Results 15,821-15,840 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Higher Education Strategy: Higher Education Strategy (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The new National Strategy for Higher Education which I published last week has been endorsed by the Government as the basis for the development of the higher education sector over the next two decades. The new Strategy affirms the importance of having institutions with a diversity of missions and provides a clear pathway of evolution for Institutes of Technology, which includes the potential...

Written Answers — Higher Education Strategy: Higher Education Strategy (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Best practice quality assurance processes involve the capturing of student feedback and complying with quality assurance procedures are the responsibility of the higher education institutions in the first instance. A range of student feedback arrangements are in place across higher education institutions. At a policy level, my Department has regular engagement with the Union of Students in...

Written Answers — Higher Education Strategy: Higher Education Strategy (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: A key recommendation in the new Strategy for Higher Education which I published last week is that higher education institutions should ensure that all teaching staff in the third level sector are qualified and competent. It is acknowledged that while significant advances in teaching and learning in our higher education institutions have been seen in the past number of years, it is important...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: As previously outlined to the Deputy all centres participating in the ABA pilot scheme funded by my Department have been granted recognition as special schools for children with autism. I am pleased to update the Deputy that following their recognition the new schools are currently progressing well in the transitional phase. The majority of them have appointed Principal Teachers and have...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in all mainstream and special schools. This includes determining the level of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support in schools. The NCSE operates within...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, Fingal County Council carried out the negotiations in relation to the acquisition of a site for the school in question, at my Department's request, in accordance with the Fingal Model Agreement. Under this Model agreement, Fingal County Council identify and secure the purchase of the necessary sites required for school purposes and for the provision of community...

Written Answers — Charities Regulation: Charities Regulation (18 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: My Department does not collate statistics under the heading of Investment in Charities. While my Department provides funding to a number of bodies which may be registered charities, such funding is based on criteria other than charitable status and accordingly details of amounts paid to charitable organisations are not held.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has an application with the Department for an extension which has been assigned a band rating of 2.4. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to inform the Deputy that the information required to respond to Parliamentary Question No. 107 of 4th November, 2010 has now been compiled and will issue very shortly.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 123 and 125 together. The position is that the Government has taken a decision to provide educational teaching supports to Traveller students on the same basis as other students in schools. This means that Traveller students who require additional tuition will receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools. All schools...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Act 2009 (the Act) determined the criteria for reducing the pay of public servants with effect from January 2010. However, when the Act was introduced, there was a question as to how a public servant should be determined for the purposes of this Act. Subsequently, following receipt of legal advice, it has now been determined that...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (19 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The arrangements regarding probation of teachers have recently been reviewed and are set out in Circular 58/2010 'Probationary Requirements for Registration Purposes for Primary Teachers' which is available on my Department's website. Under the Teaching Council Act, 2001, the Council is required to establish procedures and criteria for probation of teachers including periods of probation....

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The Order of Business is No. 19, Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 4 - Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: If I may be as disorderly as the Leader of the Opposition-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The issue is that in the main, I take the Order of Business on a Thursday. That has been the tradition unless-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: -----I am not in a position to do so.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: If and when the Taoiseach has an announcement to make-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: -----arising from resignations, he will do so to the House when the relevant constitutional arrangements have been complied with.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I did advise the House that if and when the Taoiseach makes an announcement he will do so in this House when the constitutional arrangements have been complied with. This reminds me of the dramatics of 1986 when the coalition Government denied the people of Donegal South-West their right to be represented after the death of my father.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Not to mention-----