Results 8,341-8,360 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: New students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards are not entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Those who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. A postgraduate student may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 458 together. I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding to provide a new PE Hall. In view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year Plan, to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential teaching accommodation to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 459 together. The building project at the school to which the Deputy refers started on site in July 2013 with an 18 month contract. It is envisaged that the project will be complete in early 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology for pupils in Primary, Post Primary and Special schools for personal computers and specialist software for educational purposes under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013. An application for assistive technology support for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 450 together. Changes to the structure and content of the Gaeltacht Placement arose from the Teaching Council's new accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which provide, inter alia, for "an extended and reconceptualised Gaeltacht residency which will now form part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Pension Unit of my Department is obliged to ensure that priority is given to processing retirement pension benefits for pension scheme members and, as the Deputy will appreciate, the end of the school year is the peak period for such retirements. The next priority is accorded to applications for pension benefit statements from members who express an intention to retire in the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A major project to provide permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy, is included in my Department's 5 year School Building Programme to proceed to construction in the years 2015/2016. In line with the arrangements in place under the Memorandum of Understanding on acquisition of school sites for school planning purposes, my Department is working closely with Dún...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is aware of the issue raised by the Deputy. My officials are considering the issue in consultation with the trade union who represent the teachers concerned, with a view to resolving the matter in an appropriate manner. As this matter is being dealt with under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a redundancy payment will issue to the person referred to on the 9th October. An official of my Department is contacting her with regard to the P45.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The building project for an extension to the school referred to by the Deputy is included in the Five Year Construction Programme to proceed to Tender and Construction. The design team on the project had reached completion of Stage 1 of Architectural Planning. As part of that work it was agreed by my Department that extensive additional refurbishment works to the existing school will also be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently progressing through the stages of Architectural Planning. Following the Stage 2(a) Stakeholders meeting, a Stage 2(a) addendum report was received from the Board of Management and a review was completed by my Department with comments issuing to the school in late August. In early September one of the schools contacted my Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. The contact details for the EWS is Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, my Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. This can necessitate the use of temporary accommodation, as in the case of this school, until my Department is in a position to provide a permanent building. My Department will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (23 Sep 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 is a matter for Caranua itself and I have no role in the process. Decisions of Caranua may be appealed to an independent Appeals Officer. I understand that an appeal has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: After-School Support Services (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department does not have a remit in relation to the establishment of community after-school services. The School Completion Programme which is part of the DEIS School Support Programme, and provides school based after-school supports is administered by TUSLA on behalf of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The After School Child Care Programme (ASCC) is administered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The primary staffing schedule currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils, with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools. Schools have autonomy in relation to the deployment of classroom teachers to individual classes. My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is the responsibility of the Principal teacher in consultation with the teaching staff to decide on the organisation of the pupils for teaching purposes. My Department does not have a policy in relation to twins being placed in the same class or being placed in separate classes. This is a matter for the school Principal having regard to the particular needs of the children concerned, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Fees (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Apart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary or post-primary schools are not permitted to charge school fees. Recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme have teaching resources and other funding allocated to them on a different basis from those schools that charge fees. The continued eligibility for such funding arrangements is contingent on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Numeracy Levels (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Maths Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to over 300 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 Maths Recovery in place for DEIS schools. An evaluation by the Inspectorate in 2011 also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Numeracy Levels (23 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Maths Recovery is a licensed programme which has been made available to over 300 primary schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST). PDST is currently liaising with the programme providers to ensure continued and adequate support for DEIS schools to access the Maths Recovery programme. In addition, through the support services and the Education Centre...