Hanafin, MaryTuesday, 18 October 2005 |
Dáil Eireann Debate
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Written Answers - School Curriculum.
Was asked: the advice she has received from officials in her Department or from any State agency or other agency on the need for young persons to choose science subjects at second level and further need to pursu...
The 2002 report of the task force on the physical sciences highlighted the importance of addressing the decline in the numbers of students participating in physics and chemistry at senior cycle and ch...
Written Answers - School Transport.
Was asked: the support she will provide to parents of children attending a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13 in order that the Department of Transport provide sufficient funding for the full provision of sc...
Was asked: the action she will take to ensure that all pupils of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13 in need of public transport will be catered for.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 696 together. If the Deputy can supply the names and addresses of the pupils referred to in the questions I will have the matter investigated and the Deputy wi...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: when funding will be provided for an autistic unit at a school (details supplied) in County Clare that has been sanctioned by the special needs unit in her Department; and if she will make a statement...
Was asked: when funding will be provided for an autistic unit at a school (details supplied) in County Clare that has been sanctioned by the special needs unit in her Department; and if she will make a statement...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 694 and 729 together. An application for capital investment for the provision of an autism unit was received within the last week from the school to which the Deputy r...
Written Answers - School Staffing.
Was asked: the action she will take to address the teaching staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Donegal in view of the fact that this school’s first mainstream teacher was removed in June 20...
The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between ...
Written Answers - School Transport.
Was asked: if the provision of school transport for gaelscoileanna with their unique status and services will be more flexible than those of regular English speaking schools.
The terms of the school transport schemes are of general application and are applied without distinction as to category of school. The scheme for primary schools provides that, in the case of pupils w...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: if a meeting will be arranged between the design team of a school (details supplied) in Dublin 8 and the architectural unit of her Department to review progress on the proposed extension; and if she w...
The proposed extension project for the school in question was one of the schools listed to enter architectural planning this year as per my announcement in March. A design team has been appointed and ...
Written Answers - Grant Payments.
Was asked: if a response will issue to a group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: her views on the proposals from an organisation and their current application for State grants totalling €500,000 per annum; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 701 together. The level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnac...
Written Answers - Multi-Denominational Schools.
Was asked: her policy regarding the development of multi-denominational education; if same will be provided with a firm statutory footing and if she will make it an objective of the national development plan; an...
In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 I, as Minister, am obliged to have regard to the need to reflect the diversity of educational services provided in the State. Applying this ...
Written Answers - State Examinations.
Was asked: the cost of running the State post-primary examinations in each year from 2002 to 2005 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The cost, net of fee income, of running the State post-primary examinations for the years in question are as follows. In 2002 it was €33.7 million, in 2003 it was €38.9 million, in 2004 it was €45.7 m...
Written Answers - Schools Refurbishment.
Was asked: if an application from a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be reviewed for funding from the emergency repair fund; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the school has a le...
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the funding in question was recently approved by my Department.
Written Answers - State Examinations.
Was asked: the number of appeals received from leaving certificate students in each county; the number of appeals upheld; the number of students in each county whose overall points increased as a result of the a...
The State Examinations Commission is responsible for operational matters concerning the certificate examinations. The commission released data on 12 October 2005 regarding leaving certificate appeals ...
Was asked: the possibility of reducing the time taken for reviewing appeals from leaving certificate students; the procedures required for introducing a shorter appeal time to allow appeal results to be known be...
On foot of a Government decision, the then Minister for Education and Science formally established the State Examinations Commission on 6 March 2003. The commission now has statutory responsibility fo...
Written Answers - School Staffing.
Was asked: if she has received correspondence from a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; her views on the correspondence; the steps she will take to review class size cut-off points; and if she will m...
The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between ...
Written Answers - School Transport.
Was asked: the reason Bus Éireann refused to issue bus tickets for children returning from a school (details supplied).
As the Deputy does not provide details of the individual pupils concerned, I am not in a position to comment on any specific cases. However, I understand children from the area identified by the Deput...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: the position regarding the proposed extension for a school (details supplied) in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.
The school referred to by the Deputy applied for a general purposes room and ancillary accommodation. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which w...
Was asked: if, in view of the recent announcement of a €300 million allocation for post-primary school when she will approve funding for the provision of a sports hall at a college (details supplied) in County M...
The PE hall project at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised last year following consultation with the ed...
Written Answers - Pupil-Teacher Ratio.
Was asked: if information will be provided on the primary schools which have 30 children or more in their classes in Cork city and county for 2003, 2004 and 2005.
In the 2003-04 school year the number of children in classes of 30 or more was 3,260 in Cork city and 9,107 in Cork county. In the 2004-05 school year the provisional figure for the number of children...
Written Answers - Adult Education.
Was asked: if grant funding for a course in training and education was allocated directly to the county vocational educational committee in 2005 when in previous years funding was allocated via a person (details...
Further and adult education in-career training budgets hitherto administered by individual national co-ordinators of Youthreach, senior Traveller training centres and VTOS programmes have been amalgam...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: the progress made on the application for funding for the provision of a general purpose classroom at a school (details supplied) in County Sligo; if money will be allocated in view of the fact that th...
The application from the school referred to by the Deputy has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the educati...
Was asked: the position regarding the provision of a new school at Nurney, County Kildare, in view of the efforts of the local committee and parents council to provide the funding to purchase the school site; an...
The new eight classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department’s officials are in the process of examining a recently r...
Written Answers - Vocational Education Committees.
Was asked: if the necessary funds will be provided to ensure that there is no disruption of the adult literacy and child care courses within the Mayo vocational educational committee’s area; if the monies will c...
Was asked: the cutbacks that are proposed or are taking place within the vocational educational committee; the reason for the proposed cutbacks; the number of persons who will be affected on a county basis; the ...
Was asked: the cutbacks that are proposed or are taking place within the vocational educational committee in County Mayo; the reason for the proposed cutbacks; the number of persons who will be affected; the sav...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 714, 716 and 717 together. My Department was contacted by the chief executive officer of County Mayo Vocational Education Committee, Mr. Joseph Langan, on Friday 7 Oct...
Written Answers - School Transport.
Was asked: if school bus transport will be provided for first year pupils attending a school (details supplied) in County Limerick as a result of the discussions between officials of her Department and the paren...
The report of the recent meeting between parent representatives and officials of my Department regarding school transport for first year pupils attending the school referred to by the Deputy has been ...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: if she will reverse the decision to discontinue home tuition provision to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare as of 22 December 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
As the Deputy may be aware, the home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their at...
Written Answers - State Property.
Was asked: if a property (details supplied) is in her Department’s ownership; her immediate and long-term plans for the property; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The site in question is in the ownership of the Department. My Department is examining whether the site in question may have potential use in the context of overall education requirements in the area.
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: the number of court actions regarding the provision of school places for students with special needs and the provision of resources relating to students with special needs which her Department has bee...
The number of court actions initiated against the Minister for Education and Science regarding the provision of school places for students with special needs and the provision of resources relating to...
Written Answers - Higher Education Grants.
Was asked: the position regarding a student who has completed a masters and has been accepted for a doctorate in University College Galway who did not qualify for a grant as a mature student in 2004 as they were...
Under the terms of my Department’s third level maintenance grant schemes, a mature student is defined as a candidate who is at least 23 years of age on 1 January of the year of entry or re-entry to an...
Written Answers - Site Acquisitions.
Was asked: if the Office of Public Works has identified a site for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if not, the reason for delay on this project; and the projected timeframe within which the projec...
The property management section of the Office of Public Works which acts on behalf of the Department of Education and Science in relation to site acquisitions generally, is continuing, in consultation...
Written Answers - School Staffing.
Was asked: if she will ensure that both previous school population statistics and future demand for school places will be taken into account when allocating resources and staff to schools; if her attention has b...
The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between ...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: if home tuition will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary until Christmas as was indicated by her Department.
As the Deputy may be aware, the home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their at...
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: the position regarding an application for additional facilities for a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €350,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide addition...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: when a decision to sanction resource teaching hours for a person at a school (details supplied) in County Dublin will be made.
The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently, and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing appli...
Written Answers - Schools Recognition.
Was asked: if a school (details supplied) in County Dublin has applied for formal recognition; if such a request was made; the response of her Department; and the reasons considered when deciding this request.
My Department has had some informal discussions with the school to which the Deputy refers. However, the school authority has yet to make a formal application for recognition to the new schools adviso...
Written Answers - Higher Education Grants.
Was asked: if a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive a refund in college fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Under my Department’s free fees initiative, tuition fees are not paid in respect of students doing repeat years or repeating a year level having changed, but not completed, their undergraduate courses...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: the position regarding the provision of a new secondary school in Newport, County Mayo; if an assessment has been carried out; when a decision and announcement will be made regarding whether this scho...
Last year a new planning model was introduced for educational infrastructure to ensure that, in future, school provision is decided after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, trustees, ...
Written Answers - Residential Institutions Redress Scheme.
Was asked: if an investigation will be carried out into claims that some legal representatives charged clients who attended the Residential Institutions Redress Board fees that had already been covered by the St...
Was asked: if claimants to the Residential Institutions Redress Board will be fully informed of the fact that their legal fees are entirely covered by the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: if immediate steps will be taken to ensure that claimants to the Residential Institutional Redress Board received the entirety of their payments and that legal representatives are prevented from deduc...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 731 to 733, inclusive, together. Section 27 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that all reasonable legal costs and other costs associated with t...
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: the position regarding the application by a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary for additional facilities and improved conditions.
The school planning section of my Department is assessing the post rationalisation accommodation needs of the schools to which the Deputy refers. In this regard, the local inspector has been requested...
Written Answers - Academic Qualifications.
Was asked: if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a PhD in a scientific field is a degree obtained by research; her Department’s views on whether it is academic fraud for applicants for positions which...
Was asked: if her attention has been drawn to the existence of diploma mills claiming to be universities which issue bogus degrees, including doctoral degrees, on the basis of life experience or other academical...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 735 and 736 together. The question of assessing the relevance and status of qualifications for any post is a matter for the employer in each case, irrespective of whet...
Written Answers - School Transport.
Was asked: further to Parliamentary Question No. 734 of 28 June 2005, if she will report on the circumstances surrounding the accident and the steps being taken to ensure such an incident is not repeated; and i...
The accident referred to by the Deputy was the subject of separate investigations by the Garda and Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport schemes on behalf of my Department. Active considera...
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: the position in respect of shared facilities at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15; if an agreement has been signed between her Department and Fingal County Council; the provision which has been...
My Department has reached agreement in principle with Fingal County Council and the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers, that the hall being provided will serve the needs of ...
Written Answers - Schools Refurbishment.
Was asked: the progress made on the application submitted for refurbishment of a school (details supplied) in County Leitrim; if the necessary moneys have been allocated; when this work will commence; the timesc...
The application from the school referred to by the Deputy has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the educati...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is not receiving 3.5 hours continued resource teaching support per week as recommended by their psychologist; and if this case will be reviewed.
I confirm that an application for individual resource teaching hours was made to the relevant special educational needs organiser, SENO, of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The applic...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: the position regarding the provision of a new school at Nurney, County Kildare in view of the efforts of the local committee and parents council to provide the funding to purchase the school site; and...
The new eight-classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department’s officials are in the process of examining a recently r...
Written Answers - Departmental Bodies.
Was asked: the contact details for the National Council for Special Education; the name of the chief executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, became operational on 1 January 2005 and is based at Mill Street, Trim, County Meath, Telephone: 046 9486400. The chief executive officer is Mr. Pat C...
Written Answers - Adult Literacy.
Was asked: her budget for literacy in adults in each year from 2000 to 2005; if there is a separate literacy budget for the Prison Service; the amount which has been allocated to the City of Dublin Vocational Ed...
My Department funds the provision of adult literacy, which is delivered by the vocational education committees, from the adult literacy and community education — ALCES — budget. The national developme...
Written Answers - School Services Staff.
Was asked: the reason, in view of the enormous workload of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who is employed as part-time secretary cannot be approved and funded by her Department to work in a full-time c...
My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978-79 scheme for the employment of full-time s...
Written Answers - Schools Refurbishment.
Was asked: the number of applications which have been received for the summer refurbishment scheme 2006; the budget which she will make available; the way in which this compares with the 2005 allocation; the num...
The closing date for receipt of applications under the 2006 summer works scheme, SWS, was 14 October last. The school planning section of my Department has, therefore, just commenced the logging of ap...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: if she will provide a report on the provision of a new school (details supplied) in County Dublin.
The school planning section of my Department is aware of the need to provide a long-term accommodation solution to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. It is understood that the ch...
Written Answers - Childhood Development Initiative.
Was asked: the action which is proposed in respect of the Childhood Development Initiative ten-year strategy; the resources which will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Was asked: the action which is proposed in respect of the Childhood Development Initiative ten-year strategy (details supplied); if she will detail the resources to be made available; and if she will make a stat...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 747 and 765 together. A key focus of education policy is to prioritise investment in favour of those most at risk and to optimise access, participation and outcomes at...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: the requirements in respect of remedial, resource or other special needs teachers at the primary and secondary schools in east Galway; her proposals to approve the necessary staff; and if she will mak...
The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available. However, I advise the Deputy that at primary level there are now approximately 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly...
Was asked: the extent to which speech and language requirements have been assessed or determined in respect of each national school in east Galway; the extent to which such requirements are being met; her plans ...
The provision of therapies, including speech and language therapy, is a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: the progress being made on the provision of a school (details supplied) in County Galway; the manner in which it is proposed to provide the accommodation; the stage at which the project is; when the p...
The schools to which the Deputy refers have agreed to amalgamate into a single school and my officials are in discussion with the trustee and the local authority regarding how best to provide for the ...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: when resource hours will be restored to a person (details supplied) in their new school in County Mayo.
As I confirmed for the Deputy on 28 September last, my Department reviewed the file on the child concerned in the last school year and based on the documentation that was submitted to my Department it...
Was asked: if she will clarify the context in which her reply to Question No. 1310 of 28 September 2005 was answered, in view of the fact that an application for SEN support was made on the 15 July 2004, which w...
As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education — NCSE — which was established recently, and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing appl...
Written Answers - Departmental Staff.
Was asked: the rates of overtime or additional allowances payable to staff who work in her Department’s press office in respect of persons being on call and their additional attendance at work before or after no...
Was asked: the amounts of ex gratia payments made to staff in her Department’s press office in respect of persons being on call and their additional attendance at work before or after normal hours; and if she wi...
Was asked: the amount of compensatory leave granted or due to be granted to staff in her Department; the individuals to whom they were granted in respect of additional attendance at work before or after normal h...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 753 to 755, inclusive, together. Where additional hours over and above normal working hours are worked by officers in the press office or any other unit of my Departme...
Was asked: if the personnel files of staff in her Department have been copied or given to external parties; if so, the safeguards which have been put in place to ensure that no personal data of any member of sta...
Individual officers of the Department of Education and Science are entitled to view their own personnel file on request and to receive a copy of any or all of the contents of the file. Personnel files...
Was asked: the number of staff in her Department to whom leave of absence, or any other absence from normal duties or place of work, in excess of two months was granted for educational purposes in any year since...
Four members of my Department’s staff have received leave of absence in excess of two months for educational purposes since 2002. One staff member participated in the visiting research fellowship prog...
Was asked: the number of staff who applied for a refund of course fees in respect of courses undertaken at night or evenings; the value of refunds expected to be made by her Department in 2005; the number of sta...
Was asked: the proportion of her Department’s training budget that is spent on refunds to staff in respect of night-time or weekend study courses; the list of all courses funded by her Department in the past thr...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 758 and 759 together. Details of refund of fees in respect of night-time or weekend study courses attended by staff in my Department over the last three years, 2002-20...
Written Answers - Departmental Expenditure.
Was asked: the amount spent by her Department on briefcases; the amount refunded to staff in her Department in respect of purchases of briefcases; the number of staff who have received briefcases; the number of ...
Since 1 January 2003 the Department of Education and Science spent €888.70 on briefcases. The amount refunded to staff in respect of purchases of briefcases in this period was €888.70. The number of s...
Was asked: the number of personal digital assistants provided to staff in her Department; the cost of same; the cost of the most expensive personal digital assistant purchased to date; the grades to which these ...
Some 20 personal digital assistants have been provided to staff in the Department. The total cost was €5,073, including VAT. The cost of the most expensive PDA was €361, including VAT. The devices wer...
Written Answers - Departmental Staff.
Was asked: the number of staff in each general service and department grade in her Department who have been exempt for a period in excess of six months from attending meetings, dealing with correspondence, deali...
The Department of Finance issues instructions to all Departments from time to time on the arrangements for sick leave for civil servants. Instances of sick leave for officers within my Department are ...
Written Answers - Departmental Expenditure.
Was asked: the amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied) in respect of each year since 2000; the details of each of the contracts and services provided; the nature of the controls applied in the pr...
Was asked: the amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied) in respect of each year since 2000; the details of each of the contracts and services provided; the nature of the controls applied in the pr...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 763 and 764 together. This company was appointed by the Department in 2002. The appointment was as a result of a tender competition. It was appointed to provide consul...
Written Answers - Schools Evaluation.
Was asked: the number of whole school evaluation reports and the number of subject inspection reports she will carry out in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
In the first half of 2005 there were 141 whole-school evaluations of primary schools. A further 130 whole-school evaluations are planned at primary level for the rest of 2005. At post-primary level th...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: if, with regard to the special needs of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo and in view of the fact that the parents have sourced a school outside of the State, the funding which is available i...
I assure the Deputy that I am most anxious that children with disabilities should have their educational needs addressed within the jurisdiction. Decisions to place children in facilities outside the ...
| Last Updated: 04/11/2010 04:12:12 |
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