Results 3,061-3,080 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial and/or caretaking services. Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs and the Department does not stipulate how these services are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Rehiring (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has not received any applications since 2004 for re- instatement, following retirement of staff on grounds of ill -health.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it is not possible to say whether or not a particular student would qualify for a grant at some point in the future. This is a matter for SUSI to determine if/when the student reapplies for grant support. In general terms the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Teaching Council Act, the Teaching Council is, since 2006, the body with statutory authority for the recognition and registration of teachers in the State. Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act requires that a teacher be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from Oireachtas-voted funds in respect of his/her employment in schools recognized for public funding....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoileanna Issues (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together. On the 17th November last I announced the details of the new schools to be provided nationwide in 2017 and 2018. I also announced, in view of the anticipated enrolment numbers in the Irish-medium Aonad of Maynooth Community College and the continued support for a Gaelcholáiste in the North Kildare area, that a Gaelcholáiste will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Religious Instruction in Schools (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The model schools have their origin in the set of instructions drawn up by Chief Secretary Stanley in 1831 that empowered the Commissioners for National Education (National Education Board) to, inter alia, establish a model school for the training of teachers. From 1845 onwards model schools were established and managed by local inspectors. Model schools were found to be an unduly expensive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that in the first named area to which she refers, a building project to provide for a 24 classroom primary school is currently under construction and is expected to be ready for occupation in early 2016. With regard to the second area, a 24 classroom primary school was completed in May 2015. Both schools will provide for a capacity of approximately 635 pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Start Programme (10 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Early Start Pre School programme was established in 1994/1995 in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk. The programme is aimed at children aged from 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months old. It is a one year intervention scheme to meet the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds who...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We want to improve that level. Next week, I will publish a plan for access to higher education. It went through the Cabinet yesterday. It will include specific plans and targets for broadening the opportunity for access to higher education. Of course, higher education is not the only option. We will also introduce 25 new apprenticeships, which the Minister of State, Deputy English, and I...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I assure the Deputy that we did not cut any budget because that was what we wanted. We faced extraordinarily difficult political decisions.

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We did not have choices-----

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----in terms of the overall amount of money available to us. What one takes in in taxation and what one must borrow are issues that one must deal with when in government. We dealt with them and have begun the recovery. My strong view, which has been supported by my colleagues in government in so far as we have attained an increase in the education budget in the past two years, is that...

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In September 2014, implementation of the junior cycle commenced with a new specification in English and the availability of a number of short courses. Talks with the two main teacher unions continued during 2014 and 2015 and the 2015 junior cycle framework was published in August 2015. Agreement was reached with the leadership of the two unions in May 2015 on revised reform proposals and...

Other Questions: State Examinations Reviews (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Implementation has commenced in respect of English. All of the other education partners have supported the changes. We held detailed negotiations with the unions. A relatively small percentage of ASTI members voted. They have rejected the proposals despite the fact that their leaders signed up to them. We are continuing to engage with the leaders, who are engaging with their members to...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The new model was proposed because the system was perceived to be unfair in so far as people felt they had to pay for private diagnoses. The National Educational Psychological Service was not designed to spend all its time on diagnosis. It is meant to be a support service. Nevertheless, a huge amount of time is being taken up on the process of diagnosis. One can certainly question the...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will ensure that information is provided to schools in time. I realise there is a time issue in this case but, as of now, I have not had an opportunity to engage with the pilot programme in any meaningful way and, as such, I do not want to pre-empt what information might emerge. In terms of the issue with regard to the needs of individual children, the concept of an individual learning...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Broughan. The Government recognises the importance of the higher education sector to Ireland's future economic and social development. It also acknowledges that the sector must be resourced sufficiently and in a sustainable manner to ensure it can deliver on our national ambitions. The reality of the economic situation and the public expenditure corrections that had to be...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The indications are that a range of options will be proposed by the Cassells group. We will consider all of them. I will not pre-empt that before I even see the report. Certainly, all options will be considered. Regarding the Deputy's general points, I agree that we must broaden access, but a high percentage of our young people go on to higher education compared with other countries....

Other Questions: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We will invest €2.8 billion by way of public funding In the school building capital programme for the next six years and a very small percentage by way of PPP after that. The Deputy is actually telling the story of how successful we have been in terms of restoring the economy in that we have got our borrowing rates down that low and we have restored the economy to health.