Results 5,941-5,960 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Employment Initiative (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The European Union's Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) provides co-funding to projects in the Member States that are designed to implement the EU Youth Guarantee and other projects designed to get unemployed young people back to work, education or training. The YEI is being delivered in Ireland through the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Education, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers is a recognised primary school under the Patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin. Existing equality legislation, which outlaws discrimination in relation to the admission of a student, makes provision for exemptions to apply in the case of single sex schools and in the case of schools where the objective is to provide education in an environment that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Good communication between the leadership of any institute of technology entering into a merger and the staff and students of that higher education institution is extremely important so that a shared vision and understanding of the new institution can be developed. That message has been conveyed by the HEA and by my Department from the outset and I understand that consultation has taken...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: This 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. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers is one of nine community national schools that have been established in recent years. Pending the transfer of patronage of the community national schools to the relevant Education and Training Boards, I as Minister for Education and Skills am acting as patron of these schools. Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, a Patron may appoint a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In February, 2012 the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of mainstream classrooms. The school authorities have sought additional funding for a new waste water treatment system on the basis that the existing septic tank at the school is non-compliant with Environmental Protection Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The number of pupils in classes over 30 for the years requested is available by individual primary school on the Department's website at the following link . This list includes the county council of the school. Due to the moveable nature of classes at post-primary level depending on subject choices, class size data is not available at post-primary level.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I established the Apprenticeship Council last year. In considering the membership of the Council, I had to balance the requirement to have input from a broad range of employers and other stakeholders with the need for a tight and effective working structure. In that context, I asked the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, which represents a range of company types and sizes through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that the Deputy is referring to part of a discussion paper from the Irish Universities Association task group on the selection and entry into higher education. This paper does not contain concrete proposals by the NUI but is intended to stimulate debate in the university sector on a whole range of issues around selection and entry into higher education. The Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the General Allocation Model (GAM), which provides additional resource teaching, learning support, and English Additional Language support for all primary schools, is now updated annually based on the number of mainstream teaching posts in each school and in order to take account of updated enrolments. Details of the GAM allocation process, and of GAM...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In recent years, my Department has simplified the teacher allocation and redeployment processes with a view to giving earlier certainty to schools in relation to their teacher allocation and the arrangements for the filling of teaching posts. The reforms to the teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, this school made an application to my Department for devolved funding for a GP room. Given the current financial constraints within which my Department is operating, the position is that priority is being given to school applications for essential mainstream classroom and special education accommodation. In that context, my Department has advised the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Economic and Social Research Institute (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The report on Learning from the Evaluation of DEIS commissioned in 2014 is currently nearing completion and I expect to receive the report shortly. This report incorporates information in relation to the various inputs, processes and educational outcomes contained in the findings from the DEIS research and evaluations conducted to date by the Educational Research Centre and my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disease Management (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The position is that the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE) are the statutory authorities with responsibility for the public health issues referred to by the Deputy. The role of my Department in this regard is the dissemination of public health information provided by the statutory authorities to schools. The HSE have published guidance for schools on the management...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools. While a small number of these staff remain in schools, the schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive grant scheme. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 E.U. Member States, to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means. Under the student grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act (1998), no student can be required to attend instruction in any subject which is contrary to the conscience of the parent of the student. This applies at both primary and post primary levels. I am not aware of any particular instances where a parent's wishes in relation to religious instruction have been refused by a school. This would be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (24 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that adjustments of €178m were required to be made in the Education Sector in 2011. As previously advised, a range of budget measures to the student grants have been introduced over a period of years, including those in Budget 2011. The Deputy will also appreciate that the student grant scheme is a demand led scheme and therefore the cohort of students...