Results 3,901-3,920 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 231 together. Officials in my Department have been advised by SUSI that an award letter issued to the applicant referred to by the Deputy on 1st May 2013. SUSI further advised that fees for this application will be paid on the 25th July. While it is acknowledged that there were significant difficulties in the operation of the assessment processes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information for each of the schemes referred to by the Deputy is attached for information. I wish to advise the Deputy that in the interest of openness and transparency I have requested that information of this nature be available for all on my Department's website and that it be updated regularly. Making the information publicly available reduces the amount of time spent by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy previously had his application cancelled due to incomplete documentation. Additional documentation has now been received and the application is currently under review.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The application in this case was received in the Department after the deadline for receipt of applications had passed. The application was dealt with promptly when the applications received within the deadline period had been processed. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the full allocation of hours under the Home Based July Provision scheme has been approved in this case and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments Waiting Times (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is currently issuing redundancy payments to Special Needs Assistants whose applications were received in December 2012. A large volume of applications were received during the period June - September 2012. A lower number of applications were received in the period October 2012 - April 2013 and these are being worked on in date order of receipt. Every effort is being made,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Suspension (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: When the Minor Works Grant last issued in November 2011 for the school year 2011/2012, I stated that given the need to focus on meeting the demand for additional school places, it was unlikely that funding would be available for the Minor Works Grant in the coming years. This is borne out by the fact that in 2012, 85% of the capital expenditure in the school sector was in respect of large...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy initially applied as an Independent Mature student and following the appeals process was reassessed as a Dependent Mature student. Following the reassessment she was issued with a grant award letter on 6th June. The applicant appealed this decision on 1st July...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2014 Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: This Government has sought, against a very challenging economic backdrop, to protect education spending and maintain frontline education services as far as possible. While Budget 2013 required the implementation of some difficult savings measures across areas of the Education Vote, my Department is working to provide high levels of services through efficient and effective use of the resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Following receipt of an application from the school authority I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department recently approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme. The school authority have been informed of this decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the level of resources being devoted to supporting children with Special Educational Needs has been maintained at €1.3 billion this year. This includes provision for 10,575 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and nearly 10,000 Learning Support and Resource Teachers. These resources have been protected despite the ongoing severe financial position and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Participation (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not currently available. The HEA, which is responsible for the collection of data on student progression, is currently working on an analysis of retention rates in the universities and institutes of technology. This has only recently become possible due to a full population of SRS (Student Record System) data becoming available for a period spanning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the Deputy is referring to resources allocated to schools under the General Allocation Model (GAM) of additional teaching supports, which are allocated to all Primary schools to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs. I wish to advise the Deputy that differing pupil teacher ratios are applied under the GAM in relation to boys, girls and mixed schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, a new set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for Castleknock Community College is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, stage 2b. Further clarification on the stage 2(b) submission was recently received by the Department from the school authority and this is currently under review. Authorisation has been given to commence the pre-qualification process for contractors. On satisfactory completion of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: For student grants purposes, a student may be assessed as an independent student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course or of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An appeal from the student referred to by the Deputy was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board and the Appeals Board advised SUSI to reassess the application. Officials in my Department have been advised by SUSI that the application is currently awaiting review. Unfortunately and it is regretted that there has been a further delay in finalising the reassessment of this...