Results 421-440 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pressing the proposal.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The total capital available to my Department in the current year amounts to just over €785m. At the end of November close to €645m of this sum had been expended. To date in December a further €105m has been spent and this leaves a balance of just €35m to be spent over the remainder of the month. The substantial reduction in construction prices in recent times has meant that my...

Written Answers — Coibhneas Idir Daltaí agus Múinteoirí: Coibhneas Idir Daltaí agus Múinteoirí (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Tá caighdeánú an sceideal foirnithe do Ghaelscoileanna, i dtreo is go mbeidh sé mar an gcéanna leis sin atá i mbunscoileanna i gcoitinne, i measc líon beart buiséadacha atá ceaptha chun líon na múinteoirí a laghdú. Beidh feidhm ag na hathruithe seo ó Mheán Fómhair 2011 ar aghaidh. As an athrú seo tiocfaidh laghdú de tuairim 50 post i nGaelscoileanna. Tá iomlán de bhreis...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of analysing all areas in the country in order to determine the level of additional provision which will be required at both primary and post primary level up to 2017. Overall post-primary requirements in the Midleton, Carrigtwohill and the East Cork area will be fully considered in this context. It is expected that initially any...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the capital allocation for my Department for 2011 is €491m. This level of provision, at a time of budgetary constraint, reflects the Government's commitment to ensuring that urgently needed capital projects will receive priority. Current market conditions mean that my Department will continue to achieve excellent value for money in relation to construction costs...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the review of special needs assistants is being conducted by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), I have arranged for your request for information to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

Written Answers — Literacy-Numeracy Levels: Literacy-Numeracy Levels (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 130 together. The results of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment 2009 were published last week. The test results of Irish students were mixed. They scored above the OECD average in Science, at the OECD average in reading and below the OECD average in Mathematics. Comparisons take place against the last year the subject area was the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. An independent mature student is defined as a mature student who was not ordinarily resident with his or her parents or legal guardian from the October preceding entry to an approved course. When assessing the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The following is a breakdown of pay savings and other administrative efficiencies which will amount to €64 million in savings in 2011, as recently announced in the context of the Budget: Savings in the region of €24 million will be achieved by reducing teacher numbers through a combination of measures. These measures will lead to a deferral of 150 extra posts and to a reduction of up to...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 48 together. Any school experiencing an immediate deficit in accommodation, for whatever reason, may apply for capital funding to my Department for additional accommodation. The assessment process will, inter alia, take account of existing accommodation in the school. The standard area of classrooms at primary and post primary levels have remained the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Social Personal and Health Education forms a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle. The overall aim is to help develop students' self confidence and self-esteem, and promote the skills for living, for responsible decision making and for mental, physical and emotional well-being. Substance use education is included at primary level as part of the "safety and...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Government has decided to reduce the number of VECs from 33 to 16 in order to deal with issues of scale and having regard to the current and prospective requirements of the education sector and has decided on the merger of particular city and or county VECs. Consultations with the stakeholders, within the context of the Croke Park agreement, are underway in relation to the implementation...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Budget 2011 recognises the critical role of the education and skills sector to Ireland's future prospects. While difficult choices have had to be made to identify savings across my Department's remit, the Government has gone as far as it can to protect front-line education services in 2011. €22 million in savings will be secured in 2011 though an average 5% reduction in funding grants to...

Written Answers — College Registration Fees: College Registration Fees (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As announced in the budget, a new flat Higher Education Student Contribution of €2,000 will be introduced with effect from the 2011/2012 academic year. This new student contribution will replace the existing Student Services Charge and will apply to all students who currently benefit under the 'free fees' scheme. The Government was particularly conscious of the financial pressures that...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is in receipt of a major capital application for an extension from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2.2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As announced in the Budget, a reduction of 4% is being applied to the rates of student grants. This reduction is being implemented in respect of all existing and new grant-holders from January 2011. This reduction is in line with reductions in other income maintenance payments including those for the unemployed. The reductions in the rates of student grants were necessary to ensure that the...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Circular 66/2010, recently issued by my Department, permits schools to participate in the FÁS Work Placement Programme (WPP). This FÁS programme is intended to assist people who are unemployed to retain their skills levels and secure work experience that will assist them in finding employment. This involves a placement for a defined period, rather than employment, and participants in this...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: While the capital allocation of €1.5 million in 2011 for Schools Information and Communications Technology is lower than the 2010 allocation, it is important to note that two thirds of the proposed funding under the Smart Schools = Smart Economy Report has been provided to schools in the past 12 months. The Smart Schools = Smart Economy Report proposed that €150m be invested in the ICT...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The automatic eligibility of mature students to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant will be discontinued from the start of the 2011/12 academic year. However, mature students who reside 45 kilometres or more from their higher education institution will continue to be eligible for the higher non-adjacent rate of grant. Essentially, this will mean that all students in similar circumstances...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The change in the qualifying distance criterion for entitlement to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 to 45 kilometres has been introduced as one of a number of savings measures necessary to manage the increasing cost pressures in the student grants area. The existing distance has been in place since the grant schemes were introduced in 1968. However, vastly improved transport...