Results 6,561-6,580 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question was established as an 8 classroom school in 2008. Since then, the building has been expanded and modified to facilitate additional classrooms. The total cost to date of providing this facility, including its rental, amounts to €4.6 million. The cost of providing prefabs amounted to €354,692. Two additional prefabs are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that 275 major school projects were included in the 5 year programme announced in March 2012. The announcement also included a commitment to publish an annual construction programme. The current status in relation to each of the individual projects on the annual construction programme announcements for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 are available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Primary Curriculum (NCCA, 1999), in particular the Science and Mathematics Curricula, governs provision in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in Primary Schools. A high standard of scientific and mathematical skills for boys and girls is recognised to be critical in Ireland's economic development. Science became a compulsory subject for all primary pupils with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Policies for Smaller Schools (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Ireland has a high number of primary schools by international standards and a high number of these schools are small schools. The report to which the Deputy refers was produced ten years ago in 2005. It proposed that additional resources be allocated to small primary schools that were willing to engage in a cluster, including the appointment of a cluster co-ordinator. In the period since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Exchange Scheme (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular letter 12/03 issued by my Department outlines the temporary exchange scheme for primary teachers. The teacher exchange scheme provides a facility for primary teachers to voluntarily exchange with a teacher in another school. The minimum period for which an exchange may occur: Is one year and the maximum is five years. The exchange scheme was agreed under the auspices of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Review (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have received the report of the value for money review of small primary school provision. It is under consideration by Government. Decisions on school provision and any possible reorganisation must be widely perceived to be cost-effective, equitable and reasonable. These decisions need to be based on a rigorous evaluation of requirements and needs, not just at a local level but also at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department aims to ensure that all learners are provided with a high quality, inclusive education experience in state-funded educational establishments including schools, further education and training centres and higher education institutions throughout the country. It is indeed a challenge to do this in light of our current rapidly rising enrolment at all levels of the education system,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Expenditure (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Budget 2015 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 and SNAs for our schools, as well as to fund prioritised reforms, such as implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategy, reform of junior cycle, and the introduction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Medical Council Accreditation (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 88(2)(a) of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 requires that the Medical Council consult with the Minister for Education and Skills before approving, or otherwise, basic medical programmes and the bodies that deliver them. The Act makes clear that my role in relation to this matter is to be consulted and that the ultimate decision regarding approval of programmes of medical education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There has not been a choice on the Junior Certificate Mathematics examination papers since 2003, when the revised syllabuses (introduced in 2000) were first examined. One of the principles on which assessment of that course was based was that 'full coverage of both knowledge and skills should be encouraged'. Evidence from candidates' scripts under previous examination arrangements indicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (10 Feb 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Boards of management of schools and other centres of education operated by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are subcommittees of an ETB. ETBs have been instructed to establish new boards of management of schools and centres of education not later than the 1st April 2015. The ETBs have also been advised that the composition of boards of management shall be determined in the same...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that, the National Council for Special Education published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18th June 2014. This Report was prepared by a Working Group, appointed by the NCSE and Chaired by Mr Eamon Stack, which included representatives from disability organisations and also parent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that, the National Council for Special Education published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18th June 2014. This Report was prepared by a Working Group, appointed by the NCSE and Chaired by Mr Eamon Stack, which included representatives from disability organisations and also parent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. In the budget it was not possible to provide for extra teaching posts that would change the staffing schedule for primary schools, including small schools. The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, my Department devolved very significant funding to the school in question in 2010 and 2011 to provide additional general classrooms, specialist rooms and ancillary accommodation to meet the schools accommodation needs. I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial services. Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs and my Department does not stipulate how secretarial services are to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (10 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary and post primary schools. Attached is a list of 106 schools that have declined to avail of the broadband connection offered by the Department of Education and Skills. This equates to 3% of primary schools. Roll Number School name County 01583I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Provision (5 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The FÁS Overseas Graduate Programme (OGP), which began in 1983, placed newly qualifying graduates with honours degrees in Business, Engineering or the Sciences, into full-time employment with companies in Japan and China. The overarching aim of the Programme was to increase the number of Irish qualifying graduates with top quality international experience in their chosen discipline,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (5 Feb 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The works referred to by the Deputy are appropriate to the Summer Works Scheme, the purpose of which is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to facilitate schools carrying out small and medium scale building works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings. Under the scheme, responsibility for identifying and prioritising the most urgently required project...