Results 2,181-2,200 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers recently applied to my Department to build extra accommodation. The nature and extent of the accommodation needed has not been identified in the school's application and this matter will be pursued with the school authority as part of the assessment process. A decision will be taken on the matter when all of the relevant information...

Written Answers — School Provision: School Provision (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data from the Central Statistics Office, the General Register Office and the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: To the close of business on Friday 11 June, a total of €101.236 million of this year's capital allocation of €578.8m for the primary and post-primary sectors has issued from my Department under the school building and modernisation programme. By the end of June expenditure is expected to reach €120m for the first six months of the year. This expenditure level is on target with the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The current position with regard to the 78 projects referred to by the Deputy is as follows: 14 projects have been completed and handed over 35 projects are currently under construction 21 projects are at tender stage 8 projects are at pre-tender stage I expect the 21 projects currently at tender stage to progress to construction in 2010. The 8 projects currently at pre-tender stage will...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: During the five year period 2005 to 2009 a total of 100 new primary schools were constructed and during the same period a total of 159 large scale primary school extensions/refurbishments were completed. The completions on an individual year basis are as follows: 2009 - 20 new schools and 6 extensions/refurbishments; 2008 - 48 new schools and 29 extensions/refurbishments; 2007 - 12 new...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The total number of permanent classrooms delivered in the primary sector over the past five years is as follows: 2009 - 614 permanent classrooms; 2008 - 1,000 permanent classrooms; 2007 - 493 permanent classrooms; 2006 - 424 permanent classrooms; 2005 - 397 permanent classrooms.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under Section 30 of the Education Act (1998), no student can be required to attend instruction in any subject which is contrary to the conscience of the parent of the student. The position regarding Religious Instruction in Primary Schools is also contained in rules 68 and 69 of the Rules for National schools. These rules state, inter alia, that: No pupil shall receive, or be present at,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 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 — EU Funding: EU Funding (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 505 together. I refer to the reply to Question Reference No. 24632 of 9th June 2010. FÁS met with workers representatives on 11th June to inform them of the EGF situation to date. The Department is actively taking steps to identify a suitable EGF services coordinator and to establish a Steering Committee, to include workers representatives, with a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data from the Central...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Under the terms of the DEIS Action Plan, a commitment was made to extend the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project to the 50 School Support Programme (SSP) schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantage over the five years to 2010, with extension to further SSP schools to be considered subsequently. To date, the Project has been extended to 20 of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Higher Education Grants Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Under the scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. There are no plans at present to extend the scope of the...

Written Answers — Course Accreditation: Course Accreditation (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The accreditation by professional bodies, such as the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), of awards made by higher education institutions is not something which would be brought to my attention as a matter of course, and therefore I was not aware of the withdrawal of accreditation referred to in the question. However, officials in my Department have looked into this matter and I note...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. The Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the certificate examinations....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established to co-ordinate the delivery of services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. This co-ordination occurs through a network of 89 Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) posts, including 12 Senior SENO positions based in over 40 NCSE offices throughout the State....

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to share time with the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney.

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is a disappointment that on a day when we should be discussing the Watson and Honohan reports and getting on with the work of placing Ireland on a path of sustainable economic growth we are, because of political difficulties on the other side of the House, having to dedicate so much time to an unnecessary confidence debate.

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It presents the Government with an opportunity not only to set the record straight but to reaffirm our commitment to recovery. The recovery we have in mind is not a short-term opinion poll recovery but real and lasting economic recovery about which the Irish people will pass judgment in the only poll that counts in two years. The people know Ireland is on the correct path but they also know...

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Mary Coughlan: To suggest we have blown the boom is probably the most disingenuous accusation often made across the Opposition benches. We have faced into the challenges of today from a position of strength, coming from the good years when we invested smartly with purpose in Ireland's economic and social infrastructure and in our long-term future while also paying down national debt. That should not be...