Results 5,721-5,740 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An application was made under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme by the school in question for a new drop off area at the school entrance. Unfortunately, due to the scale of demand for funding under the scheme, it was not possible to grant aid all applications. As outlined in the Circular governing the operation of the scheme, applications for works in the higher categories were prioritised. The...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2002, agreement was reached to amalgamate the two primary schools referred to by the Deputy. The application for capital funding to facilitate this amalgamation was assessed and assigned a band rating of 1.4. The school authority engaged the services of a consultant to provide input into their proposals for a new greenfield site for the amalgamated school. However at no time did the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 102 together. The cost of school text books is determined on a commercial basis by the educational publishers who commission them. My Department has no role in the production and publication of school text books. Accordingly, I am not in a position to speculate on the profit margins to which the Deputies refer. I am pleased to inform the Deputies...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: FETAC Council members do not receive any fees or remuneration for their service. Records in relation to attendance at FETAC council meetings and expenses received by Council members are not recorded at my Department. I have asked officials at my Department to request this information from FETAC and it will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am glad to be able to inform the Deputy that students can look forward to several significant improvements to the student grant schemes starting from the 2011/12 academic year when it is intended to introduce a single unified scheme to replace the existing four schemes. This development will make it easier for students when it comes to applying for a grant. I am also moving ahead with...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In the Whole-School Evaluation - Management, Leadership and Learning (WSE-MLL) process at second level, inspectors examine a range of policies within the school plan. When reviewing anti-bullying policies and procedures, inspectors focus on the extent to which specific measures are included to prevent and respond to various forms of bullying such as racist and homophobic behaviour, within...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: 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. The grant awarding authority in question has advised my Department that an application for a grant from the student to which the Deputy refers was unsuccessful. It is open to the student to appeal this decision to the grant...

Written Answers — Value for Money Reviews: Value for Money Reviews (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, this review was initiated in October 2010 by the then Fianna Fáil/Green Party government in order to establish the value for money being achieved from State funding of small primary schools. This value for money review is part of the normal review processes undertaken by Departments on an annual basis on selected areas of expenditure. The terms of reference for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale capital projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme, along with assessed applications...

Written Answers — Leaving Certificate Syllabus: Leaving Certificate Syllabus (13 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: All candidates in the Leaving Certificate examination have the option of changing levels at anytime, up to and including the day of the examination. In all subjects the numbers who enter for examinations and the numbers who finally sit those examinations are different. The same is true for the three levels at which Mathematics are offered – Higher, Ordinary and Foundation. The figures for...

Written Answers — School Books: School Books (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The cost of school text books is determined on a commercial basis by the educational publishers who commission them. My Department has no role in the production and publication of school text books. Accordingly, I am not in a position to speculate on the cost of school books, as referred to by the Deputy. My Department intends to issue funding to primary schools in April and post-primary...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, eighteen religious congregations agreed to make a contribution of €128 million towards the cost of the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme, which included €12.7m to be used for educational programmes for former residents of the residential institutions and their families. The Education (Former Residents of Certain Institutions for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers is included in the 2011 school building work programme to progress to secure planning permission and prepare tender documents on a brief for an extension and refurbishment to the existing school. The design team were authorised to seek Planning Permission based on the approved stage 2(a) design which had initially proposed a two storey extension....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school in question submitted an application for the works referred to by the Deputy under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme. A list of 453 successful schools was announced on 30 March 2011 and I regret that the application made by the school referred to by the Deputy was not selected. A letter to this effect has issued to the school. Applications from schools for gas,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for a school building project to provide an extension. A design team was appointed and the project reached stage 2(a) of architectural planning in 2007. In accordance with the published criteria for large scale building projects, the project for this school has been assigned a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme was received late last year from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application related to new entrance gates The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is solely for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for special needs pupils. An emergency is deemed to be a situation...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Following the commencement on 1 January 2011 of the relevant sections of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010, the Department of Social Protection assumed the funding and overall responsibility for FÁS employment services and employment programmes. As far as the training activities of FÁS are concerned, I am currently reviewing options regarding the provision of further...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: On 5/11/2010 an appeal was received by my Department from the candidate in question to review the decision of her grant awarding authority not to award a student grant. The grant awarding authority had taken this decision because the reckonable income limits for student grant eligibility were exceeded. The appeal was examined in detail by my Department and a decision issued to the candidate...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Apr 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The student grant schemes include provision for grants to eligible students pursuing certain full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration in other EU Member States. In addition, section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief, at the standard rate of tax, for tuition fees paid in respect of approved full-time and part-time courses in both private...