Results 1,121-1,140 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and would involve a very significant amount of administrative time to compile. However, details of public funding disbursements are made available in a range of publications on an annual basis. The Revised Estimates Volume, published annually by the Department of Finance, contains a significant level of detail...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is aware of the difficulties that have arisen between the school in question, the building contractor and the Consultant Architect that has resulted in delaying the satisfactory conclusion of this project. The bulk of the funding due for payment under the terms of the contract between the school and the contractor for this project has issued to the school on foot of appropriate...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 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 arranged...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 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. As the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Phase I development of the school to which he refers was completed in June of last year under my Department's rapid delivery programme. My officials are currently undertaking some preliminary work on the proposed Phase II development. Officials from my Department will be touch with the school authorities shortly, in relation to progression of the project.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the project to which he refers encountered delays in securing planning permission and land transfers. These problems were compounded by certain issues that subsequently arose with the preferred bidder and which resulted in a recent decision to re-tender the project. It is envisaged that the project will be re-tendered shortly. Subject to no issues arising, it is...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The statutory framework for the Higher Education Grants Scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1969 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants to assist students to attend full-time third level education in approved institutions. The institutions approved under the scheme are, generally speaking, publicly-funded third level colleges...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 127 together. The renting / leasing of Government offices and properties is the responsibility of the Property Management Services, Office of Public Works, which acts as an agent for all Government Departments. The terms and conditions of the leases are a matter for OPW.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy is aware that 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 (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has provisional recognition from my Department and that the matter of school accommodation is one, in the first instance, for the school Patron. My Department has no record of having received correspondence from the school authority in question regarding a proposal to relocate from their current premises. Any such proposal...

Written Answers — Skills Development: Skills Development (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is a matter for providers or organisers of programmes of education and training such as the one referred to by the Deputy to provide the relevant information and documentation to FETAC for certification in a timely manner, and FETAC encourages providers to do so. It would seem that in this case an unacceptable period of time has elapsed between the completion of courses and assessments and...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131, 138 to 140, inclusive, and 157 together. The Government has decided to reduce the overall number of VECs from 33 to 16 and to the merger of particular city and or counties. My Department has commenced work on the preparation of legislation so that it can be brought forward in 2011. I have framed this restructuring, having regard to the need to address...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is currently in negotiations with a landowner with a view to acquiring a site for the school referred to by the Deputy and to this end has recently made a formal offer to acquire the lands. A response is awaited. Due to the commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions, I am not in a position to comment further on the matter at this time. Once this acquisition is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 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 to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is my Department's intention to provide a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers on a site which is being made available by the VEC. My officials are currently undertaking some preliminary work on the proposed project. Officials from my Department will be touch with the school authorities shortly, in relation to progression of the project.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The application in respect of the pupil referred to by the Deputy has been examined by the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) with assigned responsibility for the school in question. The SENO has advised my Department that based on documentation provided, the pupil in question does not meet the criteria for the provision of this equipment. Accordingly, my Department is not in a position...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department uses both proprietary and open source software. There is ongoing debate as to whether proprietary or open source software delivers lower total cost of ownership. Any savings that may have accrued from the use of open source software within my Department cannot be accurately quantified as systems of comparable specification have not been developed in both technologies. Generic...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has completed the acquisition of a site for the provision of a new post-primary school in County Meath. A proposal to construct a new school was assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The number of mainstream class teachers appropriate to a school for the current school year is determined by reference to the school's valid enrolment on 30 September, 2009 in accordance with the staffing schedule (Primary Circular 0021/2010) which is available on my Department's website. The schedule sets outs in a clear and transparent way the staffing schedule for Ordinary National...

Written Answers — Overseas Students: Overseas Students (2 Nov 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 143 together. There are a number of differences in the way the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Enterprise Ireland collect and report data pertaining to international students, reflecting the different purposes for which the data sets are intended. In brief, the Enterprise Ireland data is collected from a larger number of institutions, and covers...