Results 6,801-6,820 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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 previous parliamentary 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...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and is therefore responsible for making decisions as to the types of activities in which the school gets involved.The decision as to whether to participate in activities, enter competitions or partake in any promotions is one for each Board of Management to take. In making...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The delivery of a replacement 20-classroom school plus Special Needs Unit for the school referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the school authority. Galway/Roscommon Education & Training Board has agreed to provide assistance to the school in progressing the project. In August 2014, approval was given by my Department to proceed with Phase 1 of this 2-phase project....

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 30 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 the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, the OPW is in the process of acquiring a site for the provision of a replacement building for the school in question. In that regard, I understand that the OPW are currently addressing planning issues in relation to the site concerned. Once a greenfield site has been acquired, the school project can be progressed into the Architectural Planning process.

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

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The experience of the officers assigned to monitor training is an operational matter for the individual Education and Training Boards in question and for SOLAS. However, I understand that Contract Training Procedures have not changed since they were first implemented in respect of tutor requirements. Fasttrack to IT (FIT) is an industry-led initiative which promotes wider access to...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional primary school accommodation might be needed from 2015 onwards. I will announce the details of any new schools arising out of this exercise in due course. A corresponding exercise at post-primary level is currently under way. Funding under my Department's five-year construction plan is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy was answered directly on 28 November 2014 and a further comprehensive response issued in respect of the matters raised on 12 December 2014. The correspondent has since acknowledged that the responses were received and has again written to my Department addressing matters raised in the response of 12 December 2014. In previous correspondence the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Patron of the schools to which he refers has determined that the new amalgamated school should be located on the site and buildings of one of the schools in question. In reaching this decision, the Patron and schools had available to them an independent technical report that reviewed the curricular capacity of both school buildings and sites. Whilst...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the matter of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the patron/managerial authority of those schools. I also wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in contact with the patron of the three schools in the area in question, including the school to which the Deputy refers, in relation to enrolments for the forthcoming school year....

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 502 together. The Deputy will be aware that my Department's Five Year Construction Plan announced in March 2012, together with the schools announced in June 2013 under the Government's "investment in Infrastructure & Jobs" package and the schools included in the 2015 construction programme, details the major school projects, including those...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has recently completed a nationwide demographic exercise to determine where additional primary school accommodation might be needed from 2015 onwards. I will announce the details of any new schools arising out of this exercise in due course. A corresponding exercise at post-primary level is currently underway. Funding under my Department's five-year construction plan is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 493 and 500 together. My focus in Budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth. 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 additional...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently examining the extent and location of additional post-primary places that will be needed on a nationwide basis from 2017 onwards. This will include an examination of the north Kildare area. A submission recently received from An Foras Patrúntáchta in relation to all-Irish provision in north Kildare will be taken into consideration as part of this...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 501 together. 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. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that all State-funded primary and post primary schools have been allocated additional resources, including additional teaching support, to provide for children with special educational needs enrolled in school. As part of Budget 2015, I announced that an additional 480 Resource Teachers would be provided in 2015, to take into account increased demand and...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: SUSI has advised that it is fully up-to-date with the payment of all awarded grants that can be paid. SUSI has received 103,000 applications for the 2014/2015 academic year. Of these more than 100,000 applications have been finalised with over 72,000 grants awarded. The remaining applications will be finalised upon receipt of outstanding documentation from the applicants.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Reform of the Junior Cycle is important and is a policy priority. The current dispute with the teacher unions will only be resolved through meaningful negotiation. In fact, Dr. Pauric Travers has contacted the teacher unions and myself to propose further talks this week. I welcome this initiative and my Department will engage in these talks in a constructive manner.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, many representations have been received, and much consideration has been given to the matter to which the Deputy refers. As previously outlined, for compelling educational reasons and to safeguard the integrity of the patronage determination process, both of the schools in question will operate as fully–vertical post-primary schools delivering both the...