Results 1,541-1,560 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to assure the Deputy that I am committed to supporting education in schools under Protestant management, while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. In this regard, I had a useful meeting with Protestant educational representatives on 9 September. At the conclusion of this meeting, we agreed to continue our...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed by schools. Unqualified personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and then only when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted and only for quite limited time periods. This is now reflected in Circular 40/2010 which my Department issued earlier this year....

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 199 together. My Department is in receipt of a major capital application for an extension from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2.2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level for the current school year is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2009. Pupil numbers at both primary and post-primary level continue to increase and this results in an increased...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I have not met the Children's Mental Health Coalition, but my colleague Mr. Barry Andrews T.D Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and officials of my Department have done so. I am aware of the manifesto of the Children's Mental Health Coalition, which recommends the provision of guidelines to schools on mental health, the expansion of the Social Personal and Health Education support...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I set out below for the Deputies information: Table (A) outlining the number of rented prefabs in place in 2010, and those that were in place in 2009 in primary and post primary schools and the annual rental costs involved on a county by county basis. The information for 2008 is not readily available. Table (B) outlining prefabricated structures purchased for schools since 2008 and the...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The ICT in Schools Programme commenced in 1998 and since then €243m has been invested in the Programme. The Programme has addressed four broad areas. Firstly, the provision of essential ICT infrastructure and networking within schools. Secondly, the provision of access to broadband connectivity to schools. Thirdly, up-skilling teachers' ICT skills and finally, integrating ICT within...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Report of the Innovation Task Force recommended that bonus points for Higher Level Mathematics in the Leaving Certificate should be announced now, for implementation from 2012 onwards, so that students beginning their Leaving certificate can make informed decisions about subject and level choice. I indicated my own view at the time of the desirability of sending a clear signal to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The project referred to by the Deputy was included in the announcement earlier this year for the appointment of a design team. Since then, the National Council for Special Education has advised my Department of the need for an ASD Unit at post-primary level in that catchment area. A revised Schedule of Accommodation which includes accommodation for an ASD Unit issued to the school at the end...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 340 together. 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 additional posts in the renewed Programme...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table. As the figures show there has been a reduction in staffing across the institutions since the introduction of the Government's recruitment and promotion moratorium. The total number of whole time equivalent staff employed in the third level institutions in question has decreased from 20,545 at 31 December, 2008 to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 222, 233 and 249 together. My Department recently advised the school authority that it is not in a position to grant aid the relocation of the school in question to another property. In reaching this decision, my Department considered the costs associated with a relocation together with the fact that a building project is being advanced which will...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examinations and issuing the results of examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has a number of non commercial agencies under its aegis, none of which are categorised as state owned enterprises, i.e. established as a legal entity (company) by government to operate in commercial affairs. With respect to these non-commercial bodies under the aegis of my Department I can confirm that to date seven bodies have submitted 2009 annual reports to my...

Written Answers — Educational Provision: Educational Provision (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The most recent projections used by my Department would see the projected enrolments at post-primary level increase from the current total enrolment (excluding PLCs) of circa 312,200 pupils to an expected enrolment circa 328,700 pupils by the year 2016. Meeting this level of significant increased demand for education services will be a major challenge. It is within this context that the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Student Services Charge is levied by the Higher Education institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and student services. All students who are eligible under the means tested student support schemes do not have to pay this charge. The charge is paid on their behalf under my Department's student grant schemes by the Local Authorities or the Vocational Education...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Department of Education and Science issued a circular to Irish-medium schools in 2007 stating that the teaching of English could not be delayed beyond the end of the first term in Junior Infants. The circular was the subject of an application for judicial review by An Foras Pátrúnachta and two Gaelscoileanna. Having considered submissions regarding proposals to prescribe the primary...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including the payment of examiners and superintendents. Persons engaged by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) on contract work in the conduct of the examinations (such as superintendents, examiners, etc) are liable to the Pension Related Deduction (PRD) if they...

Written Answers — School Provision: School Provision (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. The study indicated that the requirement for additional primary provision in the short to medium term is likely to be...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Sep 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. It is the responsibility of the managerial...