Results 15,161-15,180 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Order of Business. (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy asked me about the specific issue of compound interest. One cannot legislate for compound interest.
- Order of Business. (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: On Tuesday evening, the Taoiseach advised the House of a number of measures that have been undertaken by this Government. Further measures will be taken after we have received the final report. As I indicated previously, the report will be available at the end of the month. It will have to be considered by the Government. Actions that arise from those considerations can be then progressed.
- Order of Business. (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: That will happen next year.
- Order of Business. (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy on that specific issue.
- Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the cost of the Redress Scheme from inception to date is â¬1.038 billion. Of this â¬832 million was paid in awards. The total third party legal costs associated with these awards and including the costs for those applicants who took High Court actions is â¬157 million.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. A stage 2B submission has recently been received by my Department and is currently being considered. When the stage submission has been considered my Department will revert to the school with instructions regarding next steps in the progression to tender and construction.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that the project will progress to construction in the near future.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for...
- Written Answers — Gaeltacht Scholarships: Gaeltacht Scholarships (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: My Department offers Gaeltacht Scholarships on a competitive basis to the top 15 students from Gaeltacht areas who, amongst other things, have attended an all-Irish second level school, sat their Leaving Certificate through Irish and reached a certain minimum standard in the Leaving Certificate examination. A student must also take at least 5 of their subjects in the leaving Certificate...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school building. In accordance with the published criteria for large scale building projects, the project for this school has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The schools were selected by a working group made up of representatives from: the Department of Education and Skills; the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources; the National centre for Technology in Education; and HEAnet. A two stage selection process was used for the selection of schools: Stage 1: Examined all schools against sub criteria that were independent of the...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. The student grant schemes include provision for grants to eligible students pursuing certain full-time undergraduate courses of at...
- Written Answers — Home Tuition Grant: Home Tuition Grant (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The application referred to by the Deputy is currently being considered by my Department and a decision will issue to the family in question shortly.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers was announced earlier this year for appointment of a design team. My Department has recently forwarded a Schedule of Accommodation to the school and will shortly be in contact with the school regarding the process for the Appointment of Design Team.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) has carried out a review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations. The NCSE has published its report on the Review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Allocation to Schools April 2009 â March 2010 on its website www.ncse.ie. The NCSE has since carried out a number of...
- Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I acknowledge that the cost of attending higher education is an important factor for a great number of students and their families. However the Deputy will appreciate that some 43% of all undergraduate students received financial support under my Department's student grant schemes in the 2009/2010 academic year and this number is likely to rise further this year. Under the student grant...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I refer the Deputy to the attached most recent quarterly return made by my Department in accordance with a Government Decision of May 2009, regarding prompt payment of invoices by Government Departments. These quarterly returns are also posted on the website of my Department. At any given point in time there will be a small number of invoices in respect of which clarification or further...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: In September 2010 there were nineteen retired post primary teachers employed on a part-time contractual basis in the voluntary secondary and community /comprehensive sectors. During that month claims were submitted for the payment of 74 retired teachers for work undertaken in a substitute capacity. This represented about 1.75% of the teachers engaged in substitute work for whom the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The information sought will be compiled and forwarded to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Decision on the need or cost of security for schools is a matter for each individual Board of Management. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available, and given that there are over 4,000 first and second level schools, would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.