Results 6,601-6,620 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that preliminary discussions have taken place between officials from County Donegal Vocational Education Committee (VEC), Donegal County Council and my Department in relation to a proposed campus development in Buncrana. The VEC appointed consultants to carry out site suitability assessment reports on a number of potential sites in the area and one of these...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy may be aware of the decision of the previous Government to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector. In respect of Vocational Education Committees, including Co Donegal VEC, positions other than teacher and SNA posts in schools, and teacher equivalents that are directly providing tuition to pupils in schools, in special programmes or in adult and...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The proposal referred to by the Deputy was included in Co. Donegal VEC's 2011 Service Plan, received by my Department on 27th June 2011. Funding for outdoor education centres is approved on the basis that they are self-financing and that their financial activities would be separate from the overall VEC finances. Accordingly, my Department's annual grants are contributory in nature and the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 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 of applications for enrolment in schools. Once a child has been enrolled in a school, the school can then contact the National Council for Special Education (NCSE),...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2011)

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 primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 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 — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce the total number of public sector employees by between 18,000 and 21,000 by 2014, compared to the total number at the end of 2010. The key to ensuring the successful fulfilment of this commitment is by ensuring that the Public Service Agreement 2010 – 2014 is implemented fully throughout the public...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Four positions under my control in the Higher Education Sector will be affected by the new salary cap of €200,000. They are the Presidents of UCD, UCC, NUIG and the Provost of TCD. The approved salary for each position will be reduced by €11,000 approx. No impact on the ability to recruit or retain these positions in the next 12 months has been identified.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. My Department issued authorisation in July 2010 for the Design Team to proceed to seek planning permission, fire certificate and disability access certificate. The Design Team lodged a planning permission application with South Dublin County Council in February 2011 and a...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA has been asked to review the junior certificate and advise on the scope for reform designed to strengthen literacy and numeracy, embed key skills, promote active learning and enhanced creativity and innovation, and ensure appropriate ways of generating evidence of learning. Concerns have also been raised about curriculum overload, and rote learning. The Council has completed a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the student grant scheme and application form for the 2011/12 academic year was published on www.studentfinance.ie on 27 June, 2011.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has operational responsibility for the certificate examinations. I have been advised that the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is satisfied that the questions asked on the Mathematics paper are within the parameters of the syllabus. In respect of specific queries which have been raised the SEC has confirmed that Question 7 (b) as presented is correct and...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The staffing allocation for the amalgamated school has been dealt with in the normal manner. The allocation to date for this school is 42 teaching posts and the allocation will be finalised over the coming weeks which will increase this figure. My Department has recently met with the School Principal regarding the staffing allocation for this school.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It appears from the details supplied by the Deputy that the student in question is availing of the graduate entry option to pursue a primary degree in medicine. To avail of this entry route, a primary degree in another discipline is necessary. In general, under the student grant schemes, students cannot qualify for grant assistance or free tuition fees for a second period of study at the...

Written Answers — School Grants: School Grants (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has informed primary schools that they should not enter into any capital commitment in anticipation of the minor works grant in respect of the school year 2011/2012. It is the intention to decide in the autumn on the issuing of a Minor Works Grant in respect of the forthcoming school year.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (5 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard is a specific initiative targeted at unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return and who will need new qualifications and skills to re-enter employment as the economy recovers. To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course an applicant must have been unemployed for a minimum of six months when the course starts. At the time of...