Results 1,401-1,420 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a third-level admissions scheme for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves. The Deputy may wish to contact the Irish Universities Association in this instance.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 188 together. When the moratorium was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is therefore limited to the Assistant Principal and Special Duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Contrary to the information provided, the design team are currently working on completing a revised stage 2(b) submission which will be submitted to my Department for technical review when completed. The school have recently advised my Department that the design team anticipate...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 194 together. Circular 0023/2009, which is available on my Department's website, outlines the impact on Community and Comprehensive schools of the Government decision to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector. As the Deputy will be aware, positions other than teacher and special needs assistant posts in schools and VECs,...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for capital funding for major capital works in September 2010. This application is currently being assessed and it will be assigned a band rating in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The school's application was accompanied by a submission and...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures. It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed by schools. This policy is reflected in Circular 40/2010 which my Department issued earlier this year. Under its terms, schools are directed to ensure that teachers proposed for...

Written Answers — Social Insurance: Social Insurance (12 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Officials in my Department are making arrangements to issue the PRSI refund to the person referred to by the Deputy as soon as possible. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has introduced an automated system to deal with PRSI for maternity benefit in respect of teaching and non teaching staff paid on my Department's payrolls. This system ensures that PRSI regulations...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Hair and Beauty is one of the courses within the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. This vocational specialism facilitates personal development and provides an introduction to the knowledge and practical skills of hair care, beauty care, body care, customer care and salon care. It is useful as a preparation for employment or possible future training in the hairdressing or beauty business....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 71 together. The Deputy will be aware that planning permission for the proposed new school was granted in May and the acquisition of the site was completed by the Patron in recent weeks. Discussions are currently underway with the preferred bidder. When these discussions have concluded, the implications for the project will then be examined. My...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: An appeal has recently been received by my Department from the person referred to by the Deputy. The appeal is currently under consideration and a response will issue to the candidate as soon as the review process is completed. The terms and conditions attaching to student grants, including those relating to residency, are published in the schemes, application form and guidance notes each...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 3.3 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The terms of reference for the High Level Group which was established to develop proposals for a new national strategy for higher education provided for an extensive examination of all issues relating to the future development of the higher education sector. The Group engaged in an extensive consultation process and a wide range of proposals and suggestions relating to the governance,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. Subject to the preferred bidder addressing various issues (e.g. evidence of bond, insurances, tax clearance etc.) the contract will be awarded and the project will proceed to construction.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In the 2007-2009 period, whole-school evaluations were conducted in primary schools as follows; 2007: 244 WSE 2008: 245 WSE 2009: 253 WSE In the 2007-2009 period, whole-school evaluations were conducted in post-primary schools as follows; 2007: 59 WSE 2008: 60 WSE 2009: 57 WSE To date in 2010, 167 primary WSE and 42 post-primary WSE have been conducted or are currently underway.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Oct 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 Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The school to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. An application for a Disability Access Certificate (DAC) has been made to the Local Authority and a decision is pending. Once the DAC is received, and assuming no problems arise, it is envisaged that the project will then progress to tender and construction.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has no record of receiving an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for capital funding to construct a school hall. However, I have arranged for an application form to be furnished to the school for completion. Any application received will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (7 Oct 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) was introduced in 2004 to provide devolved funding to individual school authorities to undertake small scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. Since then, thousands of projects have been completed in schools - such as gas, electrical and mechanical...