Results 6,741-6,760 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households. The Student Grant Scheme...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that in relation to the first school, my Department is currently engaged with the relevant County Council in respect of the identification and acquisition of a suitable site to provide a permanent building for the school in question. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to provide further details at this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (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. 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 Enrolments (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing Appeals Mechanism (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Circular 0007/2014, which is available on...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no plans to re-introduce a separate allocation of resources hours to schools related to 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 discretion on how to use those increased resources. Guidance and counselling is a...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The most recent information available on retired teachers employed by managerial authorities of schools relates to the 2013/2014 school year. During this period a total of 9,421 teaching days were worked by retired teachers. Retired Primary school teachers worked 5,259 days and retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools teachers worked 4,162 days. This is...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that my Department published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. These procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. All Boards of Management are required to...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities. They will continue to be a feature of our education landscape. However, this does not mean that small schools can never have their staffing levels changed to something that is more affordable and sustainable for the challenging times the country has faced in recent years. As part of...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The details of the Haddington Road Agreement for teachers are extremely complex and are outlined in my Department Circulars 5/2014 for post primary teachers and 32/2013 for primary teachers. My Department operates the largest payroll in the State, with approximately 98,000 school employees and pensioners paid every fortnight. These payrolls have become increasingly complex over the past...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, 2 new post primary schools have been established by my Department in recent years in the Dublin 15 area to meet demographic demand. The school to which the Deputy refers is a 1,000 pupil post-primary school. Since the school commenced operation, the school authorities have enrolled children commensurate with the level of demand in the area. However, the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The enrolment policy must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. This Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: In 2013 a number of representative bodies from the hospitality sector made submissions as part of a consultation process during the review of apprenticeship which was undertaken by an independent Review Group established by the then Minister. The Review Group recommended that an Apprenticeship Council be established and that it manage a call for proposals for the development of...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: This is an operational matter for SOLAS and I have asked them to contact the Deputy directly to clarify the position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Allowances Review (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 of the review, qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. Department of Education and Skills Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this decision on teachers. In Paragraph 12 of Circular 0008/2013 an exception is made in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Food Industry Development (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Skills Bulletin 2014 comments that there are just over 8,000 butchers and fishmongers employed in Ireland. Analysis of labour market transitions in 2013 indicated a high turnover for food operatives, suggesting retention issues. Evaluation of the recent training programme provided in the National Butchery Academy, referred to below, also indicated issues with attracting and...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project has been authorised to proceed to Stage 2B of Architectural Planning, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. It is not possible to progress all projects...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning. The planning application has been submitted to the Local Authority and a decision is currently awaited. When the final grant of planning permission is received the project will then be progressed to construction.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested is not available on a constituency basis. However, I can advise that the information concerned is held on a County basis and the current status of all projects, including those in County Cork, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this is updated regularly throughout the year. The Deputy will be aware that...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 2b – Detailed Design which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All relevant statutory approvals have been obtained and the Stage 2b submission has been approved...