Results 2,481-2,500 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) provides behaviour improvement support and advice to 62 schools nationally and special behaviour support classrooms/programmes have been established in 30 of these schools. Behaviour support classrooms/programmes provide an individualised intensive intervention for students who are unable to abide by a schools code of behaviour. This intervention...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The principal financial support available to students in higher education is the student maintenance grant. Students who are entering approved courses are eligible for financial assistance where they satisfy the relevant conditions including those relating to residency, means, age, nationality and previous academic attainment. When the Minister announced details of the student maintenance...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: There is no requirement for local school authorities to report incidents or allegations of bullying to my Department, nor do I believe that this should be the case. Under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed, on behalf of the school Patron or Trustees, by school Boards of Management who employ the teachers at the school. Whereas as I, as Minister for Education and Skills...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Responsibility for tackling bullying falls to the level of the individual school as it is at local level that an effective anti-bullying climate must be established. Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 2000 requires all schools to have in place a Code of Behaviour. Such a code, developed through consultation with the whole school community and properly implemented, can be the most...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. It is the responsibility of the managerial...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The public sector number for 31 March 2009 for full-time primary teachers was 31,134. The corresponding figure for 31 March 2010 was 31,390. Part-time primary teachers were set up on the Department's payroll with effect from 1 September 2009. Previously, these part-time teachers were paid under a grant based system at individual school level. The public sector numbers for 31 March 2010 for...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As I informed the Deputy, a system to deal with the reconciliation of PRD payments is being developed at present. Once this development is completed and implemented on the payrolls arrangements will be made to issue refunds, where appropriate, to teachers and special needs assistants. My Department is not in a position to give an exact date at present, but I will inform the deputy when the...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The selection and enrolment of pupils in second-level 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 second level 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...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am the title holder of the complex in question. I have no plans to alter the existing arrangements that are in place.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The provision of a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers necessitates the acquisition of a site. The Patron has decided to make this acquisition. When a site is available, consideration can be given to the inclusion of a building project for the school in the School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of the current level of demand on the Department's...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: All lone parents who present to FÁS Employment Services are provided with a one-to-one guidance interview with an Employment Services Officer. As part of this process, lone parents are advised on suitable labour market opportunities, such as current job vacancies, training/employment programme places, or may also be referred to other FÁS supports. The Social Inclusion Model, which is a...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 211, inclusive, together. During the period in question, my department received proposals from Institutes of Technology for a total of 38 voluntary early retirements in respect of permanent whole time lecturers. The breakdown by college was: 2 from Sligo IT, 5 from IT Tralee, 17 from Waterford IT, 6 from Athlone IT and 8 from Dundalk IT. Up to 31...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The public sector numbers for 31 March 2010 were 31,860 primary teachers and 27,860 post-primary teachers. While education cannot be entirely spared in terms of decisions made in order to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term, it has been protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure For September 2010, the estimated additional...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I understand that the income levy certificates have issued on a phased basis over the last week to approximately 100,000 teaching and non-teaching staff both serving and retired who are paid through my Department's centralised payroll system.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy may be aware that my Department has put in place a range of teaching and care supports for pupils with special educational needs. These include the provision of additional teaching and/or special needs assistant support in schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including Down's Syndrome. All primary schools have the benefit of additional Learning...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school was approved a devolved grant to build an additional two classrooms to meet the school's most immediate needs. The school was advised of this by letter from my Department on 7th May 2010. In relation to the learning support resource teacher, the general allocation model was introduced in primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that each...

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department's capital funding is made available for school and college buildings. Funding is not available from my Department for investment in the refurbishment of swimming pools, such as the one referred to by the Deputy, which are not part of school or college facilities.

Diversification of Primary School Provision: Statements (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: There will be debates on other topics. Today's debate concerns primary education so there will be discussion on secondary education, among other topics.

Diversification of Primary School Provision: Statements (20 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I thank all of my colleagues for taking the time to participate in this debate. We will disappoint some Members because the House rightly comprises a range of diversity. I was anxious to bring the matter to the House because not everyone participates in the committees.