Results 6,441-6,460 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison Scheme: Home-School Liaison Scheme (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) is managed by the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) alongside the School Completion Programme (SCP) and the Education Welfare Service (EWS) as part of the Integration of Education Services Project. The aim and rationale for the Integrated Service is to provide more effective services for children who have difficulties participating in school;...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and 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. This now...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 established the Redress Board to make financial awards to people who, as children were resident in specified institutions and who have or have had injuries that are consistent with abuse received while resident in these institutions. The Schedule to the 2002 Act specified 128 institutions and the Act allowed for the inclusion of other...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to disclose its enrolment policy and to ensure that as regards that policy that principles of equality and the rights of parents to send their children to a school...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and was assigned a band 1 rating. Enrolments at the school have remained fairly static over the past number of years and the school has not...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The staff at Tallaght Community School Sports Complex are employed directly by the management of the complex. If the redundancy costs cannot be met from the complex's existing resources, my Department will make funding available to cover the employees' statutory entitlements.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. In February 2011 my Department authorised this project to complete Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design. The stage 2b was submitted to my Department this month and is currently under review. When that review is complete officials from my Department will be in contact with...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment in schools. The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which assists parents who are experiencing difficulty...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201, 216, 219, 227 and 228 together. I regret that the economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse any of the changes to the student grant measures announced in Budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil - Green Party Government. These changes included the removal of the automatic entitlement of mature students to the...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 90 schools from Kerry made an application under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 24 primary and post primary schools were successful under this year's Scheme. Details of the successful applicants under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme were announced on 30th March 2011 and are published on the Department's website, www.education.ie. €41.2m will be...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have taken no decision in relation to the introduction of a capital assets test for student grant purposes. I have made it clear, however, that I want to ensure that the objective of the student grant schemes is met. This objective is the most equitable distribution of the available resources in favour of those who have the greatest level of need and who clearly comply with the terms of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the intention of my Department to provide the school to which the Deputy refers with a new building. In this regard, agreement has been reached to provide the new building on a V.E.C. owned site. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the project in question, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The acquisition of a site for the school to which the Deputy refers has reached pre-contract stage and outline Planning Permission has been received. The Office of Public Works on behalf of the Department are engaged in pre-contract enquiries in relation to the special conditions within the contract. Due to commercial sensitivities, I am not in a position to comment on the matter any further....

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with stakeholders including Traveller representatives. It covers all aspects of Traveller education from preschool to further and higher education. A core principle of the strategy is that allocation of resources is based on 'individual educational need' rather than...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My officials are aware of the issues which have arisen in relation to this school building project and are liaising with the Board of Management and the Design team in relation to next steps. It is not possible at this stage to give an indicative timeline for the progression of the project; however my priority is to ensure that the project will be completed as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Two civil servants work in my constituency Office which is located in the Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. Their grades and salary scales are as follows: - 1 Higher Executive Officer (Civil Servant) (Salary Scale: €43,816 - €45,125 - €46,246 - €47,730 - €49,035 - €50,347 - €51,653 - €53,532 - €55,415) - 1 Staff Officer (Civil Servant) (Salary...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has a number of initiatives in place to encourage the use of public transport by staff. Such initiatives include: Cycle -to -work scheme:The Cycle -to -work scheme for staff is in operation in my Department since 2009. To date 164 staff members have availed of this scheme. Travel pass scheme:The travel pass scheme for public transport is also available to Department staff. The...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department publishes extensive statistical information on it's website including figures in respect of average class sizes for primary schools. The most recently published figures relates to the 2009/10 school year and show that the average class size was 24.1 pupils (excluding integrated pupils )and 24.5 pupils (including integrated pupils)The calculation of average class size excludes...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. It was included in the 2011 school buildings work programme announced in January of this year and has a priority band rating of 2.1. An application for Planning Permission was lodged on 23 May 2011. Once the necessary statutory approvals have been secured design team will complete stage 2(b) of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department seeking funding to provide additional accommodation. The application is currently being assessed and my Department will convey a decision on the application to the school authority as soon as the process has been completed.