Results 2,901-2,920 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provides funding by way of per capita grants to all voluntary secondary schools within the Free Education Scheme. The school referred to by the Deputy is a voluntary secondary school within the Free Education Scheme and receives funding on the same basis as other voluntary secondary schools. The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 48/2009 clarifies issues relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland Accreditation (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency with statutory responsibility for maintaining the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The NFQ is a system of ten levels which aims to make the qualifications system in Ireland easier to understand. QQI also hosts the Irish centre of the European Network of Information Centres/National Academic Recognition Information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Staff (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 771 to 773 together. Since the introduction of the moratorium on public sector recruitment, an Employment Control Framework (ECF) has been in place for the higher education sector which provides institutions with considerable flexibility to fill vacancies, through recruitment or promotions on the basis of meeting an overall ceiling of posts. The current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware of the concerns raised by the Deputy in this case. My Department has been in contact with the school concerned regarding arrangements for a meeting to discuss this and related issues.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school building project in question is currently at construction stage and is due for completion in March 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications including that from the school referred to by the Deputy, will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0055/2015), is available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provides funding to all recognised primary schools. I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over the recent years. In Budget 2015 I was able to secure the first increase in education spending in recent years and a further increase in education spending was achieved in Budget 2016. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, a set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely, SIPTU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: The pension provisions for Special Needs Assistants, (other than those who are member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme), who are employed in recognised schools, include provision for the award of added years, for the calculation of pension benefits, where a SNA is successful in his/her application for retirement on pension on grounds of permanent ill health. Where a person has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's Circular 0044/2014 sets out the current minimum educational requirements for appointment as a Special Needs Assistant (SNA). People appointed to SNA posts are required to have:1. A FETAC level 3 major qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications, OR 2. A minimum of three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate, OR 3. Equivalent The above are the minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 782 and 821 together. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, published in 2011, provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030. This Government has made considerable progress in implementing the recommendations set out in the Strategy, significantly advancing the goal of achieving a modernised, more flexible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that Cara Junior School currently has capacity for 60 students and Scoil Aislinn has capacity for 36 students for the current school year, 2015/16. The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included where possible, and appropriate, in mainstream school placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications including that from the school referred to by the Deputy will be assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0055/2015), is available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 788 and 823 together. The legal issues which arose as part of the conveyancing process have been resolved and the acquisition of the site is currently being finalised. A preferred bidder has been identified and it is anticipated that the appointment of the Contractor can be progressed when the site acquisition process is complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since 2006, under the Teaching Council Act, the Teaching Council is the independent self regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. In accordance with Section 23 of that Act, the Council charges a fee for registration. The fee for renewal of registration, which was already low in comparison with that for registration as a member of other professions, was reduced to €65 per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 790 and 791 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of 18. At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department administers a Home Tuition Scheme which provides a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons including chronic illness such as Cystic Fibrosis, are absent for a significant proportion of the school year and where the degree of absence is such that without supplementary instruction the pupil is unlikely to be able to perform academically at the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted two applications to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation. The applications are currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (13 Jan 2016)

Jan O'Sullivan: Assessment of means under my Department 's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources of the applicant and his/her parent(s)/legal guardian, where applicable, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. It is necessary, therefore, that information regarding all income, including that from after school/weekend employment, is accounted...