Results 2,521-2,540 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Equal Status Act, schools are not permitted to discriminate in admission on any of the grounds set out in the Act. However the Act contains an exemption which permits schools in which the objective is to provide education that promotes certain religious values, to admit a student of a particular religion in preference to others. The Deputy will be aware of the many positive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland. Given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first time students and students that are progressing with their studies to a higher level, there are no plans at present to extend post graduate funding to students studying abroad. However, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's Planning and Building Unit has no record of receiving an application for funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. It is open to the school to use its Minor Works Grant, which was paid to the school last November, to carry out the most urgently needed works at the school in full or in part as that grant permits.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The total amount of capital spending on construction projects in the Education sector for the primary and post primary schools for the years 2010 to 2015 is available on the attached table and includes large scale projects, the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the summer works scheme and emergency works scheme. Also attached is the total capital funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos.450 and 451 together. The National Skills Strategy, which was published last week, contains an ambitious target to support the delivery of 50,000 apprenticeship and traineeship places up to 2020. This target is subject to employer demand and economic capacity and will require a strong employer commitment in order for them to be achieved. The 50,000 target will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools at primary and post-primary level. The most recent published information relates to the 2014/2015 school year. Data in relation to the 2015/16 school year will be published later in the current school year. Due to the moveable nature of classes at post-primary level depending on subject choices,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoileanna Issues (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Based on parental preferences indicating that there would be sufficient support for Irish-medium provision in the post-primary school to open in 2014 in Maynooth, it was decided that this school would open with an Irish-medium Aonad. In November 2015, when I announced the new schools which would open in 2017 and 2018 to cater for increased demographic demand, I stated that a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Outline planning permission for a primary and post-primary school on the site in question was granted by Kildare County Council in 2009 and 2010 respectively. A planning application for permanent school buildings on this site was refused by Kildare County Council in December 2013, a decision which was upheld by An Bord Pleanála in May 2014. There were a number of differences between...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Flood Risk Assessments (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, together. Whilst acknowledging the potential need for a broader assessment of flooding in the catchment area, the scale and cost of the proposed flood assessment would represent a disproportionate extension to the basis of the original appointment of the project consultant referred to. Extending the brief in this way would breach the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department authorised and provided funding to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board to acquire a site to facilitate a primary and post-primary school on Hazelhatch Road, Celbridge in two transactions in 2009 and 2010. Outline planning permission for schools was granted at that time. A planning application for permanent school buildings on this site was subsequently refused...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that the school, referred to by the Deputy, made an application to my Department for a GP Room in July 2015. The school were advised in 23rd July 2015 that due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential school classroom accommodation, it was not possible to provide an indicative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand the school referred to by the Deputy was invited to engage in the amalgamation process with two other schools in the area (which subsequently amalgamated), and after initially engaging in the process, withdrew from the amalgamation process. It is a matter for the Patron in the first instance to determine the short-term and medium-term plans for the school in question and it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that schools are currently encouraged to use individualised planning through policy guidance, support, and training. Inspection reports note that the majority of schools now use some form of personal education planning for children with special needs. A number of guidance documents have been provided for schools from the National Educational Psychological...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Summer Works Scheme. Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Scheme, applications including that from the school concerned, will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Recruitment (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the three current vacancies generated by staff retirements in my Department's office in Athlone, have been filled by assignments from the Public Appointments Service. However due to contractual obligations with current employers some of the staff assigned will not take up their positions until later this month.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provided a purpose built building for the school in question in 2008. My Department, therefore, has no plans to replace this building.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (2 Feb 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Summer Works Scheme. Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Scheme, applications including that from the school concerned, will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the...