Results 7,001-7,020 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — National Lottery Funding: National Lottery Funding (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The details of National Lottery Funding disbursed by my Department in 2009 and 2010 is provided in tabular form in the following spreadsheet. The Revised Estimates Volume (REV) published by the Department of Finance provides summary details of programmes part-financed by the National Lottery and disbursed by relevant Government Departments and Offices. The REV provides these details at Vote...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 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 of...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I announced my intention to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector on 28th March, 2011. The Forum is a key objective of the Programme for a National Government 2011 - 2016. On 19th April, I officially launch the Forum and noted that the Advisory Group to oversee the work of the Forum would be chaired by Professor John Coolahan who would be assisted by Dr Caroline...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy I announced plans to limit the number of subjects which can be taken in the Junior certificate examinations to a maximum of 8 to allow more time to be spent on the development of key skills such as literacy and numeracy, and to provide for greater depth of learning. While it is my intention to limit the number of examinable subjects a...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 184 together. Irish 15-year old students have participated in two recent international studies of achievement levels in literacy and numeracy. These were the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 which tested students' reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy using traditional pencil-and-paper tests and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The net allocation for my Department for 2011, as set out in the 2011 Revised Estimate, is €8.279 billion. In addition, provision for expenditure of some €362 million has been made under the National Training Fund in 2011. There are no savings or excesses being projected on the estimate at this stage. However, my Department will closely monitor the spending situation over the months...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: This year my Department is providing some €41 million to support research activities across a range of programmes, including schemes managed by the two research councils, and the technological sector research initiative. As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is undertaking a Comprehensive Expenditure Review across all areas of Government...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I announced my intention to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector on 28th March, 2011. An Advisory Group, under the Chairmanship of Professor John Coolahan, is overseeing the work of the Forum. The terms of reference of the Forum are very specific. They are to advise me on: 1. how it can best be ensured that the education system can provide a sufficiently diverse...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to confirm for the Deputy that 10,575 whole time equivalent (wte) Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts are being provided for primary, post-primary and special schools for the coming school year in order to support the care needs of pupils with disabilities. This is a significant number of posts and unlike other areas of the public sector vacancies are being filled up to this number....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 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 distance from home to college, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The measurement of the distances in question is a matter for grant awarding bodies. It is not possible, therefore, for me to say what the distance calculation or route for an individual student will or should be. However, the shortest most direct route to college is measured. If there is a dispute, this matter should be taken up with the grant awarding authority.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My officials are liaising with the school authorities and other relevant stakeholders on the project to which the Deputy refers. A decision was taken in recent weeks that the Department will re-tender the project directly. It is anticipated that construction work will resume on the project in the coming months.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The changes to the student grants scheme to which the Deputy refers were introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil – Green Party Government under Budget 2011. These changes alter the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24kms to 45kms and remove the automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent rate of grant. While these measures will result...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to explain to 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...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 to 195, inclusive, together. First, 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...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: There are no changes to the qualifying criteria for the top-up in the special rate of grant for students applying under the 2011 student grant scheme. Students, including single parents, satisfying the criteria will be eligible for the top-up payment.The conditions are: 1. Student must qualify for the ordinary rate of grant. 2. Total reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. 3. On the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The amount spent on renting temporary accommodation at primary and post-primary level, including – but not limited to - prefabricated accommodation in 2010 was €29m. Approximately €24m of this related to prefab rental only. The allocation for 2011 for rental of temporary school accommodation is €29m.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Since July 2008, it is my Department's policy to offer schools being approved for devolved grant aid for additional accommodation the option to use their capital grant aid to build a permanent classroom(s) rather than purchase a prefab. This has reduced the usage of prefabricated accommodation, with the majority of schools opting to build permanent classroom extensions instead of purchasing...

Written Answers — School Refurbishment: School Refurbishment (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The brief for the project referred to by the Deputy is for an extension to the existing school and refurbishment of existing accommodation. The process of appointing a Design Team for the proposed building project is expected to commence shortly. Officials from my Department will be in contact with the school authorities to outline the tendering process for appointment of the design team....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's policy in allocating this support. My Department's...