Results 6,881-6,900 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2001, my Department agreed through the Teachers Conciliation Council to provide £7,500 annually to each of the three teacher unions towards the cost of substitution, enabling the release of executive members to conduct union business. This payment is reviewed in line with pay movement affecting teachers' salaries. The total cost of this measure from 2001 to date is €283,300. My...

School Transport (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, who has responsibility for school transport among other things. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline the general position regarding school transport services. School transport is a very significant national...

Skills Shortages (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment and for speaking directly to my office about it. I understand that he wished to discuss the recently published IIA report and proposals to provide incentives for people to work in the IT sector. As most such proposals would fall under the responsibility of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I will for the most...

Asylum Support Services (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. I propose to explain what the direct provision system is; how it came about; why it remains a necessary feature of the State's asylum and immigration system; and why legislative proposals before the House will, if passed, of necessity reduce the length of time persons stay within the system. The accommodation...

Health Services (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank Deputy O'Mahony for raising this matter on the Adjournment which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. It is estimated that there are currently between 3,000 to 4,000 children and young adults under 16 years of age with diabetes in this country. Over 90% of patients have type 1 diabetes but, unfortunately, there are an increasing number...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware all funding allocated under my Department's Devolved Schemes including the Summer Works Scheme to allow school management authorities carry out building or improvement works to their schools, must be offered to the market in accordance with EU and National procurement guidelines. School management authorities must comply with all the requirements of Technical Guidance...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse the change to the student grant scheme referred to by the Deputy. In estimating public expenditure savings to accrue from the measures introduced in Budget 2011, the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government had already factored in the application of this change to both new and continuing mature...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 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 — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government has agreed to the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill to provide for the establishment of a Statutory Fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse, as endorsed by Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report in 2009. The legislative proposals followed extensive consultations with survivors of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no plans to change the residency requirements under the student grant scheme, the main purpose of which is to ensure that persons applying for grants will have more established links with and integration in the State. It is envisaged that the residency requirements as set will, in many instances, provide greater flexibility for students who may be returning from abroad.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to clarify for the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. A Special Needs Assistant whose post is surplus to the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. There are no plans to introduce panel rights for SNAs. The...

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is aware that Resource Teacher for Traveller posts-Teaching Hours for Traveller pupils will be withdrawn, effective from 31st 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....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to clarify for the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. I wish to clarify also that the recruitment and deployment...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to clarify for the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. I wish to clarify also that the recruitment and deployment...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to clarify for the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. I wish to clarify also that the recruitment and deployment...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's investigations into this matter are ongoing. As soon as these investigations are complete, a response will issue directly to the person.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: At the core of the proposed restructuring is the need to address the current low scale and size of operations in particular VECs in order to position the sector for future development. In this regard, the previous Government decided on a reduction to 16 new entities. On entering office, I invited the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) to submit alternative rationalisation...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In July 2009, the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes recommended that the number of VECs could be reduced from 33 to 22 and aligned with the functional areas of the 22 Local Authorities, also recommended by the Group. In September 2009 the then Minister for Education and Science invited interested parties to make written submission in relation to a reduction...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (19 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As a general principle I am anxious to ensure that the process of amalgamating Vocational Education Committees is done in a manner that is not disruptive in any way to the provision of existing services and provision by individual VECs. My officials are working on the preparation of new legislation needed to bring the changes about. It is the norm in such legislation to provide for the...