Results 8,421-8,440 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1311 and 1318 together. Education provided at all levels in all subjects is informed by developments in my Department's policies and strategies and those of the Teaching Council, the statutory regulator and professional standards body for the teaching profession. Amongst the changes in the areas referenced by the Deputy are the "Literacy and Numeracy for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A range of mechanisms are in place for evaluating the work of schools. Schools are required to engage in school self-evaluation; the Inspectorate of my Department conducts a range of external inspections in schools that report on the quality and standards of teaching and learning in classrooms; national monitoring of standards is achieved through the periodic examination of standards in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that SOLAS is currently in the process of preparing a comprehensive submission for a range of apprenticeship Instructor posts for my Department's consideration. SOLAS informs me that it has incorporated a City of Dublin Education and Training Board Electrical Instructor post request into its analysis and the submission is expected to be sent to my Department in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is a day to day operational matter for the City of Dublin Education and Training Board and I have asked the ETB in question to contact the Deputy directly in relation to his question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1315, 1331 and 1348 together. While it is clear that some students have been facing difficulties in finding suitable accommodation because of the housing shortage in some parts of Ireland, particularly in the Dublin region, we have not seen any evidence that would confirm that students are deferring places in college as a consequence. Capital funding for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Literacy Levels (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In 2011 the national strategy on "Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life" - for the period 2011 to 2020 was launched. The Department undertook to create a culture of continuous improvement in schools by improving radically the assessment and reporting of progress at student, school and national level and by focussing school self-evaluation and inspection on literacy and numeracy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the school self-evaluation process, all schools were required to complete the first three-year school improvement plan by the end of the school year 2013/14. These plan should indicate the improvement targets set by the school and the dates by which they expect to achieve their targets - this is likely to be three years from the date the targets were set. At primary level, schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Within the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) there are 6 advisors who are dedicated literacy mentors for disadvantaged primary schools. As well as the 6 dedicated advisors there are currently 15 primary literacy advisors who work with all primary schools including those who are categorised as disadvantaged. My Department continues to prioritise support for literacy as part...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that as part of my Department's large scale school building programme, prefab accommodation continues to be replaced with modern, high quality permanent accommodation on an on-going basis as part of major building projects in schools. In addition, since July 2008, schools allocated devolved funding for the provision of additional classroom accommodation must...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department launched an online inventory of school accommodation which is available to schools on the Department's Esinet portal. The Inventory will provide key data and statistics on the existing school building stock throughout the country at both primary and post-primary levels. To date over 80% of schools have completed or are in the process of completing the inventory.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Programme Expenditure (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government notes that shared educational campuses will be the preferred model for development of educational infrastructure in areas of demographic growth. In pursuit of this and as part of the 5 year Capital Programme, my Department is currently delivering a number of projects on shared education campuses in areas of demographic growth....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Property Transfers (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is continuing to engage with the congregations in relation to their property offers made in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. The transfer of the properties offered thus far are being progressed. Whilst progress is being made in this matter, no properties have as yet been fully transferred. The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 included...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. In light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware 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 my Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The 1998 Education Act requires Boards of Management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able. The measures schools take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of the Board of Management to ensure that appropriate education services...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector made a series of recommendations on divesting school patronage. The Report recommended that, in areas of stable population, where there is evidence of demand for different types of patronage, this demand could be met by divesting patronage of existing schools. A follow-up paper to the Forum Report, entitled "Forum on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently visited the Grangegorman site, along with other members of the cabinet. I was impressed by the renovation of several historic buildings which has enabled 1,000 students transfer to the campus this month. The contract to carry out these renovations is one of a number of recent contracts which have been placed and managed by the Grangegorman Development Agency, assisted by officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland. Given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first time students and students that are progressing with their studies to a higher level, there are no plans at present to extend post graduate funding to students studying abroad. However, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The DEIS programme is the subject of ongoing evaluation by both the Educational Research Centre and the Department's Inspectorate who have produced a series of reports to date. A list of the relevant evaluation reports is set out. This research was the subject of a research seminar in May 2014 entitled Learning from DEIS. At this seminar, the former Minister for Education and Skills,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (17 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, previous academic attainment and means. The aim of the student grant scheme has always been to make a contribution to the cost of going to college, covering the full cost has never been a feasible option....