be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: A building project is a complex arrangement of contractual relationships between the client, the main contractor, specialist sub-contractors, domestic sub-contractors, suppliers of materials, suppliers of plant etc. In general all sub-contractors employed on education sector building projects are employed directly by the Main Contractor or indirectly by the Main Contractor through other...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: A new more mainstreamed approach, to that set out in the 20 Year Strategy on the Irish language, is being adopted by the Department in relation to language teaching and the embedding of language skills in our primary schools. In fact, a new language curriculum has been prepared by the NCCA for junior infants to second classes. It will include both English and Irish. It will be introduced to...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The information sought is currently being compiled, and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, the model schools have their origin in the set of instructions drawn up by Chief Secretary Stanley in 1831 and they initially operated as schools for the purpose of training teachers. From about 1883 onwards this role ended and the schools have functioned as ordinary schools since that time. While I am patron by virtue of the 1998 Education Act, the schools have...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved funding to the school in question for additional accommodation. This decision was conveyed to the school in November 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Fee Refund Scheme (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since 2006, under the Teaching Council Act, the Teaching Council is the independent self regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. In accordance with Section 23 of that Act, the Council charges a fee for registration. The fee for renewal of registration, which was already low in comparison with that for registration as a member of other professions, was reduced to €65 per annum...