Results 7,101-7,120 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: No decisions have yet been taken regarding the payment of the primary school minor works grant in the current school year. Schools have been informed that they should not enter into any capital commitment in anticipation of the minor works grant being paid this year.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is a longstanding custom and practice in some schools at primary level that the roll books are completed through Irish and for schools to translate the names of pupils and in some cases the addresses, to Irish for this purpose. However, it is open to schools to use the English version if they wish.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy's question refers to a proposal for an academy for children with autism which was submitted to my Department for consideration by Achieve ABA. The Deputy will be aware that my Department had no direct funding arrangements with the group in question. Consideration of this proposal took account of my Department's policy in this regard, which is focused on ensuring that all children,...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 229 together. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, otherwise known as the Hunt report, lays out a clear possible development pathway for amalgamated institutes of technology, which meet specified performance criteria, to seek re-designation as technological universities. A small number of new technological universities, with their own...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that in the case referred to by the Deputy, an application for a grant made to the student's local authority was unsuccessful and that in a subsequent appeal made to the local authority the original decision was upheld. I also understand that a further appeal has now been made to the Student Grants Appeal Board. The board is independent in the exercise of its functions and is...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2010, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) completed a project on the compatibility of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications. As part of this project, compatibility statements in relation to higher education major awards at NFQ levels 7-10 were made. The full report is available on the NQAI's...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Based on the information provided by the Deputy, it would appear that the person in question has fully completed second level education and is therefore in the same position as any other person who finds that they need to take subjects in the Leaving Certificate Examination in order to pursue a particular course. The State Examinations Commission facilitates people to take the Leaving...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware 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. Circular...

Written Answers — School Textbooks: School Textbooks (14 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I recently met with educational book publishers, representatives of parents' organisations and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul regarding the cost of school textbooks. Subsequently, the publishers devised a voluntary Code of Practice and, while I welcome the Code as a significant step in the right direction, I believe that more should be done to reduce the price of textbooks. Accordingly. I...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides funding (€1.28m in 2011) to the National Braille Production Centre (NBPC), a national service which provides blind/visually impaired pupils at first and second level with textbooks in alternative formats including braille and audio format. It is an essential service to children who are blind or visually impaired and without it many...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The substitution cover arrangements introduced in January 2009 have been allocated for the 2011/12 school year up until the end of December 2011. These arrangements provide for an allocation of hours to individual schools to enable substitution cover for uncertified sick leave for teachers in post-primary schools and for official school business in post-primary schools. Revised allocations...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: There is widespread agreement in business, political and education and training sectors that the key to Ireland's recovery rests heavily on the capacity of our education system and wider society to work effectively together to support creativity, innovation and enterprise. At a European Level, the EU Commission has identified enterprise as one of 8 key competences which all students should...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Class size data for all primary schools is compiled by my Department on an annual basis and is available on the Department's website. The most recently published data relates to the 2010/11 school year. The staffing schedule is the mechanism used for allocating mainstream teaching posts to all schools. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (15 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: To be eligible for a grant under the terms of the remote area grant scheme, an applicant must satisfy a number of criteria, one of which is that he or she should be resident more than 3.2 km from a pick up point on a transport service to a school where suitable free second level education is available. As the applicant to whom the Deputy refers does not satisfy this criterion, she is not...

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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 non-adjacent rate of grant and an increase in the qualifying distance...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Project Maths is a major programme of reform in mathematics in second level schools, which is designed to encourage better understanding of mathematics, to reinforce its practical relevance to everyday life, and to ensure better continuity between primary and second level, and junior and senior cycle. It began in 24 project schools in September 2008 and was introduced in all schools in...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Report of the Expert Group called for the introduction of bonus points for Higher Level Mathematics in the Leaving Certificate. I am pleased to say that all third level institutions have collectively decided to operate a bonus points scheme for Higher Level Mathematics for a four year trial period from 2012 to 2015 with a review in 2014. A bonus of 25 points will be allocated to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together. The Deputy will be aware 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 in order to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) 2004 have already been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. The Deputy is also aware that the previous Government...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been in contact with Co Clare VEC in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I understand that the VEC is currently involved in discussions with the individual to enable the successful resolution of this issue in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties.