Results 6,721-6,740 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My key priority at present in relation to educational disadvantage is to continue to maintain and prioritise resources for schools with the most concentrated levels of disadvantage. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The judgment in relation to legal proceedings challenging some aspects of the planned reforms to international education was received on Tuesday 13th January, and since that point, I have been involved in a number of discussions on this matter. The range of options that are available to progress the reforms in a manner consistent with the High Court decision and without prejudice to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Carrigtwohill/ Midleton area is projected by my Department's Forward Planning section to undergo significant increases in educational demand in the coming years. In that context, projects to provide permanent buildings for Gaelscoil Mhainistir na Corann and Midleton Educate Together National School were included in the five year school building programme. In December I announced that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The decision to provide for guidance from within the overall staffing allocation was a budget measure the alternative to which was to continue with a separate allocation for guidance and to reduce the general allocation. I believe that in a difficult time of reduced resources it was better to give schools flexibility in how best to use the available resources. I do not believe there is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The detailed data sought for the specific area in question are being compiled. I will arrange for the data to be sent to the Deputy directly. In relation to overall school provision in that area the position is that with the addition of both planned and recently delivered infrastructural provision in the north Kildare area, the existing schools between them are expected to be able to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas caters for construction plant training. There is currently a lease on the site for 9 years and 11 months at an annual cost of €10,000, exclusive of VAT. It is due to expire in September 2017. The facility is the only recognised training centre in Ireland to test plant drivers for the equivalent UK certification, which means...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The judgment in relation to legal proceedings challenging some aspects of the planned reforms to international education was received on Tuesday 13th January. The range of options that are available to progress the reforms in a manner consistent with the High Court decision and without prejudice to a possible appeal are being considered by the Department of Justice and Equality in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Teaching Council is the statutory body that reviews and accredits programmes of initial teacher education. The Gaeltacht placement is a mandatory component of primary initial teacher education programmes and is governed by the Council's accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) and which must be adhered to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Capital Appraisal Guidelines of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform require projects to be appraised. This involves validating need and consideration of possible solutions including, where appropriate, the PPP option. To ensure value for money with PPPs, 4 tests are required to be undertaken during the procurement process. The determination of the Public Sector Benchmark (PSB)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Due to the worsening economic circumstances, the Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to new entrants to public service recruitment grades (including teachers) by 10% from 1 January 2011 and required that new entrants would start on the first point of the applicable salary scale. Subsequently, a public service-wide review of allowances took place in 2012, following which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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. As I have mentioned in response to earlier questions, that increase has provided funding for 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs to be recruited for our schools, as well as funding important reforms. However, it was not possible to...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Schools are contributing to the 'Healthy Ireland' agenda being led by the Department of Health and supported by my Department. In my November 2014 proposal on junior cycle, Wellbeing is included as a compulsory element. It would include Physical Education; Social, Personal and Health Education; and Civic Social and Personal Education. The well being of our young people is as important as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has been working very closely with officials from Cork County Council to secure suitable lands for the schools referred to by the Deputy. I can confirm that suitable lands have been identified and the conveyancing process in relation to their acquisition is underway. In tandem with the completion of the conveyancing process, the project for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Transition Year is intended to act as an educational bridge between junior and senior cycle. Its objective is to broaden the students' experience of second level education by providing them with a variety of opportunities, both academic and practical. The precise content of any transition year programme is decided by each school. Their programmes typically include elements designed to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board are facilitating the development of the school in question. The ETB engages with the principal and it is the function of the principal to engage with the parent body. The school has relocated temporarily to the premises it is now occupying to allow repair works, caused by storm damage, to be carried out on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The 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 account of the number of pupils with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Places (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Teaching Council is the statutory body that reviews and accredits programmes of initial teacher education. The school placement experience is integral to all initial teacher education programmes and is governed by the Council's accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which must be adhered to by all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Places (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Teaching Council is the statutory body that reviews and accredits programmes of initial teacher education. The school placement experience is integral to all initial teacher education programmes and is governed by the Council's accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which must be adhered to by all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: In 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. The Department's Circular provided an exception. This applied where as at 5 December 2011 a teacher was in employment on that date, and was eligible for receipt of a qualification...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Department has developed an individualised electronic database of primary school pupils (POD – the Primary Online Database). The primary purpose of POD will be to monitor the education progress of primary pupils (in DES aided schools), throughout the primary system and onwards to post primary level and to help them develop their full educational potential. Once up and running other...