Results 461-480 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 82 together. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers has been approved funding on a devolved basis to construct four mainstream classrooms. A letter regarding this matter issued to the school authority in September 2010. It is now a matter for the school management to deliver the project within the parameters of the grant...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension/refurbishment. In accordance with the published criteria for large scale building projects, the project for this school has been assigned a Band 2 rating. My Department has recently received correspondence from the school management requesting a review...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 74, 78, 98, 102 and 104 together. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive information relating to pupil teacher ratio (PTR) and class sizes in primary schools. The PTR in respect of all primary schools is currently only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or any other variable. The most recent...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 103 together. The teacher allocation process for the current school year would have commenced earlier in 2010 and would be largely completed before schools open in September. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at the 30 September of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 101 together. All projects currently progressing to tender, at tender stage, on-site and completed in 2010, including those projects in County Kildare are listed on my Departments web-site. For the Deputy's convenience I set out below a copy of the tabular statement outlining the current status of each these projects. My Department's capital allocation...

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

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the Government is committed to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos 77 and 99 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos.79 and 97 together. My Department provides for the establishment of special classes for specific speech and language disorder (SSLD) in primary schools. Applications to establish such classes are considered by the special educational needs organiser (SENO) and those meeting the criteria for establishment are approved by the National Council for Special...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 96 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 95 together. The information which the Deputy has requested in relation to the total number of teaching posts at primary and post primary level is as follows: Public Sector Numbers (Whole Time Equivalents) Primary Teachers Post-Primary Teachers Dec-07 30765 27627 Dec-08 31856...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with assessed applications...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy.

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

Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In 2004, agreement was reached to amalgamate the two primary schools referred to by the Deputy. The application for capital funding to facilitate this amalgamation was assessed and assigned a band rating of 1.4. A technical inspection was carried out on the existing school buildings to determine which would be suitable to facilitate the amalgamated school. The report produced following this...

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

Mary Coughlan: In the event that newly qualified primary teachers in a placement under the FÁS Work Placement Programme can meet the conditions associated with the operation of the primary probationary process, as outlined in circular 58/2010, there will be nothing to preclude them from applying to be probated. I do not intend to encourage students to apply to undertake the Higher Diploma in Education...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As I previously outlined to the Deputy 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 North Kildare area, including the case for the provision of a new Irish language...

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

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will be aware that the establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. In excess of 420 classes have now been approved around the country at primary and post primary level, including many in special schools. The Deputy will also be aware that the...

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

Mary Coughlan: I wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department wrote to the parent of the child in question on December 1st advising her that home tuition has been sanctioned until the end of the current school term. My Department will be in further contact with her shortly in this regard.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Officials from my Department were in contact with the person referred to by the Deputy recently and the matters raised by him are now resolved.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 Dec 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill is a substantial piece of legislation dealing with a range of qualifications and quality assurance issues in the context of the establishment of an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance body. The Bill will be published early in the new year and I hope that it will be debated at second stage shortly thereafter.