Results 3,001-3,020 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A project to provide permanent accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers involves the acquisition of a site. The progression of a project from site acquisition and initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the...

Written Answers — Third Level Examinations: Third Level Examinations (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Universities are autonomous academically independent institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act, 1997. Neither I nor my Department has any function in relation to the day to day management or academic affairs of a university and the decision of any university on when and how to conduct its examinations is a matter for that university.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department and my office are in receipt of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy and will continue to correspond with the person concerned in relation to the matters she has raised in her correspondence.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 400 together. The supply teacher scheme was initially set up at primary level over 15 years ago at a time when schools had difficulty getting substitute teachers. The supply scheme operates on the basis of an additional full-time teacher being allocated to a school to cover certified sick leave absences in that school and a cluster of neighbouring...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I announced details of successful applicants under the Summer Works Scheme for 2010 on 19 April last. 1,490 primary and post primary schools across the country will benefit from small and medium scale building works this summer under the €122 million investment programme announced. The Planning and Building Unit of my Department has recently contacted...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the appointment of a Board of Management of a school is a matter for the relevant school patron. The agreed procedures for the appointment of Boards of Management of primary schools are set out in the publication, Boards of Management Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure (revised November, 2007), copies of which are...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information is not available in the format requested by the Deputy. However, details of the number of students that benefitted from funding under the student grant schemes over the last three academic years for which figures are available, together with details of the spend on a financial year basis for the periods concerned are set out in the following table. Number of students that...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Physical education facilities are included as an intrinsic part of the design of all permanent new school building or refurbishment/extension projects. In rapidly developing areas where a project is delivered on a phased basis, the emphasis has been on the provision of sufficient school places to cater for the needs of new or rapidly growing communities. In such circumstances the provision...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A response has issued to the letter referred to by the Deputy and officials of my Department had already met with representatives of the Justice for Magdalenes Group. The position in relation to my Department has been explained both in correspondence with the Group and at the meeting between my officials and representatives of the Group.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, the school to which she refers has made an application to my Department for Major Capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 1 rating. The priority attaching to individual projects is determined by published prioritisation criteria, which were...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which she refers was recently authorised to proceed to tender.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Information in respect of the current school building programme, along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including the Co. Sligo projects referred to by the Deputy, is now available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The priority attaching to individual projects is determined by published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, Government approval is required for the publication of primary legislation. It is my intention to seek the necessary Government approval for the publication of legislation providing for VEC patronage at primary level very shortly.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am arranging to forward to the Deputy a list of the schools concerned setting out the name and address of the school, the school roll number and details of the Patron of each school.

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The issue of patronage and governance of our primary schools is of significant national importance. Irish society will continue to change at pace over the years to come and our education system must therefore continue to adapt and change to reflect this. I have publicly indicated at the recent INTO conference that I recognise that there is a need to seek the input and views of a wide cross...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that I am re-assessing organisational options for the student grants administration function in the context of the Government's wider programme of public service reform. Possible options for a more significant centralisation of functions are being explored with a view to streamlining operations and maximising administrative efficiency. This involves revisiting the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is not my intention to publish the results of the pilot phase of the inventory of accommodation as this was carried out on a test basis only. Officials in my Department had meetings with the Education partners last year in relation to this and the Education partners supplied the list of schools that were willing to participate in the pilot scheme. The intention of this pilot phase was to...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department had discussions on this matter with senior representatives of the Catholic Church. The Catholic School Patrons and my Department agreed that it was essential to engage in planning for change. In order to advance the matter, my Department agreed that it would examine a number of initial locations to see what scope or options might exist for change of patronage in these cases. The...

Written Answers — Higher Education Strategy: Higher Education Strategy (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, a High Level Group is currently developing a new national strategy for higher education. That Group is examining how well Ireland's higher education system is performing, how it ranks internationally, how well existing resources are being used and how the system should be configured to best meet the many challenges it faces over the next decade having regard to the key...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (27 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: This question relates to the procurement arrangements for printing of examination papers, which is an operational matter. The State Examinations Commission was established by Government in 2003 to assume operational responsibility for the operation of the certificate examinations. The Deputy's question was referred to the Commission for direct reply on 15 April 2010, and I understand that a...