Results 3,501-3,520 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Any decision to install a defibrillator is made at local school level and accordingly my Department does not have the data requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of schools that have installed defibrillators. The question of the need for defibrillators to be made available in public places such as schools and any training needs arising from same is primarily a public health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I note that the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to early intervention classes attached to mainstream schools in Co. Kildare. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, the 18 participating religious congregations are contributing €128m in cash, counselling services and property. The cash contributions of €54.42m under the Indemnity Agreement have been received. These contributions include collective contributions from the congregations. Of the €54.42m cash, €12.7m was earmarked for former...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the purpose of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014 which is available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In July 2015, the school referred to by the Deputy was sanctioned a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of a new 4 Classroom School. My Department is currently awaiting a Stage 1 Preliminary Design submission from the school authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 536 and 537 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that in July last, I secured Government approval for an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts which were made available for allocation to schools this year to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs. This builds on the increases of 365 additional SNA posts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to my announcement earlier today of the new Construction Programme, for 2016-2021, which aims to prioritise new building projects and major extensions, including special schools, in areas where significant demographic need has been established. The new Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for schools outside the plan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The current qualifying distance of 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant, takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis. The measurement of the distances relating to the award of adjacent or non-adjacent rates of student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The distance measurement for student grant rates...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that I recently confirmed the provision of €80 million over 2016 and 2017 for a multi-annual Summer Works Scheme for schools. This funding was initially promised as part of the Budget 2016 investment in schools. The funding will allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof and window...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As I have previously explained to the Deputy, a commitment was given during the passage of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to review the operation of the Fund two years after its establishment in the event of applications not resulting in a significant expenditure of the Fund. The terms of reference for the review will be drafted in the near future but it is unlikely...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy has contacted my Department with regard to the appointment of a replacement Quantity Surveyor for their school building project. In line with Public Procurement Procedures a tender competition for a replacement Quantity Surveyor commenced in early November. The closing date for receipt of Tenders is early December and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. In this context, the government established a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. The Forum advised on how the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (17 Nov 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 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. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Individual school authorities are responsible for the drawing up of a school policy in relation to the wearing of school uniforms. My Department recommends that the formulation of such a school policy should allow for prior consultation with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Subject choices are a matter for the individual schools depending on resources available. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on the Department's approved syllabuses, and the teaching hours should be registered on the school timetable. The Department of Education and Skills does not have the authority to dictate to schools regarding what subjects are offered....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme Eligibility (12 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), introduced in 1989, was designed specifically for long-term unemployed people who have minimal or no qualifications to facilitate their return to education and training. There are a range of other options available to unemployed people for upskilling in the Further Education and Training sector. Eligibility criteria for these programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (12 Nov 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 (12 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that my Department has recently received a revised proposal for funding towards a building project from the school to which the Deputy refers. This proposal is currently being considered and my Department will be in further contact with the school authority concerned as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (12 Nov 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the budgetary process in November 2011 a Government decision was taken to concentrate available educational capital resources on delivering school places and to restrict investment in higher education infrastructure to legally binding contractual commitments that existed at that time. The project referred to by the Deputy had not reached the point of being a legally binding...