Results 5,661-5,680 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (15 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. Under the terms of the regulations governing the operation of ACELS, all applicant schools undergo an announced site inspection during Stage 2 of the application...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There is a well-defined national strategy in place for the provision of international education in Ireland. In September 2010 the Government launched its first international education strategy entitled 'Investing in Global Relationships: Ireland's International Education Strategy 2010-15'. Ireland's International Education Strategy represents a coherent approach to achieving a series of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (15 Apr 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 teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support to schools to support children with special educational needs and additional care needs respectively. The NCSE operates within my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In cases of school amalgamations involving DEIS and non-DEIS schools, DEIS status is not transferred to the amalgamated school. In accordance with the current practice of the Department, additional non-teaching resources are provided in respect of eligable pupils from the former DEIS school by way of continued support for the targeted cohort of pupils as a transitional measure. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year are set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department's website at www.education.gov.ie.The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16 school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 684 and 686 together. As the Deputy will be aware I have recently announced a process for the assessment of the DEIS Programme which includes the development during the coming school year of a new identification process for schools. In the meantime I do not propose to include any additional schools in the Programme. As the Home School Community Liaison...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Reforms introduced in the 2012/13 school year created a single simplified allocation process for both learning and language support. At primary level, learning/language support hours are allocated on the basis of mainstream classroom teaching posts in the school. Schools have autonomy to deploy this resource between learning support and language support depending on the specific needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 687 and 688 together. There are currently 18 teachers seconded to the Special Education Support Service (SESS). They consist of one Director, one Deputy Director, five Assistant National Co-ordinators and eleven Advisors. In the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) there are 13 teachers currently seconded to the service and they consist of one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Visiting Teacher Service for Children who are deaf/hard of hearing or blind/visually Impaired (VTHVI) has 43 fulltime teaching posts (29 teachers for the deaf/hard of hearing service and 14 teachers for the blind/visually impaired service). Currently, there are 41 teachers working fulltime and four teachers job-sharing in the VTHVI service. There are two members of the VTHVI service...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the establishment, within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), of a new Inclusion Support Service to assist schools in supporting children with special educational needs. The service will include the Special Education Support Service (SESS), the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) and the Visiting Teacher Service for children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The annual rates of maintenance grant, as provided for in the Student Grant Scheme 2014, which apply to Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses and undergraduate courses, are as follows: Non-Adjacent Rates: Amount Special rate of maintenance €5,915; Standard rate—Full Maintenance (100%) €3,025; Standard rate—Part Maintenance (75%) €2,270; Standard...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland Accreditation (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Leaving Certificate is treated as a single award in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) maintained by Quality and Qualifications Ireland. The Leaving Certificate award spans levels 4 and 5 of the NFQ and incorporates the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), the Leaving Certificate Established and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to replace a slate roof at their school. As a replacement roof is outside the terms of the scheme it cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been advised to submit a scaled down application to address the immediate health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (15 Apr 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 available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (15 Apr 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 available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: All new schools, either at primary level or post-primary level, are set up to meet specific demographic needs within defined geographical areas. As part of the patronage determination processes to establish who will operate new schools, prospective patrons must commit to enrolling, as a priority, pupils from the area for whom the school is intended. The Department would expect to see this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that all children who have been assessed as having a Mild General Learning Difficulty are entitled to receive additional teaching support in schools under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports at primary school level, or through a general allocation of High Incidence (HI) disability support at post primary school level. All schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority, under the Teaching Council Acts 2001- 2014, to review and accredit programmes of initial teacher education. In the case referred to by the Deputy, it accredited the professional master of education (PME) in Dublin City University (DCU) in May 2014. This accreditation confirms that the DCU professional master of education meets all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 700 and 709 together. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, my Department provides maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses, in the State or in other EU. Member States, to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (15 Apr 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is committed to the provision of a quality service in both official languages and in this regard, its Irish Language Scheme 2013-2016 contains a range of commitments in relation to the provision of services through Irish. These include the introduction and enhancement of systems to ensure the provision of Irish versions of certain Department publications and to facilitate the...