Results 15,221-15,240 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 698 and 699 together. The applicant to which the Deputy refers, applied for a SUSI grant and was refused following appeal, based on the rules of progression. The Appeals Officer's determination issued to the student on the 3rd of November 2015. The student subsequently lodged an appeal with the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on the 18th of March...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, 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. Under this Framework the re-employment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is strongly supportive of the promotion of positive mental health awareness in both primary and post-primary schools and provides support and resources in this area. The Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with a broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the primary school sector, which issued its report in 2012, recommended steps that could be taken to ensure that the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools to cater for children of all religions and none. The Report's recommendations covered four broad areas: - those dealing with planning towards future...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to vacant State properties and land in my ownership follows. The information provided refers to property in my ownership for which there are no immediate plans in place for development but does not include those currently vacant properties in my ownership in respect of which there are such plans. As the Deputy will appreciate, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is an operational matter for SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards. SOLAS have informed that in 2013, through an e-tender notification, it established a panel and managed the pre-qualification process for the provision of contracted training for the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). This panel is due to expire in early 2017. A new procurement framework for the delivery of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that my Department has recently received a revised proposal for funding towards the proposed walkway from the school to which the Deputy refers. This proposal is currently being considered and my Department will be in further contact with the school authority concerned as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support, as set out in my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand from SUSI that it does not collate data in the format requested by the Deputy. However, data relating to student grant recipients is available by the county of origin of the recipient. The following table details the breakdown by county of SUSI student grant awards for the 2015/16 academic year and reflects the position as at 13 April 2016. County Breakdown Carlow 954 Cavan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Waiting Times (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is not possible to provide reliable average waiting times for the payment of maintenance grants. Awards are processed quickly through the system but are ultimately dependent on the complexity of each individual application. On the award of a maintenance grant, students are put into payment as soon as their colleges confirm that they are registered and attending the approved course and as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. My Department is available to liaise with the school at its request if there is an issue with the delivery of the project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that various inquiries have been received related to possible access to the site in question for non-educational purposes. I wish to confirm to the Deputy that the site, in question, is required for educational purposes and that planning permission has being obtained by the relevant Educational and Training Board for the provision of educational accommodation on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 718 and 734 together. The project to which the Deputy refers has been tendered. An assessment of the Tender Report is at an advanced stage in the Department. A Cost benefit Analysis for the project is awaited from the local Education and Training Board.When both of these matters have been concluded, the Department will be in contact with the Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: To be eligible for the higher postgraduate rate of fee grant, an applicant has to be in receipt of one of the eligible payments as provided for in Schedule 2 of the Scheme and have reckonable income below €22,703. The reckonable income of the student referred to by the Deputy included one of the eligible payments however, the total reckonable income exceeded the €22,703 limit.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (14 Apr 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 721 to 723, inclusive, together. Projections for the area in question were examined in 2014 as part of a nationwide review of demographic data. This review indicated a spike in Junior Infant demand for September 2014 which was expected to level off in 2015, 2016 and beyond. At that time there were two schools in the area with the same ethos that had lost...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: In December 2015 approval was given for an additional five classrooms for this major building project at the school to which the deputy refers. The Design is currently being amended and developed based on this brief change. Notification of a decision to grant Planning Permission was received in late March 2016 for this additional accommodation. An option to decant during the construction...