Results 8,141-8,160 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Department of Education and Skills Circular 0007/2014 sets out the criteria for the allocation of teaching posts to primary schools for the 2014/2015 school year. 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 arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (30 Sep 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: Schools Building Projects Applications (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, this school has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. In view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions Mergers (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take questions 490 and 508 together. A formal expression of interest was received by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) from Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology in applying for designation as a Technological University. The group has now passed the first stage of a four stage process and criteria for designation and can proceed to the second...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Playgrounds (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, my Department approved a significant devolved grant for the school in question to provide an extension which I understand was completed earlier this year. However in view of the need to prioritise available funding towards the provision of essential mainstream classroom accommodation, my Department is currently not in a position to consider applications from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Politics and Society subject will be made available to schools once the NCCA has advised my Department on a number of outstanding issues. No date has been set for its implementation in schools, pending the receipt of advice from the NCCA.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, through the 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 school system can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Visiting Teacher Service (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 497 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the review of the Visiting Teacher Service was carried out in response to policy advice from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in May 2013, which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, my Department commissioned an independent review of the service in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (30 Sep 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 this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am aware of an issue at the school site referred to by the Deputy. I would encourage all parties involved to use the appropriate industrial relations channels to resolve this current matter. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has been in contact with the school referred to by the Deputy and has clarified the staffing arrangements for the 2014/15 school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the 300 hours Post-Qualification Employment (PQE) requirement, which is applied as a condition to all post-primary school teachers after registering under Regulation Four of the Teaching Council Registration Regulations 2009. As the Deputy is aware, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for the procedures and criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Reading Recovery Programme (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Reading Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). There are over 500 schools currently participating in the programme. My Department, through the PDST, continues to prioritise support for DEIS Band 1 and DEIS Band 2 schools as well as maintaining ongoing support for other schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Reading Recovery Programme (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Reading Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). Emerging evidence from work carried out by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) is positive on the range of interventions including Reading Recovery in place for DEIS schools. An evaluation by the Inspectorate in 2011 also demonstrated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy is currently under consideration and a decision will issue when the assessment is complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Forward Planning Section of my Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to analyse demographic data in order to determine the areas where additional school accommodation may be required. A variety of data sources are used in this analysis, including census data, school enrolment data, and child benefit data obtained from the Department of Social Protection. An analysis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government gave approval in March of this year for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014. The General Scheme has since been referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government for drafting. Drafting of the Bill is currently underway. The objective of the Admissions to School Bill is to provide an over-arching framework to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will note that the primary school and Pobalscoil Rosmini post-primary school buildings are not included in the property which is on the market. With regard to the property for sale, I wish to advise that when the proposed sale was brought to the attention of the Department, officials from my Department met with the Rosminians (Institute of Charity). My Department has sought and has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually. 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 arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Job Initiatives (30 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 to 514, inclusive, together. Circular Letter 46 of 2011 issued by my Department in October 2011 authorised recognised schools and Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) now Educational Training Boards (ETBs) to participate in the National Internship Scheme- JobBridge which is administered and funded by the Department of Social Protection. The mentoring...