Results 6,701-6,720 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: On the Donegal school, I understand that the design team is finalising the stage two report. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for me to meet the school representatives until they have finalised that and given it to the Department. There will certainly be stakeholders' meetings but at this stage I do not think there is any point in me meeting them because the ball is in their court in...

Other Questions: School Enrolments (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The intention is to give people those choices. The Deputy described what happened in the past, but Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí around the country have been recognised, have their own patron bodies and are well established. There is no unwillingness on the part of the Government or the Department to support that choice. The Deputy's point is that there are not enough...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school is being progressed within my Department's architectural planning process. I understand that the school's design team and school authority are working on the stage 2(a) report. A stage 2(a) stakeholders meeting will be arranged when the report is finalised. In these circumstances, I do not consider that convening a meeting as...

Other Questions: School Enrolments (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Between 2012 and 2015, five new schools will have been established to meet demographic needs in the north Kildare area. This includes the establishment of a Gaelscoil and an all-Irish aonad in a new post-primary school to enhance provision though the medium of Irish in the area. The patronage of all these new schools was determined by an open process in which the level of parental demand...

Other Questions: School Enrolments (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I assure the Deputy that the situation remains under continual review. Obviously, what she has said today will be brought back to the Department. The post-primary review is under way. The Deputy raised the post-primary issue. I can come back to the Deputy on how that review is progressing, etc. It is under way. I acknowledge that County Kildare is very much a growing demographic area....

Other Questions: Technological Universities (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The terms of reference are not designed to limit what he might believe would be helpful. They are primarily designed to guide him in terms of what we want him to do. For example, we gave him a timescale in which to report back and we indicated that he should consult widely, not just within the institutions but within the region as well. It has not come back to me that there are problems...

Other Questions: Technological Universities (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am sorry; I misunderstood. The terms of reference relating to the establishment of a technological university were set very carefully with outside expert advice on what would be required to be sure that we can stand over the quality and so on. Mr. Kelly does not have any leeway in that regard. There are very good reasons for those terms of reference. They are about ensuring that people...

Other Questions: Technological Universities (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are many requirements but they are carefully balanced to ensure we end up with an institution that is worthy of the title "technological university".

Other Questions: Technological Universities (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will probably have to come back to Deputy O'Brien on that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My focus in budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth, as the Minister of State, Deputy English, said earlier. The last budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60 million during 2015. This funding will be used to provide 1,700...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: They are for the purposes the Deputy outlined. We have not made any changes for the current year in terms of what was done in previous years. That has been factored into the allocation of teachers. However, I am looking to the future in terms of what we might be able to do, including in regard to small schools and the pupil-teacher ratio. In the context of what was decided in the last...

Other Questions: Technological Universities (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy knows, Mr. Michael Kelly is leading a process of consultation with regional stakeholders, the governing bodies, staff and students in Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology in order to develop a shared vision for a technological university in the south east. I am pleased to report that Mr. Michael Kelly has met with the governing bodies of both...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government has not yet taken a decision on whether it can be implemented for next September. I want to ensure we get it right so I have not yet made a decision on the timing. With regard to profiling, there is a certain amount of factual information relating to numbers of pupils with complex needs and the percentage of pupils performing below average in standardised tests. The area...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, working group recommended the development of a new model for delivering teaching resources to schools to support students with special needs. It recommended that a school's special needs teaching allocation should be determined by a baseline component according to pupil numbers and a school's educational profile. This profile is to take...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue because it is of great interest to parents, in particular, of children with special needs, as well as schools in general. As is the case with anything of this nature, we have to be very careful with the introduction of a new model. At the same time, it has been clearly identified by the National Council for Special Education that the current system,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Staffing (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The decisions made in recent years were not easy. Sometimes it was a case of deciding whether to reduce the overall allocation to schools or take specific measures. Schools are required under the Education Act to use available resources to ensure students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their educational and career choices. We have not removed the obligation on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Staffing (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: We constantly engage with schools on their obligations and the support and services they provide for students, and this will be ongoing. A range of supports exist through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, and other areas. We engage on a regular basis with representatives of management bodies on these issues. It is under ongoing monitoring. I certainly agree it is my...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Staffing (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no plans at the moment to re-introduce a separate allocation of resources hours to schools for guidance counselling. 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 some discretion on how to use these increased resources. Guidance and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have met with the Teacher Unions and also the other education partners on a number of occasions since my appointment as Minister last summer. In November 2014, I tabled what I believe is a fair and reasonable proposal. The Unions did not accept my proposal but acknowledged that it was significant. After both teacher strikes, in December and last week, I noted that their strike action was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Value for Money Reviews (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The report of the value for money review of small primary schools will be published as soon as my Government colleagues and I have finalised our consideration of the report and its recommendations. I am not in a position to give a precise publication date at this time.