Results 1,001-1,020 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — No Question Heading: No Question Heading (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is awaiting contracts from the Council for the acquisition of a site in the Naas area for future educational use. Pending the acquisition of this site, the Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to comment further.

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: All non commercial bodies including all bodies and agencies in the education sector can avail of the Government's Fixed Voice and Voice over IP Framework agreement for the supply of Fixed Voice and Voice over IP Communications and Associated Products & Services. Information is available on the Department of Finance website at http://ictprocurement.gov.ie My Department understands that a...

Written Answers — Teacher-Pupil Ratio: Teacher-Pupil Ratio (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The collection and processing of the National School Annual Census forms is currently taking place. Class size data for the 2010/2011 school year will be published on September 1st 2011.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning. Officials from my Department have recently been in contact with the school authority and correspondence has issued requesting some additional information. Upon receipt of this information, my Department officials will liaise directly with the school and it's design team and, if necessary, a...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy on the number of special needs assistants employed in primary, special and post primary schools in Dublin City and County is not readily available. The number of Special Needs Assistants employed nationally in each of the past five years and on 30th September 2010 is available in the attached document. The details for each of the past five years are the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department does not operate any number/s utilising the Lo-Call designation, 1890.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In 2004, agreement to amalgamate was reached by the two primary schools in the area referred to by the Deputy. Due to accommodation concerns the amalgamation did not progress at that time. A technical inspection was carried out on the existing school buildings to determine which would be suitable to accommodate the amalgamated school. The report following this inspection concluded that...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Arts education (visual arts, music and drama) is one of the seven curriculum areas that comprise the primary curriculum, which was revised in 1999. Therefore all primary school children have access to an arts programme. At second level there are approved syllabuses for Junior Certificate in Music and Art, Craft and Design. In the senior cycle there are syllabuses in Music and Art. Modules...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: There are 4 post primary schools serving the Navan area, with a combined enrolment of 2,556 pupils in the 2009/10 school year. Enrolments at post-primary level in Navan have increased in recent years. These post-primary schools serve up to 20 primary feeder schools. Based on the numbers feeding through from the primary feeder schools it would appear that enrolments will continue to increase...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In 2009, there were 37 projects for primary schools and 16 projects for post-primary schools announced to progress to tender and construction. Of these, 10 primary projects and 1 post-primary project have reached practical completion. A further 30 projects are currently under construction of which 19 are primary projects and 11 are post-primary projects. There are 9 projects at tender stage,...

Written Answers — Mature Student Allowance Schemes: Mature Student Allowance Schemes (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Department of Social Protection administers various schemes that allow individuals to return to full-time or part-time education while continuing to receive income support. The study programmes which they can undertake range from basic foundation courses through to third level postgraduate courses. There are no plans to transfer income support based schemes to my Department. My...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The demand for primary teachers is influenced by a number of factors including: the application of the agreed staffing schedule; demographic trends; the number of teachers opting to take career breaks or to retire; the number of secondments approved, and so on. The level of student intake to the Colleges of Education is determined annually taking into account these factors as well as...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. Schools apply...

Written Answers — Schools Utilities: Schools Utilities (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Rainwater harvesting systems were first introduced for major school building projects in 2008. Since then all major school building projects, where site conditions and circumstances allow and where economically viable to do so, can incorporate a rainwater harvesting system into their brief. While fitting the systems in new schools during construction is relatively straightforward,...

Written Answers — Third Level Access: Third Level Access (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: 14 Higher Education institutes participate in the Higher Education Access Route programme (HEAR) for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Details of students enrolled through this programmes for the 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 academic years are set out below. Data on retention rates is not currently available. In addition, many Institutes of Technology have access...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Procedures for the appointment of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) are set out in Department Circulars 05/2001 and SNA 03/03. These Circulars specify that the minimum qualification necessary for appointment as an SNA is an award of Grade D (or pass) in Irish, English and Mathematics in the Intermediate Certificate/Junior Certificate or Day Vocational Certificate Examination or in an examination...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in all mainstream and special schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support and conveys decisions on applications...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The most recent projections used by my Department would see enrolments at post-primary rise from current levels of c312,200 pupils to between 331,500 and 336,600 pupils by the year 2017. It is within this context that the Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of analysing all areas in the country in order to determine the level of additional provision which will be...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (9 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded as soon as possible.