Results 8,521-8,540 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The issue raised by the Deputy is about seeking a reduction in the pupil teacher ratio for fee-charging Protestant secondary schools. The Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. One aspect of the budgetary decisions was to increase the pupil teacher ratio for fee-charging...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial services. Within the capitation grant schemes, the level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded under the scheme, apply diverse arrangements for secretarial services as...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags recognised that many of the solutions to this issue belong at local school level and made various recommendations in this regard, such as optimum use of storage facilities, developing pupil organisation skills and timetabling. My Department issued circulars to all primary and post-primary schools in 2005 to highlight the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning (Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design). Details on the estimated cost of the project cannot be provided owing to commercial sensitivities. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 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: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The issue raised by the Deputy is about seeking a reduction in the pupil teacher ratio for fee-charging Protestant secondary schools. The Government's focus in recent years has been on operating a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. One aspect of the budgetary decisions was to increase the pupil teacher ratio for fee-charging...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Recruitment (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Following the introduction of the Government moratorium on Civil & Public Service recruitment in 2009 my Department approached the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (D/PER) in relation to certain posts it considered essential in order to deliver key services to schools such as school inspections and educational psychological services and therefore many of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The arrangements provided for under the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement regarding the deferral of increments of teaching and non-teaching staff paid on payrolls operated by my Department are outlined in four Circulars issued by my Department. The details for primary teachers are outlined in Circular 32/2013 and in 05/2014 for post primary teachers. Circular 34/2013 outlines the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Redeployment (17 Sep 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Teachers and SNAs returning from career breaks return to the school in which they were working before they went on career break. The position in relation to the other 20,000 employees in the education sector depends on the policies and arrangements in place in each of the employments in which they work. In this regard it should be noted that the Haddington Road Agreement did not provide...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Is mian liom a chur in iúl don Teachta go bhfuil an scoil i gceist ag feidhmiú faoi láthair agus aitheantas sealadach aici. Tá iarratas ar aitheantas buan faighte ag mo Roinnse ó lucht bainistíochta na scoile. Táthar ag breithniú an iarratais seo faoi láthair agus cuirfear an cinneadh in iúl d'údaráis na scoile nuair a bheidh an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (17 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that the City of Dublin Education and Training Board are currently in the process of gathering and compiling the information requested by the Deputy and will respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (17 Jul 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. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of major school projects to meet significant demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The apprenticeship system in Ireland is managed on a national basis by SOLAS. Resources are allocated for the provision of training as required based on the number of apprentices registered in particular trades at any particular time. SOLAS schedule registered apprentices on the off the job phases in Training Centres, Institutes of Technology and other providers in accordance with the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together. It is a matter for the chief executive of each ETB deploy staffing resources within existing public service resource constraints in order to meet statutory and other obligations. School staffing resources are determined by my Department and the NCSE (SNAs). Other non-teaching posts are generally comprehended by the moratorium on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (17 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has recently been informed by Waterford County Council that the members of the Council recently approved the disposal of the building referred to by the Deputy to the Minister for Education and Skills. Officials from my Department have been in contact with the relevant officials from the council to arrange to complete the conveyancing process.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources. The means test arrangements of the student grant scheme are applied nationally. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded. This eliminates any distortion...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (17 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy applied for a student grant on the 31st July 2013. The application was assessed and a letter issued on the 26th August 2013 requesting supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety Issues (17 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department does not allocate classroom assistants to schools nor does it have any plans or funding to do so. In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of individual school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. The Statement should identify potential hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Ac commodation (17 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has invested heavily in the modernisation of school facilities throughout the country including science facilities in post-primary schools. Provision of science facilities is an intrinsic part of all major projects at post-primary level. Typically, this investment involves the provision of modern science facilities in new post-primary schools or the upgrading of science...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Retirement Scheme (17 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 to 212, inclusive, together. My Department has compiled detailed information on teacher retirements in respect of Primary, Secondary and Community and Comprehensive Schools for the years 2012 and 2013. Details of overall retirements only are available for the years 2010 and 2011. The detailed information with effect from 2012 is available in tabular...