Results 3,801-3,820 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In relation to the Education and Training Boards, Donegal, Monaghan, and Sligo VECs/ETBs participated, along with the Southern Regional College NI, and the former Educational Guidance Service for Adults, NI in the Deaf Community Infrastructure Development (DCID) Project (2011-13), which was funded by Interreg. The Project's purposes were to provide information sessions for the public around...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education reviews the provision of Special Needs Assistants to schools on an annual basis. The allocation for the school in question was reduced by one post for the 2015/2016 school year. The senior SNA in the school retained her post when the allocation of Special Need Assistants was reduced and the post of the most junior SNA in the school was made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that some €1.37 billion will be spent in support of children with Special Educational Needs this year, which represents approximately 15% of my Department's budget. This provides for a range of supports and services including additional learning and resource teaching support, Special Needs Assistant support, special transport arrangements, building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations. In view of this I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Centre Network (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, through the Education Centres and Support Services engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible students may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. Maintenance grants are available for undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in other E.U. Member States, where they meet the student grants scheme criteria. Fee grants are not available for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, in February of this year, I announced that seven new primary schools would be opening in 2015 and 2016. The areas where schools will be opening in 2016 are Cabra/Phibsborough/Dublin 7; Goatstown/Stillorgan, Dublin; and Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1. It is hoped to proceed with the patronage determination process for these schools later this year or early in 2016. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together. A number of sections of the EPSEN Act have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to education of children. Specifically, the following sections have been commenced - 1, 2, 14(1)(a), 14(1)(c), 14(2) to 14(4), 19 to 37, 40 to 53. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In March, 2014 the school referred to by the Deputy was sanctioned a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. Recently the school authority submitted an application for additional funding and my Department's Planning and Building Unit has request further information in respect of this application. As soon as this information is received and considered the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). In the main, the role of ETBs is to establish and maintain recognised schools, centres for education and education or training facilities and to provide education and training in those settings. Details of ETB Primary and Post-Primary schools are available on the Department's website - . A general and post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy may be aware, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Education and Skills and the County and City Managers' Association (CCMA) in relation to the acquisition of sites has been in place since 2012. This MOU fosters increased levels of cooperation and formalises the Local Authorities' part in identifying and securing sites for educational use. A copy of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The 2011 Budget provided for the introduction of a €200 annual Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme participant contribution. This was introduced at the start of the 2011/2012 academic year and the same charge has applied each year since then. Full medical card holders, in their own right as well as their dependent children, those eligible under the student grant scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (13 Oct 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: Educational Psychological Service (13 Oct 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), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular Letter 37/1997 sets out the terms of the agreed scheme on Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) Days in Recognised Primary Schools. A teacher's entitlement to extra personal vacation (EPV) days is on the basis of attending approved summer courses to facilitate quality learning. The decision to approve such leave is a matter for the Board of Management of the school concerned. There is no...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (13 Oct 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: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the building project to host the proposed amalgamation of the schools to which he refers is at an early stage of the architectural planning process. The Pre Stage 1 meeting was held in November 2014 and the Department requested a number of points be addressed as part of the Stage 1 report. An Addendum to the Stage 1 report was furnished to the Department by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is included on the current 5 year construction programme announced in 2012. It is listed on the programme to proceed to tender and construction in 2015/16. The project is at an early stage of Architectural Planning. Following the Pre Stage 1 meeting in February 2015, the project was authorised to progress to Stage 2A, which is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will appreciate, due diligence must apply in relation to any site acquisition. With regard to the proposed site for the school referred to by the Deputy, the conveyancing process is at an advanced stage. Due to commercial sensitivities it is not possible to provide further details but the relevant matters are being progressed. In the interim period the Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Funding (13 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The hourly rates of pay for Home Tuition are aligned to my Department's Circular 0015/2015 which sets out the hourly rates for teachers. There are two rates of payment applicable to tutors engaged in the provision of Home Tuition - the standard rate and the modified rate. These current rates came into effect from the commencement of the 2015/16 school year. The standard rate is payable to...