Results 5,461-5,480 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that officials in my Department have recently received correspondence from Donegal County Council in relation to a number of potential site options for a proposed campus development to include the school referred to by the Deputy. My officials continue to liaise with Donegal County Council in this regard. A joint technical inspection of the relevant sites by Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that July Provision is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides July Provision for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Third level institutions, such as the College referred to by the Deputy, are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs, for which the Governing Bodies and the management staff of the institutions are responsible. As the Deputy will be aware accountability and governance issues in relation to the College were identified by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Dr Travers, in his February report, recommended that implementation of Junior Cycle science be postponed from September 2015 to September 2016. It is not intended that science be a compulsory subject in Junior Cycle but one of 21 subjects available to schools. Currently over 90% of students take Junior Cycle science and it is expected that the vast majority will continue to do so. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Deployment (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As autonomous statutory bodies it is a matter for each Higher Education Institution to manage its staffing resources and retirements as they arise. In contrast to other parts of the public service an Employment Control Framework is in place for the higher education sector which provides institutions with considerable flexibility to fill vacancies, through recruitment or promotions, subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Programme for Government 2011-2016 contains a commitment to changing certain decision-making responsibilities in relation to the delivery of aspects of education at both primary and post-primary levels. My Department has already begun to progress this commitment, mindful that changes in school autonomy need to be carefully planned and supported if they are to achieve improved educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since November 2012, schools are required to engage in evidence-based school self-evaluation (SSE) focussed on improving learner outcomes. Schools are expected to complete a school self-evaluation report and a three-year school improvement plan. Schools must focus on one aspect of teaching and learning each year from 2013/14 and they are required to provide a summary of their SSE report and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department operates a number of capital grant schemes where responsibility for the project management and overseeing the delivery of these projects within budget, is devolved to the school authority. These include schemes such as the Summer Works, Additional Accommodation, Emergency Works and Minor Works Schemes, which all operate on this basis. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Data gathered for the report referred to by the Deputy is being validated by the HEA in consultation with my Department and other stakeholders. I expect the report to be finalised in the coming weeks. As I have already stated, some institutions provide a range of accommodation, and all colleges have an obligation to work with students' unions and other groups, to provide students with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Student Taskforce website was established to provide information to non-EEA students affected by the sudden closure of a number of English language schools in 2014. This website was established to provide a central reference point for all affected students and others requiring information on the closures. The website is not a case of promoting one group of language schools over another...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) operates ACELS (Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services), which is a voluntary scheme that grants recognition to English language teaching organisations annually. I have been informed by QQI that of the English language schools which closed in 2014 and 2015, two held ACELS recognition at the time of closure. Two other English...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy recently submitted a Major Capital Application for a major extension and refurbishment project. In addition the school in question also submitted an Additional Accommodation application to meet its immediate accommodation needs. As the Deputy will appreciate, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's policies focus on ensuring that all children can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. A range of placement options for pupils with special educational needs is provided, in order to ensure that all pupils can receive a school placement. Many pupils with special educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers submitted a major application for a new school building in November 2013. The current status of all applications, including for the school in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. To facilitate the provision of a new school building for the gaelscoil in question a greenfield site will be required. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The needs of the College will be considered in the context of budgetary resources and having regard to competing demands.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The needs of the College will be considered in the context of budgetary resources and having regard to competing demands.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Data (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are statutory bodies with their own corporate status established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013, and are responsible for a range of reserved and executive functions under that Act. The Act makes provision for consultation by ETBs, where appropriate, with various stakeholders including parents. ETB websites generally include a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60m during 2015. As I have mentioned in response to earlier questions, that increase has provided funding for 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs to be recruited for our schools, as well as funding important reforms. However, it was not possible to secure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the budgetary process in November 2011 a Government decision was taken to concentrate available educational capital resources on delivering school places and to restrict investment in higher education infrastructure to legally binding contractual commitments that existed at that time. The project at St Angela's had not reached the point of being a legally binding contractual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (28 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The needs of the College will be considered in the context of budgetary resources and having regard to competing demands.