Results 3,921-3,940 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The NCSE, in Policy advice published in 2013, identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable because access to professionals to make a diagnosis is not always readily available to those who can not afford to access it privately.The NCSE recommended the development of a new allocation model, based on the profiled needs of each school,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy may be aware, in July last, I secured Government approval for an additional 610 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts which may be made available for allocation to schools to support children with special educational needs with assessed care needs. From the beginning of September, there are 11,820 whole time equivalent SNA posts available in schools to support children with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, I have already indicated that I am determined that education should be prioritised for investment as our economy recovers and I will be seeking to agree a set of priorities for such increased investment into the future. The challenge for all schools is to ensure that they utilise their allocated resources to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Average class size and the ratio of teachers to students are two important measures of the resources that we make available to schools. While our average class size at primary level is over 3 pupils higher than the OECD average it is only slightly above the OECD average in relation to the PTR measure. In addressing the INTO Congress earlier this year, I made clear that I personally believe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Physical Education (PE) is an integral part of the curriculum for both primary and post-primary schools. The curricula have been developed on the understanding that facilities available to schools vary. Consequently each school is enabled to design a programme that can be delivered using the resources available to it. At primary level, the curriculum comprises six strands, covering a broad...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Programme for Government gives a commitment to move towards a more pluralist system of patronage for our schools. Much work has taken place in this regard, including that arising from the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. Nationwide progress is being made under the patronage divesting process and also arising from the new arrangements on the establishment of new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In August I announced my intention to provide supports, in line with the current Student Grant Scheme, to students in the protection system (other than those at the deportation stage). This new pilot measure began accepting applications on the 1st of September. The qualifying criteria for this pilot support scheme differs from that of the statutory based Student Support Scheme. The residency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I met with representatives of Atheist Ireland earlier this year as part of a structured dialogue between the State and different faith and non-faith based communities and bodies. At the meeting, we held a wide-ranging discussion on many of the topics that Atheist Ireland subsequently raised in its Schools Equality Pact document which was submitted to my Department. Since then, there has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There is a project underway at present to provide all the Training Centres and the Head Office locations of the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) with gigabit connections to the Government Cloud Network. Currently the training centres all have 50mbps connections and all internet traffic passes through SOLAS head office, but the new gigabit connections will provide the centres with direct...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are many demands on me for extra investment at all levels including those raised by the INTO. At the INTO Congress last Easter I indicated that improving the position in relation to primary class size is one of my priorities. I have already indicated that I am determined that education should be prioritised for investment as our economy recovers and I will be seeking to agree a set of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested by the Deputy is not yet available. One of the many benefits of the introduction of the Primary Online Database is that it will enable the progress of children through the education system to be accurately monitored. From 2015/2016 onwards the Primary Online Database will provide the Department with the capacity to compile this vital information on children that do...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Prefab Replacement Initiative 2012 and 2013 approval was given to 217 schools (209 primary and 8 post-primary) to replace 614 prefab units with permanent accommodation. In excess of €57m has been allocated to these initiatives. To date 176 projects have been completed and a further 17 are currently on site. Total spend to date is in excess of €51m. Details of all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to inform the Deputy that under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites, my Department is working closely with Cork County Council towards acquiring a permanent site to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department seeks advices on a range of issues relating to the provision of education and supports to children. It is not the practice of my Department to disclose information on legal advices it has sought or received. My Department's policy is that the well-being and safety of children should be at the centre of all policy and practices in schools. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Details of the number of pupils in mainstream primary and post primary schools for whom allocations of resource teachers hours are provided to schools by the National Council for Special Education, in order to support children with low incidence special educational needs, as defined by my Departments circular DES02/05 and 70/2014, for each year since 2009, are set out in the attached table....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Counselling Services (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since September 2012 at post primary level guidance provision is organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. My Department helped...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Oct 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 staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. At primary level, it currently operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 28...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The SOLAS Safe Pass Health and Safety Awareness Training Programme was developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and continues to be updated to ensure workers are aware of the safety standards within the construction industry and are able to work on site without being a risk to themselves or others. Upon successful completion of the SOLAS Safe Pass Safety Awareness Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of specific details in relation to the case to which he refers, it is not possible for me to comment any further. Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. In the 2014/15 academic year less than 200 cases of estrangement were identified out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Oct 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that all Post Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources for pupils with Learning Support needs and also with high incidence special educational needs, including Specific Learning Disability (SLD), of which dyslexia is one such Specific Learning Disability. My Departments Circular 70/2014 has provided guidelines for post primary schools...