Results 14,681-14,700 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Contrary to the information provided, the design team are currently working on completing a revised stage 2(b) submission which will be submitted to my Department for technical review when completed. The school have recently advised my Department that the design team anticipate...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 194 together. Circular 0023/2009, which is available on my Department's website, outlines the impact on Community and Comprehensive schools of the Government decision to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector. As the Deputy will be aware, positions other than teacher and special needs assistant posts in schools and VECs,...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for capital funding for major capital works in September 2010. This application is currently being assessed and it will be assigned a band rating in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The school's application was accompanied by a submission and...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures. It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed by schools. This policy is reflected in Circular 40/2010 which my Department issued earlier this year. Under its terms, schools are directed to ensure that teachers proposed for...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Officials in my Department are making arrangements to issue the PRSI refund to the person referred to by the Deputy as soon as possible. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has introduced an automated system to deal with PRSI for maternity benefit in respect of teaching and non teaching staff paid on my Department's payrolls. This system ensures that PRSI regulations...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Order for Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Education (Amendment) Bill 2010 before the House. The Bill provides for the involvement for the first time of vocational education committees in the provision of primary education as well as a number of other education related matters. This legislation is one of several measures currently being progressed by my...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is more than I can get.

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: That will come later.

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: They will not.

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is not a subcommittee of the VEC

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I have not brought the Bill to the floor of the House yet. We will discuss that later . I would have thought that at this point in time, now that the Minister has told 33 VECs that four of them, including one in Donegal and two in Cork County and city, will remain untouched but the other 29 will have to find room in the bed where there is only space for 12 VECs. I have no problem in...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: There may be more disgruntled Labour Party members than Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil members in due course.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes considered that the number of VECs should be reduced to 22 and be aligned with the functional areas of the local authorities. I am satisfied that a greater reduction than suggested by the Group is desirable in order to deal with the issues of scale and taking into account the current and prospective requirements of the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains information relating to class size ranges for each mainstream primary school. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is also published annually on my Department's website. While the staffing schedule allocates on the basis of an average number of pupils each individual school decides on how to arrange its classes.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the 2007 Programme for Government committed to the long-term funding for the centres in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with my Department on standards that will enable them to be supported as primary schools for children with autism. Agreement on transitional arrangements for the pilot centres was reached following a long process of discussions and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The matter referred to by the Deputy is being raised with the Board of Management of the school in question. I will advise the Deputy of the position.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for major capital funding. All applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria which were introduced in 2004 following consultation with the Education Partners. Under the criteria, each project is assigned a Band Rating which reflects the type of works...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: 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. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place...