Results 5,001-5,020 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently announced that the NCSE has allocated 6,454 resource teacher posts to schools, to support children with special needs, for September 2015. This is an increase of 554 posts or 9.4% since September 2014 and will provide more resource teachers than ever before in our schools. In addition, 11,330 SNA posts are available to the NCSE to allocate, which is also more than has ever...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can inform the Deputy that currently some 178 individual psychologists, equating to 68 whole-time equivalent staff, are currently employed in my Department's National Educational Psychological Service serving primary and secondary schools nationally. Arrangements for the recruitment of a further 3 staff are at an advanced stage in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service and it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government included a commitment to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the primary school sector. This recognised the changing nature and increased diversity of Irish society. The Forum issued its report in 2012 and made a series of recommendations in relation to the patronage of schools, including those schools where religious...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Apprenticeship Council received 86 separate proposals for new apprenticeships from 48 organisations before the 31 March deadline. Proposals set out details on a range of areas such as labour market demand, high level programme structure, cost and employer commitment but proposers were not asked to develop curricula at this stage. This is a very strong response and submissions were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I welcome the breakthrough in negotiations on junior cycle reform, following the publication on 27th May of proposals agreed between myself and the leadership of the two second-level teacher unions. I wholeheartedly recommend these revised proposals, and believe they merit the support of all involved in education in Ireland. They place the student at the centre of the learning process, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Apprenticeship Council issued a call for proposals for new apprenticeships in January. I understand that the Council has received 86 separate proposals from 48 organisations before the 31 March deadline. This is a very strong response and submissions were received from a wide range of sectors leading to qualifications at a range of levels. The Council is currently in the process of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that subject to no issues arising during the review of the Stage 2b submission for the new special school, the project will be authorised to proceed to tender with a view to commencing construction late this year/early 2016. Once the building project for the special school is complete, the vacated building will become available for the school in question. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will increase its allocation of Resource Teacher Posts to schools by over 9%, by allocating 6,454 resource teacher posts to schools for the start of the coming school year, which is an increase of 554 posts since September 2014, while over 120 new special classes will open for 2015/16 school year. In addition, 11,330 SNA posts, an increase...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Principal duties in small to medium sized schools are carried out by teaching principals. Teaching principals are provided with release time in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school so that the principal can come out of the classroom. Under the current arrangements the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ombudsman for Children Remit (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no plans to appoint an Ombudsman for Education. The Ombudsman for Children has responsibility for the investigation of complaints relating to children, whether in relation to the administrative actions of my Department, or of schools or other institutions in the education sector. The Office of the Ombudsman has a related responsibility for the investigation of complaints in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. A framework involving more providers was put in place in 2012 which ensures that improved solutions are being made available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Over €2.2 billion in funding is being invested by my Department under its Five-Year School Capital Investment Plan (2012 – 2016). Over €1.5 billion of this is being allocated for the funding of major school building projects. The balance is being used for the additional accommodation scheme, the prefab replacement initiative, the Emergency Works Scheme and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is existing policy to equalise the gap in funding between post-primary schools in the different sectors and progress was made in the years up to 2009 and the economic downturn. The equalisation policy was implemented through incremental improvement in the funding of voluntary secondary schools compared to others, by year on year improvements in the Schools Services Support Fund (a per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is my Departments main policy instrument for tackling educational disadvantage. The recently published ESRI report on "Learning from the Evaluation of DEIS" which was commissioned by my Department, draws together the learning to date from the implementation of DEIS and identifies some of the challenges for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware that a number of universities have announced increases to the price of campus accommodation for the next academic year. I appreciate the concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students and for that reason I have asked the HEA to report on this issue. Data gathered for the report is currently being validated by the HEA in consultation with my Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Expenditure supporting pupils with special educational needs in 2015 will amount to over €1.3bn. This year we have again increased the number of Resource Teachers and SNAs which will be allocated to schools, while over 120 new special classes will open for 2015/16 school year. 6,454 resource teacher posts will be allocated to schools for the start of the coming school year, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (10 Jun 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 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 criteria by which SNA support is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. A Common Application System (CAS) was agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The position is that higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in the case of postgraduate study is a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria. Tax relief is available on postgraduate tuition fees paid. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 Jun 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently completing the Design Team appointment process. Upon completion of the appointment of the Design Team, my Department Officials will be in direct contact with the Board of Management to commence Stage 1 of Architectural Planning, which is the initial sketch design stage. It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's...