Results 6,281-6,300 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Retirements (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the Superannuation scheme a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) who is not "a new entrant" under the terms of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, must retire at the end of the school year in which he/she reaches age 65. The abolition of the compulsory retirement age under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Since September 2012 the combined resources available for learning support (GAM/General Allocation Model at Primary) and language support (EAL) have been merged into a single simplified allocation process. A school's GAM/EAL allocation for the 2015/16 school year is based on its mainstream classroom posts for the 2014/15 school year. The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: All primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to provide for children with special educational or learning support needs through general allocation processes. Additionally, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 506 together. The first step in the establishment of the school in question is the determination of a patron to operate the school. This process, which is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group, has commenced. The closing date for the receipt of applications from Patrons and prospective Patrons is the 20th March 2015. I will announce the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at tender stage. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that the project will proceed to construction shortly. It is expected that the new school will be ready for occupation for the 2016/17 school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have recently advised the Deputy that there has been no overall reduction to the level of investment being provided to support children with special educational needs in our schools. On the contrary, the number of SNA and Resource Teaching posts being allocated to support children with special educational needs has increased in recent years to reflect demographic growth and increased...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 school year my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Child Care Education (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Most, if not all Montessori trained practitioners are employed in private preschool education services or are self-employed and unlike primary and post-primary teachers, their terms and conditions of employment are not set by the State. Whether the State is investing in early childhood care and education services to achieve optimum outcomes for children is currently being considered by an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Preschool Services (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I, like other Cabinet members, would like to be in a position to increase our investment in pre-school edcuation and care to be in line with the OECD average but this is very much dependent on resource availability. Whether we are achieving optimum outcomes for children wtih our current level of investment is being analysed by an inter-Departmental group set up by my colleague the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In primary and post-primary schools recognised by my Department the study of Irish is compulsory however, there are certain limited circumstances whereby an exemption from the study of Irish may be granted. In this regard my Department's Circular M10/94 for pupils attending post-primary schools outlines the circumstances whereby an exemption from the study of Irish may be granted. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The report of the Expert Group on Fixed-Term and Part-Time Employment in Primary and Second Level Education in Ireland was published in September 2014. At the time of publication I gave a commitment to implement the report with effect from September 2015. Officials in my Department have prepared a draft circular and circulated it to the education partners for their views and comments....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Data extracted from records within my Department indicate that a sum of €45,154 was paid to one of the two parties to which the Deputy refers during the period 2011 to 2014. The works for which the party was engaged have ceased.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The most recent year for which my Department has finalised enrolment figures at Post Primary level is 2013/2014 as the data for the current school year, 2014/2015 is currently being finalised. The number of 18 year old pupils enrolled in the Post Primary sector as at 30th September 2013 was 12,899 and by 30th June 2014, that figure has risen to 41,820. In other words, almost 29,000 pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. There are currently 80 SENO positions within NCSE including 70 SENOs who are managed over 9 regions by 9 Senior SENOs and 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Bill is currently at an advanced stage of drafting and is on the Government legislative programme for publication early in the Spring/Summer session.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Given the current economic climate and the target to reduce public expenditure, prioritising and maintaining resources for children at risk of educational disadvantage is a significant challenge. The current priority for my Department is to maintain existing supports for schools catering for the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. This means that there is no capacity for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy may be aware, an extensive identification process to select schools for inclusion in DEIS was conducted in 2005. In spite of reminders, a completed survey form was not received at that time from the school referred to by the Deputy and therefore it could not be assessed for participation in DEIS. Further, an appeal mechanism was put in place in 2006 to address the concerns of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department will make direct contact with the school in question relating to the matters outlined in the details supplied.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Mar 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 512 together. My focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. 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. This funding will be used to provide 1,700 additional teachers...