Results 6,061-6,080 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the school to which he refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. In view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (12 Mar 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 a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. Where children have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is currently considering an application for additional accommodation from the school to which he refers. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school management as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm for the Deputy that my Department is currently assessing the schools' accommodation needs and expects to be in a position to share its proposals with both schools shortly. My officials have been in contact with the schools and they are aware of the current position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The process of analysing demographic data at primary level has been completed. This resulted in the announcement last month that seven new primary schools are to be established in the next two years to meet demographic needs in different areas of the country. This announcement did not include a new school for the area to which the Deputy refers. Where the demographic exercise identified...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Following discussions with my Department, with support and advice from the National Treasury Management Agency, a specific loan initiative was introduced by Bank of Ireland in 2012 to provide finance for fees and living costs for postgraduate students. While developed in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, it is a Bank of Ireland product and further information on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware of the challenge that we have in ensuring that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers and the need to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. To meet this challenge, almost €2 billion in funding is being invested by the Department under the current 5 Year capital plan, announced in 2012. Due to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (12 Mar 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: Residential Institutions (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Following Government approval I have published the draft General Scheme for a Retention of Records Bill, 2015, and have referred it to the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Education and Social Protection for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny. The draft General Scheme proposals relate to the records of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the Residential Institutions Redress Board and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (12 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Details on the total funding for higher education and the total number of students enrolled in higher education are set out in the tables. Year Student Numbers (full-time) Student Numbers (part-time) 2010/11 160,972 32,208 2011/12 162,786 33,512 2012/13 164,498 34,257 2013/14 168,986 35,147 2014/15 (provisional) 169,402 28,468 The above numbers include undergraduate and postgraduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Support Services Expenditure (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published a Plan for the Implementation the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act. This report, which was published in 2006, made recommendations which suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235m per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has already provided significant physical education ( P.E.) facilities at the newly constructed primary and post-primary schools at the educational campus of the school referred to in County Meath. Two general purpose rooms, three external ball courts and two junior play areas were provided at the new primary school. In addition, a P.E. hall...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no plans to return to a situation where there would be a separate allocation for guidance in schools. If economic recovery continues I hope the Government will be in a position to improve the standard staffing allocation to schools. However, I believe that it is desirable to give schools discretion on how to use those increased resources. Since September 2012 at post primary level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down syndrome, including pupils with mild general learning difficulties, are entitled to receive additional teaching support. Support is provided from a school's General Allocation Model (GAM) hours, or from an allocation of additional resource teacher hours allocated to schools by the NCSE. In the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested by the Deputy is being collated at present within my Department and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has sought clarification on the issue and will reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A new integrated primary languages curriculum is currently being developed for Junior Infants to 2nd classes by the NCCA. The integrated curriculum includes both English and Gaeilge. The idea of the new curriculum is to ensure that language skills are transferred effectively from one language to the other, whether that is through English or Irish. Such transferable skills will assist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The nationwide demographic analysis to determine where additional post-primary accommodation may be needed from 2016 onwards is a significant exercise and is still ongoing. When the exercise has been completed arrangements will be made to make additional accommodation available where it is needed. The content of a recent letter from the school in question is being considered in this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the availability and provision of health-related services, including speech and language therapy supports, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and matters in relation to the provision of such services should be directed to that body. My Department has no responsibility or mandate for such services. However, I wish to advise the Deputy...