Results 15,701-15,720 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Officials from my Department were in contact with the person referred to by the Deputy recently and the matters raised by him are now resolved.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill is a substantial piece of legislation dealing with a range of qualifications and quality assurance issues in the context of the establishment of an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance body. The Bill will be published early in the new year and I hope that it will be debated at second stage shortly thereafter.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Work Placement Programme provides up to 9 months work experience to unemployed individuals and is open to employers from all sectors of the economy, including the private, public and the community and voluntary sectors. The programme is intended to assist people who are unemployed to develop their skills levels to secure work experience that will assist them in finding employment....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is in receipt of a major capital application for a new school building from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2.2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware of my Department's commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs in school settings. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified professional teachers, special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum with the option, in line with each...

Written Answers — Public Service Reform: Public Service Reform (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department implements the Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) as agreed in General Council Reports 1368, 1398 and 1452. Performance management in my Department and indeed across the civil service is already linked to promotion and to incremental progression. The systems in place to address underperformance are now being assessed in light of the Public Service Agreement...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Eleven retired school inspectors were engaged by my Department in 2009 and 2010. Ten were assigned to carry out probationary inspections on newly recruited teachers while one has been contracted as the interim manager of three community primary schools pending the amendment of the Vocational Education Act to enable patrons of the schools concerned to establish boards of management. The cost...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, Fingal County Council are leading the negotiations in relation to the acquisition of a site for the school in question. Fingal County Council have advised my Department that they expect the outstanding legal matters to be completed shortly thereby allowing for the onward disposal of the site to my Department. Once the site has been acquired and transferred to my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The two schools to which the Deputy refers, were announced for the appointment of design teams in February 2010. The first of these projects is currently at an advanced stage of the tender process, the second is in architectural planning. The notification of decision to grant permission for the first school issued on 6th December 2010 and is currently being reviewed by my Department.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The issues raised by the Deputy primarily related to the recent budget. Budget 2011 is a budget that recognises the critical role of the education and skills sector to Ireland's future prospects. While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's remit, the Government has gone as far as it could to protect front line services in 2011. The Deputy also raised...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 provides for tax relief, at the standard rate of tax, for tuition fees paid in respect of approved full/part-time courses in both private and publicly funded third level colleges and universities in the State and any other EU Member State. This relief also extends to approved post-graduate courses in non- EU member states. Further details...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I recently announced that I would be exploring new methodologies for the delivery of major school building projects. As part of this process, I announced that some VECs would be tasked with the procurement and delivery of major school building projects. I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that County Dublin VEC has been asked to proceed with the procurement and delivery of a new second...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As part of the contract exchange between the OPW and the vendor, an outline planning application for the above school was submitted to South Dublin County Council by the OPW. Due to commercial sensitivities it is not the Department's policy to provide details of the purchase cost of sites acquired in 2010 as this information could prejudice ongoing negotiations for school sites. Once the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The process of assessing and paying third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. I am aware that the timing of payment varies between the 66 awarding authorities depending on a number of variables including the volume of applications received, staffing resources and whether or not properly completed application forms have been submitted. Work...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Staff in Ministerial offices in my Department are equipped with a standard suite of computer hardware and software including a PC, access to a printer, network connectivity, standard office software and business applications to support their work similar to all other staff and exact costs for all aspects of the service are not readily available. Computer equipment in the Minister's private...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The amount of money paid by my Department during the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 to Indecon is outlined in a tabular statement. The 2006 payment relates to the development of guidelines and a template in respect of Cost-Benefit Analyses as required under the "Guidelines for the Appraisal and Management of Capital Expenditure Proposals in the Public Sector". The 2008 and 2010...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The annual cost of maintaining my Department's website in 2010 was €25,684.50. This figure incorporates the cost of an annual maintenance contract, a search engine licence and the Department's contribution to the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB) for hosting the website. There were on average 55,031 unique visitors to this website per month last year. To expedite claims and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm to the Deputy that an appeal was received by my Department on 17/11/10 from the student to which he refers in relation to an unsuccessful application for a student grant. The appeal was examined and a decision issued to the student on 18/11/2010. The original decision of the awarding authority was upheld as the reckonable income in this case exceeded the income limits prescribed...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Data are available on the numbers of academics and non-academics employed at the end of 2008 and 2009 and are given in the table below. The latest data for December, 2010 are being collated currently and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. The figures show a reduction in staffing numbers across the institutions since 2008 in line with the Government's recruitment...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: My Department issued circular 66/2010 which permits schools to participate in the FÁS Work Placement Programme (WPP) if they so wish. In the event that primary teachers in a placement under the FÁS Work Placement Programme can meet the conditions associated with the operation of the primary probationary process as outlined in circular 58/2010, there will be nothing to preclude them from...