Results 4,381-4,400 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The delivery of a new 16 classroom school building for Griffith Barracks Multi-Denominational School has been devolved to the Office of Public Works (OPW). At the end of June, approval was given to the OPW to proceed to tender for the new school building. The outcome of the tender process will determine when works will commence on site.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While it is not possible to provide details of capital funding issued to schools within a county, overall details on a county basis are available as well as details in respect of individual schools on receipt of school names and roll numbers. Capital funding issued to schools in Dublin for the years 2011 to date in 2015 are as follows: PRIMARY: 2011 - €81.337m; 2012 -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The membership of Education and Training Boards' (ETB) may change over time as vacancies arise, and there is no requirement for ETBs to provide to my Department the names of, or the organisation/sector represented by, the five persons appointed under Section 30 (d) of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013. Up to date information on the composition of boards is available from individual ETBs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Eligibility (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Minor Works Grant for the school year 2014/2015 was issued to all primary schools last December. For the first time the grant issued also to schools with provisional recognition only. I will be considering the issue of the Minor Works Grant for 2015/16 in the context of my Department's overall capital position later in the year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Action Plan on Bullying (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Action Plan on Bullying, which was published in January 2013, sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying in schools. These actions focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aim to ensure that all forms of bullying are addressed. As part of the implementation of the Action Plan, new National Anti-Bullying Procedures for schools were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 to 271, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that I announced last week that I had 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 will be 11,820 whole time equivalent SNA posts available in schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the schools in question approached the Department in 2013 with an amalgamation proposal that entailed a level of funding commensurate with a major capital extension project. In view of the need to prioritise the available capital funding to meet both existing and emerging demographic need, it was not possible to provide funding for the purpose sought. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware the Student Contribution is set to increase to €3,000 for the upcoming 2015/16 academic year. Students who qualify for grant assistance under my Department's Student Grant Scheme (50% Approx.) have the contribution paid for them. There were some 129,300 students in receipt of free fees funding in the academic year 2013/14. Based on this figure the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In order to carry out the exercise requested by the Deputy, related to the estimated cost of reducing the qualifying distance for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 45km to 30km, we would need to establish how many students would come within the ranges put forward by the Deputy. The Deputy will appreciate that the percentage split between adjacent and non-adjacent can fluctuate from one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am informed by SUSI that they are fully up to date with payment of all awarded grants that can be paid for all academic years. Awarded grants not paid to date are due to the following reasons: - Awaiting confirmation and attendance details from the college; - Awaiting students to provide their bank details; - Students having deferred their college place or withdrawing from college. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reviews (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: SUSI do not have responsibility for the review of the student grant scheme, or the guidelines, this is the responsibility of my Department. As part of the annual review process, my Department engages with stakeholders including Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), USI and other relevant government Departments and statutory bodies where necessary. The eligibility criteria for student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Student Contribution is due to increase to €3,000 for the upcoming 2015/16 academic year. The contribution is paid by the Exchequer for those students (some 50%) who qualify under my Department's Student Grant Scheme. Tax relief provisions are available so that second and subsequent siblings do not have to bear the full cost. In addition, Higher Education Institutions have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 student must be a mature student, aged 23 or over on entry to college (or re-entry after a break in studies of at least 3 years) who has not lived with his or her parents for a period before...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The total number of prefab units that have been rented/purchased by county each year since 2011, is attached for the Deputy's attention. It should be noted that a prefab unit may consist of one or more classrooms and/or ancillary accommodation. As the Deputy may be aware since July 2008, it is policy to offer schools being approved for devolved grant aid for additional accommodation the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 286 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the vast majority of supports for childcare, including preschool education, is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of preschool education is the free Preschool Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which was introduced in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 288 together. The Deputy will be aware 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Projects (15 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The recent request to my Department seeking assistance for the 2016 national competition being organised by the Greater Chernobyl Cause has been passed to the relevant officials in my Department, who will contact the organisers in due course, in relation to any logistical supports, that may be available to assist the project. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan T.D.,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to firstly advise the Deputy that the 1998 Education Act requires Boards of Management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able. The measures schools take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of the Board of Management to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, to be eligible to be admitted to the Junior Certificate Examination, a student must have followed an approved Junior Certificate course of not less than three years' duration. Likewise, to be eligible for admission to the established Leaving Certificate Examination, a student must have followed an approved established Leaving...