Results 2,681-2,700 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — OECD Feasibility Studies: OECD Feasibility Studies (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The OECD Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) feasibility study aims to assess whether it is possible to measure learning outcomes at the international level in order to provide relevant information to higher education institutions, governments and other stakeholders, including students and employers. The feasibility study was launched with the participation of ten...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that there has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in recent years and Special Education continues to be a key Government priority. Over €1 billion is being spent in supporting special educational provision this year. There are now about 20,000 adults in our schools working solely with pupils with special needs. This...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating special needs supports to schools to support children with special educational needs. The qualifying criteria for the allocation of special needs assistant (SNA) support is outlined in my Department's Circular Letter...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I consider that the level and range of supports in schools funded by my Department does enable pupils with special educational needs have access to an appropriate education. The primary responsibility for educating children with special educational needs rests with the class teacher. In carrying out their responsibilities, the class teacher may be supported by the learning support teacher...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 May 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The review of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 May 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I wish to...

Written Answers — Research Sector: Research Sector (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, a working group was established under the auspices of the Higher Education Research Group (HERG) to focus on the development of a career structure for researchers in the higher education sector. The Group included representatives from higher education institutions, research funding agencies and relevant government departments. The Advisory Science Council report...

Written Answers — School Designation: School Designation (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is in receipt of correspondence from the school referred to by the Deputy and my officials will be in further contact with the school in this regard.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: School enrolment data can only be provided at aggregate county level or at individual school level and is not available by local area, neighbourhood, suburb or town. Overall enrolments figures for each primary school for the 2008/2009 academic year are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. This is the most recent year available for primary schools.

Written Answers — School Places: School Places (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is not involved in the allocation of school places. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. From the...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has offered grant aid in respect of improvement works at the school referred to by the Deputy under the Summer Works Scheme 2010. I understand that the Board of Management of the school has recently confirmed acceptance of this grant offer. The funding information sought by the Deputy is confidential at this point due to the competitive tendering process being undertaken by the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (11 May 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 — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Appointment of Special Advisers and a Press Adviser at my Department is currently in process in accordance with section 11 of the Public Services Management Act 1997 and is expected to be completed shortly. I will forward the details requested by the Deputy on confirmation of appointment and finalisation of contracts.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme is a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle since 2003 and is designed to promote positive mental health. It is supported by comprehensive teacher guidelines and curriculum support services which provide training and advice for schools and a resource directory. Its aim is to foster personal development,...

Written Answers — Interdepartmental Committees: Interdepartmental Committees (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The committee to which the Deputy refers is an Inter Departmental Group on SPHE (Social Personal & Health Education) which was set up between my Department and the Department of Health and Children. The Group informs and guides partnership working between the two Departments in relation to the promotion and protection of the health of children and young people in the school setting in the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Normal reporting arrangements between the grant awarding authorities and my Department are on the basis of three financial reconciliations per year, a survey in January each year on progress in processing grant applications and an annual statistical return at the end of each academic year. This academic year, given the numbers of grant applications and the capacity of awarding authorities to...

Written Answers — Colleges of Education: Colleges of Education (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The level of student intake to the Colleges of Education is determined annually by my Department and it takes account of the supply of, and demand for, primary teachers. The post graduate primary teacher education course for holders of suitable university degrees is provided in four of the Colleges of Education and was introduced as a response to a shortage in the supply of primary teachers....

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 389 together. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains information relating to class size in primary schools for the school years 2006/07 to 2008/09. The information includes the number of pupils in each class, the number of pupils in each class size range and the number of teachers in each school. The primary census for the 2009/10...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 May 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Expenditure on professional development for my Department, the State Examinations Commission and the National Council for Special Education for the years requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tabular statement. In relation to the other agencies under the remit of my Department this information is not readily available. Officials at my Department will request this information...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (11 May 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...