Results 5,881-5,900 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Private Education: Private Education (3 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded to him.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The brief for the building project to which the Deputy refers was revised in 2007 from an extension and refurbishment of existing accommodation to one intended to provide two new schools on the existing site. The Deputy will note that this project was not included in the 2011 school building work programme announced earlier this year. The progression of all large scale building projects,...

Higher Education Grants (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the student grant measures announced in budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government began to come into effect from January this year when a reduction of 4% in the rates of grant was applied to all student grant recipients. Further to this, budget measures that will come into effect from next September for the 2011 to 2012 academic year will...

Higher Education Grants (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. At this point, I am not in a position to indicate when a revised or changed scheme will come into effect for the academic year 2012-13. I will examine the Deputy's proposal but he will understand that any such proposal will have to be cost-neutral within the operation of the scheme. If we can make the scheme better, however, then I am open...

Higher Education Grants (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy has raised a few supplementary questions and I will try to deal with them quickly. As regards the scheme that will come into effect for September, I will try to have it published as soon as possible. I will communicate directly with the Deputy in that regard. With regard to the modernisation of the grant system generally, progress has been made in that the administration of the...

Schools Counselling Services (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Social Personal and Health Education, otherwise known as SPHE, is designed to promote students' coping and decision-making skills, and encourage healthy lifestyles. The modules at junior cycle deal specifically with belonging and integrating, coping with stress, emotional health and well-being, and relationships and sexuality education. An awareness of when, how and from whom to seek help,...

Schools Counselling Services (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for his question and his intervention and I share his concern. There have been a number of incidents in recent times, perhaps compounded by economic difficulties in broader society, which are bringing some of these crises to a head. If schools in the Deputy's constituency are struggling with these matters, I urge him to communicate directly with them and get them to make...

Schools Counselling Services (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not have that information to hand but I will send a measured reply to the Deputy.

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: RTT posts and teaching hours for Traveller pupils will be withdrawn, effective from 31 August 2011. Traveller pupils who are eligible for learning support teaching should receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools. All schools should select students for learning support on the basis of priority of need. The expected budgetary target reduction in the...

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the Deputy's concern. I have received many representations from different Members in the Wexford constituency about this school. I am not sure what can be done. I accept that the overall impact of the reduction of certain supports should be examined in the context of how schools are struggling to provide for existing pupils who need support. I will examine the Clonroche case...

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the special needs assistant, SNA, scheme provides additional supports for schools to enable them to support pupils with significant care needs. SNAs are allocated to schools by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is well aware that a DEIS school, in contrast to a regular primary or post-primary school, receives additional resources for the very reasons outlined, namely, the socio-economic background of the pupils, the lack of resources among parents that could otherwise be made available through a PTA in a middle-class or non-DEIS school. The difference between what the Deputy proposes and...

Vocational Education Committees (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 11 together. County Louth VEC has informed my Department that it projects an increased enrolment of 216 students in September 2011. My Department has therefore given provisional approval for an additional 11 teaching posts, which will be subject to confirmation of the actual enrolment in September. All vacancies and any additional teaching posts...

Vocational Education Committees (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed that the original estimation of the savings that might be obtained is of the order of €3 million. I hope that when we get into the detail of the amalgamation the savings will be even greater. The configuration and structure of the VECs reflect an Ireland that no longer exists in terms of transport, access and communications and there is a wide discrepancy in the scale and...

Vocational Education Committees (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: No. I met the IVEA before becoming Minister and subsequently and informed it that if it could come up with the same type of savings, and the same kind of configuration of 16 bodies I was open in principle to considering it. I have not set my heart on a particular configuration. There are alternatives, but I will wait to see the IVEA suggestions. I gather the central council has come up...

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government clearly states that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. We will endeavour to protect frontline services in education. However, the fiscal position is extremely difficult. It is necessary to ensure that educational services are...

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The framework of spending for this year has already been decided, and implicitly and explicitly confirmed by this House. There will be no changes for 2011. I will consider what to do in 2012 in the light of what resources are made available to me in the context of where the country is at the moment.

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The programme for Government makes no such proposal. We are operating in very constrained circumstances and we will work within that framework and not outside it.

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education is the professional body which through its locally based SENOs assesses individuals referred to it and comes to a professional conclusion whether a particular child qualifies for support. It is not the function of the Department of Education and Skills in order to prevent it becoming open to manipulation and abuse as we have seen in the past with...

Special Educational Needs (4 May 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The growth seemed to be exponential. The previous Government against the background of economic constraints, which still exists, decided to cap it at the level I mentioned and investigate ways in which some degree of internal prioritisation can be made. It would be easy for me to tell Deputy Boyd Barrett that I would review the specific individual application, but I will not discuss...