Results 3,081-3,100 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos.197 and 198 together. The overall policy goal of my Department is to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. However, in the context of a rapidly increasing school population and competing pressure on the capital budget available to my Department, it is necessary to make use of temporary accommodation in order to meet the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Apr 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. All...

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has provided funds for over thirty projects in Local Drugs Task Force areas, including the project specifically referred to by the Deputy. My Department is one of a number of sources of funding for this project, with the HSE being the main funding provider. In the context of the budget for 2010 and the difficult fiscal climate, it was decided that funding for these...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that when the acquisition of a suitable site is concluded, the proposed permanent building project for the school will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, Phase I of the project to which he refers is currently under construction and is being delivered as part of my Department's rapid delivery programme. The Phase I brief is for 12 mainstream classrooms, 4 special needs classrooms plus other ancillary accommodation. Information on the cost of this project is commercially sensitive, therefore it would be...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 878 and 902 together. 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...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Project Maths is designed to transform teaching and learning of Mathematics at second level, so that students will develop instrumental understanding (knowing how), relational understanding (knowing why), the ability to apply their knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar contexts, and analytical and creative powers in Mathematics. A key objective is to improve attainment levels in...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Marking schemes for examinations run by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) are developed in accordance with the protocols and processes in place for that purpose in the SEC. In that regard, reference is made to A Manual for Drafters, Setters, and Assistant Setters available on the SEC's website, www.examinations.ie A marking scheme is developed for each examination annually and provides...

Written Answers — Third Level Admissions: Third Level Admissions (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a third-level admissions scheme for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves. The Deputy may wish to contact the Irish Universities Association in this instance.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware the Teaching Council Act 2001 provided for the establishment of a Council for the purposes of promoting teaching as a profession, maintaining and improving the standards of teaching, providing for the establishment of standards, policies and procedures for the education and training of teachers, and other matters relating to teachers and the teaching...

Written Answers — Mitchell Scholarship Fund: Mitchell Scholarship Fund (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The funding of the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme is a reflection of the Government's gratitude for the significant contribution made by Senator Mitchell to the promotion of peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. The Government provided an endowment of IR£2million for the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund in 1999. The Mitchell scholars receive an allowance of about $12,700...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, on 16 February my predecessor announced details of 51 major school building projects that will appoint design teams this year. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the major project for the school in question was included in that announcement. The brief is to provide a new school on the existing site while retaining the existing PE Hall. My Department will...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under my Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will be...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The centre which the Deputy refers to is part of a network of 21 full-time and nine part-time Education Support Centres throughout the country. The Centre is currently on a four year lease which currently costs €90,000 per annum and this lease will expire in 2012. Since the Centre moved into its current premises in 2004 there has been no change in the rate of the lease. However, the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the requested information will be forwarded to him within the next few days.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The case to which the Deputy refers was examined by officials in my Department. A payment under the terms of the redundancy scheme for Special Needs Assistants as provided for in Circular 58/2006 is not warranted in this case. The person referred to by the Deputy is being advised of the position.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The costs associated with the change in title of my Department will be funded from my Department's current administrative budget allocation. An estimate of the cost associated with this change cannot be determined at this stage. I will forward the information to the Deputy when it becomes available.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Primary education has a pivotal role in the preservation and expansion of the first official language. The promotion of the Irish language has been an important aim of successive Irish Governments and its place in our education system has been consistently protected. This is reflected in the fact that in recent years a significant number of new gaelscoileanna have been recognised – 17...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Apr 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The current difficult economic circumstances have necessitated tough choices to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. As announced in Budget 2010, a reduction of 5% was applied to the rates of student grants and scholarships. This reduction was implemented in respect of all grant-holders including mature students from January 2010. Changes in the rates...