Results 6,141-6,160 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: In terms of the numbers, the target is to assign a NEPS psychologist to all ordinary national and second level schools in the 2014-2015 school year. The target number of psychologists is 173, and there are currently 168 employed. A panel is in place and the Public Appointments Service is currently working through the appointment process to bring the number employed to 173.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: I will provide further information on that. We have seconded a number of teachers to NEPS recently, to cover maternity leave absences. These teachers have the necessary qualifications and expertise to deliver the service. Obviously, they are teachers rather than psychologists, but we are doing something to fill that gap. On the new model, we are working currently on how to design the...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: That relates to the capital budget.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: I agree that the update on the numeracy and literacy was very good news and demonstrated the first significant improvement in many years. As a result, and because we have already reached the targets for 2020, I have brought forward the review of the strategy, and that will happen this year. I want to focus on areas in which we need to make further progress, particularly DEIS schools. While...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy knows, I was very disappointed that the leaders of the teaching unions did not accept the independent recommendations of Mr. Travers. The Deputy mentioned the roll-out of the science programme. One of recommendations made by Mr. Travers was that we should delay the roll-out of that programme. I am willing to accept that recommendation as part of the totality of his report....
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: The understanding when Mr. Travers was appointed and when he made his recommendations was that they would be the basis for agreement and that we could engage in further discussion on their implementation. I am happy to do that, but it must be on the basis that the central recommendations, such as the suspension of industrial action and some element of assessment in the classroom, are on the...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: Guidance is a general issue as well. The Minister of State, Deputy English, is correct in stating that we need to look at an overall strategy in that regard. I have stated in various forums that there are many demands in the education sector in terms of what we will do with more funding when we have it. It is one of the areas that needs to be considered in terms of an overall strategy. ...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: I will respond to Deputy McConalogue on the general issues around the funding of higher education. As the Deputy knows, my predecessor, Deputy Quinn, established an expert group under the chairmanship of Mr. Peter Cassells to look at the future funding of higher education, and I expect the expert group to report to me some time this year. That group is working on the options for the future...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: I am not sure of the exact date but it is relatively recent. The 1% cut is coming to an end but it is in place for coming year. The student contribution increases are coming to an end once it reaches the figure of €3,000. The €25 million has been restored to the HEA. We expect the higher education institutions to live within the framework for the next year. The expert...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: They went to the institutions but that sum was offset by how much they got from the Department.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: That is the way it has been for many years. There was a corresponding reduction in what they got from the Department. On the technological universities, I would disagree with Deputy Jonathan O'Brien's point about the south east. While the situation is difficult, Mr. Michael Kelly is leading a consultation process. He has met not just the governing bodies but the various stakeholders in the...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: That is all the more reason we need to stand up to the challenges. We need to challenge people in the institutions to step up to the plate and put the interests of their students and the region to the fore. We need to see progress on it.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: The problem I have with the matter is that there seems to be a suggestion that somebody will make it happen for them. They have to make it happen for themselves.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: They have to engage in the process. They have to want it and they will have to do a certain amount of work themselves. Very clear criteria were laid down at the start of the process. The institutions in three parts of the country that decided to engage in the process did so knowing the criteria they had to reach, knowing that merger was part of it, knowing that they had to reach a certain...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: I would strongly encourage them.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: That is clear. That is one of the criteria they have to reach.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: To answer the Chair's question, we expect to publish it during the next term and we hope to have it enacted by mid-2015, but that depends on how quickly it can proceed.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: Yes.
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy knows, the proposed Munster technological university has got beyond the stage the south east has not yet reached. There is a requirement on the institutes to ensure they work together on the merger to move on to the next stage. The HEA is directly engaged with them, and the Deputy mentioned Mr. Tom Boland. We are keeping a watch on it in the Department and we want to ensure...
- Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (4 Mar 2015) Jan O'Sullivan: -----and with the HEA. The issue in the south east is of greater concern, but again there has to be an engagement and consultation within and between the institutions to make this happen. Again I would encourage them to do that.