Results 14,661-14,680 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools on public roads, such as speed limits, is a matter for the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools to ensure the protection and safety of school children. My Department has no function in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (14 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 (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: A grant was approved in March 2015 under the Additional Accommodation Scheme to enable the Board of Management of the school in question to provide three new mainstream classrooms with en-suite toilets and a WC for assisted users. It is understood that planning permission has been received and the project is currently at pre-tender stage.An application for additional funding has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department administers two separate Home Tuition Schemes. One of the schemes provides a compensatory educational service for children, who for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware a process for the review of the DEIS Programme is currently underway in my Department. This process is being undertaken over the course of the current school year and will consider all issues pertaining to educational disadvantage in order to inform future policy direction in this important area. While this process is underway, I do not intend to make any changes to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise that the works referred to by the Deputy are appropriate to the Summer Works Scheme, the purpose of which is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to facilitate carrying out small and medium scale capital works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings and the grounds within the school site area. Under the scheme, responsibility for identifying...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 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: Summer Works Scheme Applications (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school, in question, under the Summer Works Scheme for the works referred to. Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Scheme, applications including that from the school concerned will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, through the Education Centres and Support Services engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area.As schools may not have a place for every applicant, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The government is committed to ensure greater diversity of choice in school provision. This is a stated aim of the programme for government. In this regard, progress continues to be made on a number of fronts. Firstly, the new school establishment procedures put in place since 2011 now provide parental input into the type of new school to be provided. Secondly, a patronage divesting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department completed demographic analyses at primary and post-primary level late last year, using the Department's Geographical Information System, to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and local authorities, in addition to information from...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the committee for its pre-legislative scrutiny. Many of the points made at the time have been taken on board in the drafting of the Bill. A number of amendments relate to more general issues rather than to the specific purpose of the Bill and certainly will be considered in the context of other legislation. It is probable that there will not be any other legislation in the lifetime...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria originally announced were that there were various stages that had to be gone through. One of the stages is the merger of the relevant institutes of technology. The stage beyond that is attaining the status of a technological university. It was always very clear in the criteria that the mergers would happen prior to attaining the status of a technological university. As people...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: When institutes of technology were invited to consider this proposal, they would have been fully aware of the criteria. I do not think it is appropriate that we would change the criteria at this stage.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: We will address the issue further when we discuss amendments on issues that are of concern to staff. I do not know how much further the Chairman wants this conversation to continue, as we will come to it later.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: There has been an extensive consultation process. I understand the issue. I have received the representations the same as the Deputies from unions representing staff. We will come to all of this later. I am certainly aware of the considerations.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: They have to do with trade unions and staff associations. The Bill, in sections 63, 67, 79 and 83, provides that members of staff of bodies dissolved under the Bill shall automatically become members of staff of the relevant merged institute or technological university. In addition, those sections ensure that transferring members of staff shall retain their existing conditions of...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The intention is that all of those things would be fully taken on board. As I have said, they have been incorporated in other legislation. That is the system that has worked. I will look at the issue of "scheme" versus "schemes" but I do not think it should cause any material problems.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (14 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Okay. We will check to ensure the wording is correct.