Results 301-320 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Order of Business (13 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I have nothing further to add to this matter. It has been outlined by the Taoiseach and by me and, I might say, done outside the parameters of what is purported to be the Order of Business.

Order of Business (13 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: It is out of order; there is no proposal.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Staff in Ministerial offices in my Department are equipped with a standard suite of computer hardware and software including a PC, access to a printer, network connectivity, standard office software and business applications to support their work similar to all other staff and exact costs for all aspects of the service are not readily available. Computer equipment in the Minister's private...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The amount of money paid by my Department during the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 to Indecon is outlined in a tabular statement. The 2006 payment relates to the development of guidelines and a template in respect of Cost-Benefit Analyses as required under the "Guidelines for the Appraisal and Management of Capital Expenditure Proposals in the Public Sector". The 2008 and 2010...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The annual cost of maintaining my Department's website in 2010 was €25,684.50. This figure incorporates the cost of an annual maintenance contract, a search engine licence and the Department's contribution to the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB) for hosting the website. There were on average 55,031 unique visitors to this website per month last year. To expedite claims and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm to the Deputy that an appeal was received by my Department on 17/11/10 from the student to which he refers in relation to an unsuccessful application for a student grant. The appeal was examined and a decision issued to the student on 18/11/2010. The original decision of the awarding authority was upheld as the reckonable income in this case exceeded the income limits prescribed...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Data are available on the numbers of academics and non-academics employed at the end of 2008 and 2009 and are given in the table below. The latest data for December, 2010 are being collated currently and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. The figures show a reduction in staffing numbers across the institutions since 2008 in line with the Government's recruitment...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: My Department issued circular 66/2010 which permits schools to participate in the FÁS Work Placement Programme (WPP) if they so wish. In the event that primary teachers in a placement under the FÁS Work Placement Programme can meet the conditions associated with the operation of the primary probationary process as outlined in circular 58/2010, there will be nothing to preclude them from...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: My Department advised the school authority in August 2010 that it was 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 provide a permanent solution for the long term accommodation...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: A contract to provide an occupational health service for teachers was awarded in 2008. My Department sought proposals on the open market for the provision of the service and, as a result of an EU competitive tendering process, the successful company was selected based on the following criteria: Expertise and SkillsCost of Providing ServiceQuality and Technical MeritManagement and Service...

Written Answers — School Catchment Areas: School Catchment Areas (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. 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...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of school secretaries and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of secretarial and caretaking needs required for the school. Funding to cater for these needs is made available from my Department under two separate schemes. One is the 1978/79 scheme under which my Department meets the full cost of salary...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2011)

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 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. In considering applications for...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The scope of works required at the school to which the Deputy refers is appropriate for consideration under the Summer Works Scheme. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I announced details of the Summer Works Scheme for 2011 on 17 December last. Full details, including the application form, are available on my Department's website www.education.ie. The closing date for receipt of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jan 2011)

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 (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The construction cost for a special needs/autism unit will vary from project to project depending on a number of factors such as site conditions, the project brief, etc. However, the indicative capital cost for a special needs/autism unit would be circa €750,000 to €1,000,000.

Written Answers — Irish Language Exemption: Irish Language Exemption (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Exemptions from studying Irish at post-primary level are granted in accordance with the provisions of Circular M10/94, to the following categories of student:- students whose primary education up to 11 years of age was received in Northern Ireland or outside Ireland students over 11 years of age who are being re-enrolled in a school following a period of at least 3 years spent outside the...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: A review of the procedures for the establishment of new primary schools is currently being carried out under the Commission on School Accommodation. In the interim it is not proposed to recognise any new primary schools, except in areas where the increases in pupil numbers cannot be catered for in existing schools and which require the provision of new schools. The Commission is due to report...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, all schools are required to have in place a Code of Behaviour and this code must be drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). The NEWB guidelines were issued to schools in 2008 and make it clear that each school must have policies to prevent or address bullying and harassment and schools must make clear...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (12 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of teachers employed in each individual, private fee-paying secondary school; the gross salary cost of these teachers per school during the 2009/10 academic year is shown in the following table. My Department does not fund any private Primary Schools. ALL FEE PAYING SCHOOLS GROSS SALARY COSTS 2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR ...