Results 2,001-2,020 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Initiative the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved institution. The main conditions are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right and have been...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The criteria for appointment of Special Needs Assistants are set out in Department Circulars 05/2001 and SNA 03/03. These Circulars specify that the minimum requirement necessary for appointment is an award of Grade D (or pass) in Irish, English and Mathematics in the Intermediate Certificate/Junior Certificate or Day Vocational Certificate Examination or in an examination of equivalent...
- Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: While the Department's offices are State owned, my Department has responsibility for the day to day maintenance and general up-keep of the offices, including heating and lighting. With regard to the Department's offices, the cost for building maintenance, including light and heat was â¬2,726,061 in 2009.With regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department, the expenditure incurred in...
- Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I understand from FÃS that work is ongoing to collate the material requested by the Deputy. I will reply substantively as soon as it has been completed.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Following discussions with my Department, revised school building drawings for the proposed school were submitted to the local GAA club and the City Council for their consideration. The Council has reverted with their preferred option but a response is awaited from the Club, as the leaseholders of the proposed school site. In order to progress this matter a meeting with representatives of...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning.Information in respect of the current school building programme, including the project referred to by the Deputy, is now available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage...
- Written Answers — Preschool Services: Preschool Services (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age and the Rules for National Schools provide that a child must be at least 4 years of age before she/he may be enrolled in a National School. The primary school curriculum is designed as an eight year course, including a two year infant cycle followed by six years in standards from first to sixth, with children...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.1 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme, along with all assessed...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Circular 0023/2009 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, including the posts referred to which the Deputy refers, are comprehended by this decision.
- Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Initiative the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved institution. The main conditions are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right and have been...
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I presume that the school to which the Deputy is referring is St Andrew's National School, Lucan. The OPW are leading the negotiations for the site acquisition on behalf of my Department and I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will 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 needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details...
- Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant assessing authority, i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the assessing authority decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department by submitting an appeal form...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I refer the Deputy to my earlier answer to parliamentary question number 188 of 16 June 2010 for an explanation of the how the procedures for school placements operate under the Education Act 1998 and the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. Under the Education (Welfare) Act the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Jun 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...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year Programme in that school. Guidelines have been issued by my Department to support schools in this process. In some schools, the programme is compulsory for all students. In those that offer it as an option, circumstances may arise where it is necessary to limit the number of...
- Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Board: Residential Institutions Redress Board (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Residential Institutions Redress Board provides a mechanism to compensate survivors without having to go through the Courts. The Board provides fair and reasonable awards to victims of institutional childhood abuse. It is wholly independent in the performance of its functions and over the last seven years has dealt with over 13,800 cases, resulting in over 13,000 awards being accepted...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The recommendations made in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes were assessed and considered by my Department in the context of determining the expenditure allocation for the Department for 2010, which was announced in budget 2010. The recommendations incorporated in budget 2010, together with estimated savings yields for 2010 where relevant,...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.1 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2010)
Mary Coughlan: A reply has issued from my Department to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy.