Results 6,921-6,940 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: One of the chief factors determining the retention of a primary school in any community is for the school to meet the minimum enrolment viability threshold. My Department will continue to fund a school in the normal course of events once this viability threshold is met. If a school with low enrolments wishes to re-organise, it is a matter for the school patron and the school community to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. A framework involving more providers was put in place in 2012 which ensures that improved solutions are available to schools. The Department is continually working with providers to ensure that where possible improved services are made available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 756 and 785 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the school to which he refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. The Five Year Construction Plan that was announced in March 2012 as part of my Department's €2 billion capital investment programme, outlines the major school projects that are scheduled to commence...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Momentum Programme (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am informed by SOLAS, who manage the Momentum Programme, that the breakdown of those who completed a Momentum course is as follows. It should be noted that these figures relate to where course providers could verify with former participants that the following outcomes have been achieved and claim payments for these outcomes under the contracting model. It is likely that the true figures...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Momentum Programme (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The awarding of travel allowances to participants on the Momentum Programme was discussed between the relevant Government Departments when the Programme was being designed. In the design of the scheme, consideration was given to the question of additional payments but in the difficult economic circumstances that exist and in order to ensure the best use of scarce resources, it was decided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. This responsibility includes planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have had the case examined and I am informed that while an application for a (RACE) accommodation was received by the SEC for the candidate, it was returned to the school, as the form was incomplete. The school is currently preparing the application for re-submission to SEC, at which stage a determination will be made on whether an accommodation is warranted under the scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school to which the Deputy refers is to be delivered as part of the Schools Bundle 5 PPP project. This Bundle is part of the Government's Economic Stimulus Package announced by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin T.D., in July 2012. The inclusion of the school referred to by the Deputy, as well as the other five schools in the bundle, and their expected...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department devolved very significant funding to the school, referred to by the Deputy, in 2010 and 2011 to provide additional general classrooms, specialist rooms and ancillary accommodation to meet the schools accommodation needs. As the Deputy may be aware, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.In relation to learning/language support there are currently over 4,700 posts allocated to schools at primary level and over 780 posts at post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The school referred to by the Deputy relocated temporarily to the premises it is now occupying to allow repair works, caused by storm damage, to be carried out on its own school premises. The arrangement for this relocation was made by the school Patron and these works are expected to be completed in May. The building in question will accommodate the planned new post primary school in Naas...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, through the education centres and teacher support services, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The response to the parliamentary questions to which the Deputy refers outlined the direct payment arrangements in place with private commercial organisations. The arrangements enable group tuition to be provided to children in a class type setting; payment in these cases is made directly to the service provider and is calculated on a group rate basis. A key difference in the separate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: All school building projects which are funded from public monies, including Kishoge Community College, are required to use the forms of contract provided under the Capital Works Management Framework which includes a suite of public works contracts, standard conditions of engagement, model forms, suitability assessment questionnaires and guidance notes published by the Office of Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Funding (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The context of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy is significant in clarifying this issue. The letter was in response to a submission from a private service provider outlining their intention to submit claim forms for funding for four children who were approved for home tuition to assist in their timely processing and payment. The letter added that applications for three children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that the well-being and safety of children should be at the centre of all policy and practices in schools. The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school and is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. Section 23 (4) of the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Jan 2015)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...