Results 4,561-4,580 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Services for People with Disabilities (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third-level admissions scheme for students with a disability. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves. Further details in relation to the DARE scheme including the eligibility criteria, closing dates and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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. Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The means test arrangements of the Student Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. Private colleges operated on a for-profit basis are not listed as approved institutions for student grant purposes. However, tax relief on tuition fees may be available for students attending courses in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education(NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education(NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and these criteria...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Establishment (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is in the process of finalising a delegated sanction agreement for the education sector with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This agreement will replace the existing Employment Control Framework arrangements which have been in place since 2010. When the Delegated Sanction Agreement has been finalised my officials will discuss with the operationalisation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations to all second level 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. In addition to teacher allocations based largely on pupil teacher ratios, an ex-quota allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Outdoor Education Centres (7 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Funding for outdoor education centres is approved on the basis that they are self-financing and that their financial activities would be separate from the overall ETB finances. Accordingly, my Department's annual grants are contributory in nature and the allocations go mainly towards the core staffing costs involved in running the centres. In relation to the provision of general capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is considered international best practice for training in meat processing skills to be industry led and based in the workplace. Skillnets, the State funded industry-led training facilitator, includes two networks who provide training for Meat Industry Operatives - the Taste4Success Skillnet and Food and Drink Industry Ireland Skillnet. The Taste4Success Skillnet have delivered courses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I appreciate that there are concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students in certain parts of the country and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. The HEA are currently working on a draft report on student accommodation which will be available shortly and will give us an up to date picture of the situation. In that context, I will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the data is not readily available in the format requested I have asked officials at my office to compile the data and I will forward it to the Deputy when it is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Appeals (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's Emergency Works Scheme was put in place to address the health and safety concerns of school authorities which pose an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment which are sudden, unforeseen and require immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening. The school in question submitted an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Education Act 1998, provides for schools to be managed by Boards of Management on behalf of the relevant school patrons. Section 19 of the Education Act provides for the patron, where he/she is of the opinion that the functions of a board are not being effectively discharged, following issuing a notice to the board members and consideration of any representations received, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that 11,330 whole time equivalent Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts have been made available to the NCSE to allocate to schools to end of the current school year. This is the highest number of SNAs that we have ever had and it has ensured that children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) audits the annual statements of University College Dublin (UCD). The last C&AG audited accounts are for the 2010/2011 for which the C&AG issued an unqualified audit certificate. I understand that UCD expect to receive the audit certificate from the C&AG in respect of the 2011/2012 accounts shortly. No issues have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Children on the autistic spectrum range from children who are high functioning and who have exceptionally good facility with language to those who are low functioning and may be non-verbal. Those who are at the higher functioning levels would be expected to be taught the full curriculum, including Irish, while those at lower functioning levels may be exempted from learning Irish where their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childhood Obesity (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The issue of promoting healthy eating is addressed in schools through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Home Economics as well as in Physical Education. With such skills and knowledge, it is hoped that our young people will make appropriate choices so that this informed approach will help to reduce the incidence of obesity in our young people. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (2 Jul 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations to all second level 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. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject...