Results 761-780 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resources to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The Deputy will be aware that there is no automatic system of transfer of resources from one...
- Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: My Department will issue a letter to the person referred to by the Deputy within a number of days.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the General Allocation Model (GAM) was introduced in primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching support available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special educational needs. In general, where a school meets the criteria for developing school status as outlined in the staffing schedule for...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will appreciate that the preparation of the Estimates is carried out on a strictly confidential basis and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific issues or proposals including those relating to student grants, at this stage. However, all proposals made in relation to education expenditure will be considered in the context of the Budget.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Students who were in receipt of the BTEA and the student grant for the 2009/10 academic year will continue to be eligible for both payments for the duration of their current course provided they meet the terms and conditions of the relevant grant scheme. Students progressing to a new course, with effect from 2010/11, will no longer be eligible for maintenance portion of the student grant but...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Based on the expenditure information for the period to end October 2010, it is estimated that current expenditure for my Department for the year will be in accordance with the Voted Allocation. It is possible as the end of the year approaches that excesses of expenditure on a small number of subheads will require be offset by savings on other subheads. There is currently in this regard a...
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Overall there are a range of foreign languages available on the curriculum in schools -- French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic. A post Primary Languages Initiative is in place since 2000 with the objective of diversifying language provision in schools, focusing particularly on Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Russian. Experience to date has been that while students...
- Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (25 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The objective identified by the Forum is essentially about the need to ensure that the Irish school system is subjected to evaluation so that performance across disciplines can be assessed, learning outcomes are identified and that this information is available nationally and at school level to relevant stakeholders. This is important not just as an exercise in itself. It is about having...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy will appreciate that the preparation of the Estimates is carried out on a strictly confidential basis and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific issues or proposals including those relating to student grants, at this stage. However, all proposals made in relation to education expenditure will be considered in the context of the Budget.
- Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The correspondence provided by the Deputy covers a wide range of issues within my Department. I have noted the various points raised in the correspondence and I have arranged for it to be brought to the attention of the relevant sections within my Department.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school authority to which the Deputy refers for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the allocated funding will be provided to the school in question once they have provided the necessary documentation outlined in the grant approval letter which issued to the school management authority earlier this year.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of the tender process. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that the project will progress to construction shortly and will take circa 12 months to construct.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 56 together. The National Council for Special Education has advised my Department that additional teaching supports were in place in post-primary schools in the 09/10 school year in respect of over 3,600 students who had been assessed as having a mild general learning disability. At primary level, pupils with a mild general learning disability, and who...
- Order of Business (24 Nov 2010)
Mary Coughlan: There is a moratorium today.