Results 1,701-1,720 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 673 of 6 July. As previously advised, this year's common pay date of 11 November was well advertised prior to the start of the July Education Programme. Parents and tutors are, therefore, aware that they will receive grant aid on 11 November and have been able to make their payment arrangements accordingly. In...

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The evaluation of the centre named by the Deputy was carried out for my Department's Social Inclusion Unit as part of a specific review of support for projects under the Fund for the Development of Targeted Educational Responses to Certain Children at Risk. The evaluation was modelled on those currently applied to centres for education such as Youthreach, but was not a Whole School...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The following table provides details of full-time undergraduate new entrants in 2008/09 in universities and institutes of technology broken down by field of education, institution and gender. In the science course category, 55% of new entrants to universities were male and 45% were female, and 72% of new entrants to institutes of technology were male and 28% were female. In the course...

Written Answers — Civil Service Staff: Civil Service Staff (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme was introduced as a once-off measure that was included in the Supplementary Budget on 7 April 2009. The measure was extended to staff in different areas of the public service, including certain prescribed categories of employees in Vocational Education Committees. The closing date for participation in this scheme has expired and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Officials from my Department are part of a cross-Departmental Team, along with officials from the Department of Health and Children, National Council for Special Education and the Health Service Executive (HSE). This team meets regularly to discuss issues which require input from both Health and Educational services. In addition, the Special Education section of my Department works in a...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jul 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 coming school year is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2009. The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to any school is determined by the...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that an application for redundancy has been received by my Department from the Special Needs Assistant referred to by the Deputy. Applications for redundancy are being received on an ongoing basis and are processed in date order of receipt. The application in question will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 648 together. I can confirm that the school to which the Deputies refer has made an application to my Department for major capital funding for a new school building. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Design Team recently submitted the supplementary tender report, for the school building project to which the Deputy refers, to the Department. Following review of the supplementary tender report my Department requested, and is currently awaiting receipt of, clarifications relating to some of the material submitted. When this documentation has been received, assuming no further issues...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: On 6 July 2010 a total of 18,932 retired primary, secondary, community and comprehensive school teachers were in receipt of pension from my Department, of which 12,746 were female and 6,186 were male. Of that total 2,214 were in receipt of a supplementary pension of which 1,328 were female and 886 were male. Traditionally teachers who were members of an occupational superannuation scheme...

Written Answers — School Uniforms: School Uniforms (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Individual school authorities are responsible for the drawing up of a school policy in relation to the wearing of school uniforms. My Department has not issued specific guidance in this matter. However, my Department recommends that the formulation...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is still awaiting receipt of the outstanding documentation from the preferred bidder. When this documentation has been received and assuming that there are no issues arising, the contract can be awarded and the project will progress to construction.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department recently authorised the Board of Management, of the school to which the Deputy refers, to issue the letter of acceptance to the preferred bidder and to arrange for the contract to be signed.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Design Team had received nine tenders at the time of deadline. These tenders are currently being assessed by the Design Team; when the tender report has been prepared it will be submitted to the Department. This stage of the process is estimated to take up to four weeks to complete. Following assessment of the tender report by the Department, subject to no issues arising, the letter of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is currently examining the position relating to the accommodation that will be required to meet the educational needs of pupils in the area to which the Deputy refers. My officials will be in further contact with the school in question as soon as this process has been concluded regarding its application for grant aid to build additional...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm for the Deputy that the school to which he refers has made an application to my Department for major capital funding which included the provision of accommodation for an ASD unit. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a Band 1 rating. Information in respect of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for Major Capital funding for a new school building. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 1 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Funding provided to the Vocational Education Committees' National Partnership Forum and to the Institutes of Technology National Partnership Forum to assist in the operation of their Partnership programmes is outlined in the table below. The total cost of this funding from 2004 to date was €3.19 million, and the main application of the funds was for the pay of partnership co-ordinators and...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The census for the current school year (2009/2010) is being finalised at present and a full list of schools and their enrolments will be on my Department's website in September. In the 2008/09 academic year there were 264 pupils enrolled in the school in question.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jul 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 642 and 643 together. The staffing schedule for the 2010/11 school year was published by my Department in March, 2010. The additional posts in the renewed Programme for Government enabled some improvement to be made to the staffing schedule. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level for the coming school...