Results 6,821-6,840 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy on the number of special needs assistants employed in County Louth and in East Meath is not readily available. The number of Special Needs Assistants employed nationally from 2007 to 2010 is available in the table. The details for each year are the December figures for the year in question. The primary schools information is inclusive of the special...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The statistical information requested by the Deputy is not available. However on a national basis, some 18,000 students qualifying for grant support are estimated to live between 24kms and 45kms from their colleges. Furthermore, it is estimated that some 6,900 mature students qualifying for grant support live 45 kilometres or less from their institution. Students qualifying for the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy on the allocation of special needs assistants hours to schools in County Carlow in the 2010/11 school year compared with the allocation for the 2011/12 school year is not readily available. SNAs are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities in an educational context. The class teacher is responsible for educating all...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy quotes my speech from the Dáil Debate on the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse on 11th June 2009. I can assure the Deputy that the ongoing response by my Department to the Ryan Report is receiving my full attention. The Deputy may be aware that I have recently outlined the Government's plans to progress issues raised in the...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2010/11 there were 876 Canadian students in Irish higher education institutions, making Canada the 8th largest source country for international students in Ireland. I understand that most of the Irish universities, as well as a number of the Institutes of Technology, also have student exchange agreements with Canadian universities. The Canadian Embassy supports a number of programmes...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a grant is a matter for a student's local grant awarding body – the relevant local authority or VEC. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to nationality and/or immigration status, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for a Summer Works Scheme grant in 2011 to carry out roof works. Due to the scale of demand for funding under the scheme, it was not possible to fund all applications. The school was advised accordingly. In relation to the Deputy's reference to funding for emergency works, it is open to the school concerned to submit an application for such...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for...

Written Answers — Education Funding: Education Funding (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: At one time the churches, including the catholic church, were required to make a local contribution to the national schools under their patronage to meet the day to day running costs, essentially capitation. There was no requirement for a local contribution to capitation at second level. The requirement to provide a local contribution was discontinued in 2001 in respect of capitation...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. In particular, its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinates special needs education provision at local level and arranges for the delivery of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project at the School referred to by the Deputy is included in the 2011 School Building Programme to formulate a project brief and commence the process of appointing a design team. I can inform the Deputy that the formulation of the project brief has been completed and that the tendering process for the appointment of a design team will commence over the school summer holiday...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I recently announced that 20 new primary and 20 new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years. Of the 40 new schools, one new post-primary school will be located in the North County Dublin/South County Louth area. I also announced the introduction of new arrangements for the recognition of both primary and post-primary schools that will provide an opportunity for all...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that there are 11 schools in South Tipperary that have temporary accommodation, one of which is a post primary school. A list of the schools containing the information requested is attached for the Deputy's convenience. All large scale building projects, including proposed projects for South Tipperary will be considered within the context of my Department's...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 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 — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers is currently located on a temporary basis in a former VEC school building in Naas which must be vacated. However, it will be available to the school for the commencement of the 2011-12 school year. The Department has secured the use of a building in Kildare town which was previously occupied by a former Vocational School. It is intended that this premises...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Under my Department's Free Fees Schemes, the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of students who are entering approved courses for the first time and where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to residence, nationality and previous academic attainment. One of the nationality criteria is where a student has been granted permission to remain in the State as a family member...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that rainwater harvesting systems were first introduced for major school building projects in 2008. Since then all major school building projects, where site conditions and circumstances allow and where economically viable to do so, can incorporate a rainwater harvesting system into their accommodation brief....

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. The Deputy is referring to the Millennium Partnership Fund which was discontinued by the previous Government. As I regret that I am not in a position to reverse this decision, I have no plans to meet the organisation in question.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (12 Jul 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 (12 Jul 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...