Results 6,321-6,340 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm that payslips are issued to an average of 98,000 school employees/pensioners, every fortnight. In 2014, the cost of postage for these payslips was approx. €1.3m. While it had been planned to implement online payslips for school employees/pensioners by end 2014, it has not been possible to progress same, due to other priorities that arose. These priorities included the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Catholic Archdiocese has been able to offer an actual school building for use by an alternative Patron in Castlebar under the patronage divesting process. The building in question is located in the Burren area. I understand that an arrangement may have been in place with a local group for some use of the building in question. My Department will be fully exploring this matter on a local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (26 Feb 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 While a small number of these staff remain in schools, the schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive grant scheme.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: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down's syndrome, including such pupils with mild general learning difficulties, currently are entitled to receive additional teaching support. Such support is provided either from a school's allocation of Learning Support or Resource Teaching under the General Allocation Model (GAM), or from an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Staff (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: While the Higher Education Authority (HEA) routinely gathers information on staffing levels in the institutes of technology, it does not currently compile information on a headcount basis. As part of its "Data and Knowledge Management Strategy for Higher Education 2015-2018", the HEA has committed to the development of a staff database for the higher education sector which will expand on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Feb 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 4 mainstream permanent 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (26 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: A severance payment totalling €45,836 was paid to a former Special Adviser in 2014 in respect of her service to the former Minister for Education & Skills. The three persons mentioned in the Deputy's question were not engaged at any time as Special Advisers at my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Data (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of Primary and Post-Primary schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. It is schools that employ teachers and not my Department. However my Department has issued a number of Circulars addressing this issue in recent years. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I established the Apprenticeship Council initially on a non-statutory basis last year. I considered that, as it was necessary to have a broad range of trade unions represented, it was appropriate to ask ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Unions) to nominate two representatives for appointment to the Council. They have since done so and the membership of the Council has been finalised. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year were published last week. They 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department intends to make contact with the school in question in relation to its accommodation needs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information sought by the Deputy is not available as the enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's policy focuses on ensuring that all children with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the existing allocation system, all pupils with Down's syndrome, including such pupils in the mild range, currently are entitled to receive additional teaching support. Such support is provided either from a school's allocation of Learning Support or Resource Teaching under the General Allocation Model (GAM), or from an allocation of additional resource...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology for pupils in Primary, Post-Primary and Special schools for personal computers and specialist software for educational purposes under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013. This Circular states that equipment is provided under this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together. The annual costs in respect of section 29 appeals lodged in my Department was €280,000 last year. This figure represents the costs of appeals throughout the country. The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available. I can confirm however that last year there were 411 appeals lodged in my Department. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (25 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Student Assistance Fund is a component of the Third Level Access Measure which is managed on behalf of my Department by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and comprises two sub-priorities: the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. The Student Assistance Fund is administered on a local basis by participating higher education institutions and targets those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (24 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 28 of the Education Act 1998 provides for grievance and appeal procedures in schools. It expresses a desirability of determining appeals and resolving grievances in the school concerned. Section 29 of the Act sets out a limited set of circumstances a parent can appeal administrative decisions of a school. These are confined to expulsions, suspensions or refusal to enroll. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (24 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Springboard provides free, flexible reskilling and upskilling opportunities at higher education level for unemployed and previously self-employed people in areas of emerging skills needs. To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment, and be in receipt of one of the range of qualifying Social Protection payments, or be signing for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (24 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, through the teacher support services and education centres, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Data (24 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The number of pupils and teachers in individual schools is provided in the National School Annual Census. Results from the census for the current school year (2014/2015) are being finalised at present. A provisional list of the number of pupils and teachers in each school for 2014/15 will be published on the Department's website in mid March. A list of all schools and their pupil and...