Results 8,501-8,520 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The outcome of the patronage determination process for new post-primary schools for the Cork area was to establish one new school for the Cork South Suburbs area and one for the Carrigaline area to meet the demographic needs across these areas. My Department is currently working with Cork County Council to secure sites to facilitate the schools. When sites have been secured, my Department...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: This Government has sought to protect education spending and maintain frontline education services as far as possible. However, levels of educational expenditure cannot be determined in a manner that ignores the economic reality. Budget 2012 provided for a further reduction in capitation and related grants of 1% in 2015. The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot at this stage anticipate any...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently considering potential revisions to the system of allocating Resource Teaching and Learning Support to schools. This is on foot of recommendations set out in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Policy Advice on "Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools (May 2013) and the recommendations of the NCSE...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department does not allocate classroom assistants to schools nor does it have any plans or funding to do so. Classroom teachers are allocated to primary schools on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils. The deployment of teachers within schools is dealt with at local school level. My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: With the exception of the Early Start programme which operates in primary schools, preschool provision is administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Staff of preschools are employed by the service provider who sets the terms and conditions of employment. My Department has no role in determining the terms and conditions of employment of staff in preschools. The Public...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.Under these arrangements an ex-quota Deputy Principal Post is allocated to each post primary school...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1415 to 1417, inclusive, together. Teachers are employed by the managerial authorities of schools. The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. The information currently available relates to March 2014 compared to March 2013. In March 2014 a total of 282 retired teachers were employed by the managerial authorities of schools. One...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The redeployment arrangements is the first method used to fill vacancies in the school system. The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parent and Student Charter (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy will be aware that changes to the Education Act, 1998 will be necessary to provide for and support the introduction of a Parent and Student Charter. With this in mind, a set of principles will be required to act as a charter to strengthen the relationship between parents, students and schools, and the position of parents and students generally within the school system. My...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1420 and 1421 together. My Department is currently working with Cork County Council to secure sites to facilitate the schools to which the Deputy refers. When sites have been secured, my Department will be in contact with the respective patrons on the locations of the individual schools.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Is mian liom a dheimhniú don Teachta go bhfuil mo Roinnse tar éis maoiniú a cheadú don scoil i gceist chun cur ar chumas na scoile cóiríocht bhuan a chur in áit na cóiríochta sealadaí atá ann faoi láthair. Cuireadh an cinneadh seo in iúl d'údaráis na scoile i mí Lúnasa seo caite.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 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 the school in question, until the Department is in a position to provide a permanent building. In that...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for early educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (17 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...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand from SUSI that for the 2014/15 academic year it is currently in the awarding phase of the application process. The initial phase, which was to assess all applications submitted to SUSI before the August 1st deadline, was completed at the beginning of September. Payments to students for the 2014/15 academic year are due to commence in October 2014. SUSI must receive...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs who are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at Stage 2A (Developed Design) of the architectural planning process. Upon completion of this stage, the project will be authorised to progress to Stage 2B (Detailed Design) which includes application for planning permission and the preparation of tender documents. On completion of Stage 2b (Detailed Design), officials from my Department...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application in relation to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that 8,801 whole time equivalent SNA posts have been allocated to primary schools, including special schools, by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), for the start of the current school year. The NCSE continues to receive applications for SNA support from schools and these are being processed by SENOs. There are also currently 1,400 bus escorts...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Student Grant Scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. In order to be considered for a grant a student is required, under Section 8 (1) (b) of the Student Support Act 2011, to be pursuing a full-time course. There...