Results 7,861-7,880 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The conveyancing process for the site intended to provide for the new school building referred to by the Deputy is currently underway and my officials are working to ensure that the process is completed as soon as possible. Once the site acquisition is completed, my Department will be in contact with the relevant school authorities in relation to the progression of the school building project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority, under the Teaching Council Act 2001, for establishing procedures and criteria for the probation of teachers. All primary teachers must complete their probation successfully before they can achieve full registration with the Teaching Council. As part of the probationary process, at the request of the Teaching Council, the Inspectorate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions: a. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. b. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term social welfare payment prescribed under the scheme. In the case of a student whose parents are divorced, legally separated or it is established...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Restoration (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Circular Letter 0062/2013 which was published as the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2013/2014 issued last November states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". The focus under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 is on meeting the demand for additional school places. Consequently, there is no funding provided at this time in the 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cóiríocht Scoile (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Mar is eol don Teachta, is é is cuspóir thar gach ní eile ag mo Roinnse ná a chinntiú go mbíonn rochtain ag gach páiste ar ionad fisiciúil scoile agus go mbíonn ar chumas ár gcóras scoile fónamh ar líonta méadaitheacha daltaí. Dá bhrí sin, i bhfianaise na sriantachtaí airgeadais a thagann ón...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Uniforms (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 to 247, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the school uniform policy is a matter for each individual school and not my Department. The initiative late last year was aimed at strengthening the role of parents in how schools decide their policies on uniforms. As part of the initiative in question, schools were requested to ballot...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Apart from those recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary and post primary schools are precluded from charging school fees. Voluntary contributions by parents are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition. It is not my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means. Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to inform the Deputy that I have been in discussions with all the education partners, which included Pre-Budget matters. I met with the Joint Managerial Body which represents all voluntary secondary schools, including fee charging schools. I received their Pre-Budget 2015 submissions, which covered the matters raised by the Deputy. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (14 Oct 2014)

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: Access to Higher Education (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Each institution in receipt of exchequer funding, whether through the HEA or through the higher education grants scheme, is required to develop and implement a plan to support access by economically or socially disadvantaged people, people with disabilities and people from sections of society significantly under-represented in the student body. This has been a requirement under legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that all children with Down syndrome will have access to resource teaching support for the coming year, either through a schools General Allocation Model, if the child has Mild General Learning Difficulties, or via an allocation made to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), if the child is in the low incidence special educational needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Homework journals are generally used by pupils every day and can therefore be a useful mechanism for schools to communicate important information to pupils in relation in relation to matters such as anti-bullying, mental health and suicide prevention. However, my Department has not prescribed that schools must use such journals or that they should contain specific information. The Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: At both primary and post primary, literacy and numeracy have been prioritised as key skills for all students. Complementing the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (2011) has been the recent implementation of new specifications in mathematics at junior and senior cycle - known locally as "Project Maths". The reform of post primary Mathematics began in 24 schools in September 2008 and was rolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the deputy will be aware, the reformed Junior Cycle is being introduced on a phased basis beginning with English this year. Just under 90% of English teachers have attended the first day of CPD. A further 172 English teachers have attended elective workshops in their own time. By any standards this is a very high level of take-up and is amongst the highest rate of attendance at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Inspections (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Inspectorate of my Department uses a range of inspection models in primary and post-primary schools and centres for education including short unannounced inspections, inspections of the provision for specific subjects and the work of subject departments, and a number of whole-school type evaluations. This ensures that inspection may be tailored to suit the particular circumstances and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. The processing of individual applications and related administrative issues are matters for Caranua itself and I have no role in the process. I understand from enquiries made of Caranua that it receives only a small number...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Caranua published its criteria and guidelines and commenced accepting applications in January of this year. Its guidelines are set out in the booklet "Applying for Services from Ireland – Information and guidelines for making an application" which is available to download from www.caranua.ie. Caranua has advised that all applications are considered in the context of the legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has not established a Departmental body to investigate the work practices of contractors who are building schools and other Departmental projects. I assume the Deputy is referring to my Departments appointment of Contractors Administration Services (CAS) in April 2013 following a tender competition to conduct random audits on school building projects in order to verify...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (14 Oct 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: School building projects which are funded from public monies, including the school project in question, 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...