Results 4,421-4,440 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Meals Programme (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Given that the issues raised are a matter for other Cabinet colleagues, I am not in a position to supply the information requested by the Deputy. The school meals programme comes under the policy remit of my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection. The provision of Mental Health Services to children is a matter for the Department of Health and the Health Service...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware that concerns have been raised by students about the content of the ordinary level Leaving Certificate Mathematics paper 1. I have asked the State Examinations Commission to bring these concerns to the attention of the Chief Examiner for the examination. Commentary and correspondence on the examination from teachers, professional bodies and other interested parties is considered by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently completing the advanced stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained. The Stage 2b submission was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 785 and 812 together. The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the Student Grant Scheme are announced annually as part of the Budget. No changes to the rates or thresholds were included in Budget 2015. The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants gross income,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (14 Jul 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: Equality Legislation (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Programme for Government contains a commitment that "People of non-faith or minority religious backgrounds and publicly identified LGBT people should not be deterred from training or taking up employment as teachers in the state." A Private Members' Bill, the Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013, was debated in Seanad Éireann in 2013. That Bill imposes a stricter...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is working closely with Sligo County Council in relation to the identification of a permanent site for the school in question and potential site options have been assessed. As the Deputy will appreciate, there are commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, and I am not in a position to comment further on the site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Places (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Where a student is pursuing further education and training in Education and Training Board courses, there are no fees to be paid. For students pursuing an approved Post Leaving Certificate course there is a €200 annual Post Leaving Certificate programme participant contribution. The following categories of participants are exempt from paying the contribution: - Full medical card...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In order to be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14(4) of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate that they have been resident in the State for a specified period of time i.e. for at least 3 years of the 5 years on the day before the relevant date. The relevant date for determination of whether a person meets this requirement is the date on which a year of study...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (14 Jul 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 criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Homeless Persons Data (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 794 to 797, inclusive, together. My Department does not collect data from schools in relation to students who are homeless. Statutory powers in relation to the educational welfare of all children, including those who are homeless, are contained in the Education Welfare Act 2000 which comes within the policy remit of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As you may be aware responsibility for school attendance and educational welfare falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. It should also be noted that, with effect from January 2014, the Educational Welfare Service is now administered by TUSLA on behalf of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA). The Educational Welfare Service has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Details of large scale projects (new schools and large scale extensions) that were completed in counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo between 2012 and end of June 2015 are as follows: SN Carrig a Bruis, Virginia, Co. Cavan, St. Patricks College, Cavan, St. Patrick's NS, Lurgybrack, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, SN An Br M O Cleirigh, Creevy, Co. Donegal, SN Muire gan Smal, Letterkenny, Co....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to School Costs (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Everyone accepts that back to school costs place a burden on families and Government is taking action to help reduce those costs, and to provide direct support to those families that need it most.In relation to textbook costs an agreement was reached by my predecessor with the Irish Educational Publishers' Association, which resulted in the agreement of a Code of Practice. The Code commits...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular 0005/2015 which is available on the Department website sets out the staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year and includes the allocation process for schools to meet their NCSE approved resource hour requirements.83% of all NCSE approved resource teaching hours in the 2014/15 school year were allocated to schools that had permanent resource base posts. As...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: With effect from the 2012/2013 school year, the criteria for the appointment of Administrative Principal and Administrative Deputy Principal posts are based on pupil numbers. Enrolment thresholds for the 2015/2016 school year are set out in Appendix B of Circular 0005/2015, which is available on the Department's website. As the school referred to by the Deputy does not meet the published...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (14 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 is as follows: - PRIMARY: 2011, €81.337m; 2012, €60.620m;...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (14 Jul 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: Pupil Data Collection (14 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A Fair Processing Notice which outlines the legal basis under which schools can ask parents/guardians for information and share it with the Department of Education is available on my Departments website. The Fair Processing Notice also outlines the bodies with whom the Department proposes to share data with, and the conditions under which data will be shared. Legislative provision exists for...