Results 3,141-3,160 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Religious Instruction in Schools (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Constitution and in accordance with the Education Act 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religion classes and it is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request. The practical arrangements by which schools ensure that the right to opt out of religion classes is accommodated is a matter for each individual school. On...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Economic constraints and the moratorium on recruitment, albeit alleviated to some extent for schools, have presented challenges within the education sector. They also provide an opportunity to review the role of the principal so that our principals are leaders of learning, and to reconfigure the middle management structure to support principals in their role, ensuring ownership of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Availability (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While the number of places offered on courses within Higher Education Authority (HEA) funded institutions is a matter for the institutions themselves to decide upon, the issue raised by the Deputy has arisen in the main due to the proliferation of specialist undergraduate programmes in recent years (and the limited number of places available on such programmes). This is a cause for concern...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to schools is determined by the numbers of eligible pupils enrolled and the associated levels of those pupils' language proficiency. Reforms introduced in the 2012/13 school year created a single simplified allocation process for both learning and language support. At primary level, learning/language support hours are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing schedule at primary level operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 28 pupils. More favourable ratios operate in DEIS Band 1 schools. Under an agreement reached with the Education Partners for the 2010/11 school year my Department provided 50 additional posts to the primary sector and 100 additional posts to the post-primary sector. At primary level as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Designation (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I would like to point out that an extensive identification process to select schools for inclusion in DEIS was conducted in 2005. In spite of a number of reminders issued by my Department, a completed survey form was not received at that time from the school in question and therefore it could not be assessed for participation in DEIS. Furthermore, the school did not participate in a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 to 162, inclusive, together. The school in question was established on 1st September 2011 following the amalgamation of a DEIS post-primary school and non-DEIS post-primary school.In accordance with the approach adopted in relation to all such amalgamations, additional non-teaching resources are provided by my Department in respect of eligible pupils from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Superannuation Schemes (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the Superannuation scheme a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) who is not "a new entrant" under the terms of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, must retire at the end of the school year in which he/she reaches age 65. The abolition of the compulsory retirement age under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that a suitable permanent site for a new post primary school to serve the Ballinteer/ Stepaside area has been identified and the acquisition process is underway. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. I can, however, assure the Deputy that the acquisition of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating 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, which is set out in my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers will open in September 2016 to meet the demographic needs of the Tallaght area, including the areas referred to by the Deputy. While school authorities are responsible for their school's enrolment policy, as new schools are being established to meet the needs of a defined geographic area, enrolment policies are expected to be consistent with the criteria...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The School Building Project to which the Deputy refers has recently been granted planning permission by the Planning Authority. Following the grant of planning permission, revised design options have been explored to satisfy the requirements for enhanced drop off and a pedestrian crossing as requested by the Local Authority. A preferred option has been developed for an enhanced drop off area...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning – Stage 2b. This stage includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. As the Deputy is aware on Tuesday 17th November 2015 I announced details of the major school building projects where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to Special Schools and to mainstream Primary and Post Primary 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Statistics (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. However, SEC does not identify candidates by category of schools. The SEC would not identify DEIS schools within their system. Neither does the SEC retain details of what candidates do after they complete their Leaving Certificate examination. This is not, nor has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the following table. Number of primary schools in each county and a breakdown by their ethos/denomination County Catholic Church of Ireland Inter-Denominational Multi-Denominational Presbyterian Muslim Jewish Methodist Quaker Total Carlow 38 3 1 42 Cavan 65 10 1 76 Clare 109 1 3 113 Cork 316 20 8 344...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Data (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Dec 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The Deputy will be aware that I have made provision in Budget 2016 for some 2,260 additional teaching posts for...