Results 7,121-7,140 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 162 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 to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An application for compensation for loss of hours (partial redundancy) was received on 28th June 2011 by my Department from the person referred to by the Deputy. My Department's circular on redundancy arrangements for Special Needs Assistants was posted to all schools in 2006 and also published on my Department's website. As the SNA's employer, the Board of Management is responsible for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, supervising the examinations, making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination and determining procedure to enable the review and appeal of results of examinations at the request of candidates. In...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available to my Department, however one estimate from publishers' sources suggests that the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum. At present, my Department contributes approximately €15 million of the total spend in this market through the provision of the school book grant to schools. Given the scale of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no plans to introduce a panel system at post-primary level nor do I think it would be appropriate to do so. There are fundamental differences in the operation of the staffing arrangements between primary and post-primary levels. The range of individual subjects is a significant additional complicating factor at post- primary level.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the policy of my Department that only a teacher registered with the Teaching Council, and who has qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which he or she is proposed, should be employed in a school. The Teaching Council considers applications to be registered as Post Primary school teachers under Regulation 4 of the Teaching Council Registration...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Any decision to employ a retired teacher is a local decision made by the school authorities and not my Department. Circular 0031/2011 is aimed at ensuring that boards of management and principals only resort to employing a retired teacher in very limited circumstances. It requires a school principal to keep a record as to why a retired teacher had to be employed to cover a short-term...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (20 Sep 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project referred to by the Deputy was included in the School Building Works Programme for 2011 which was announced on 24th January. The Design Team are currently working on finalising the Stage 2b submission (Detailed Design) which will then be submitted to my Department for review. Subsequently, assuming no issues arise, my Department will be in contact with the Board of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that this project was not included in the school building works programme for 2011 published earlier this year by my predecessor. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will continue to be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 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. This now...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project was included in the School Building Works Programme for 2011 which was announced on 24th January 2011. The stage 2b was submitted to my Department this month and is currently under review. When that review is complete officials from my Department will be in...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The measurement of the distances in question is a matter for grant awarding bodies. I understand that a range of mechanisms can be used, for example, online mapping such as AA Route Planner and Google Maps. In all cases, the shortest most direct route to the institution attended is measured. If the distance is disputed, the matter should be taken up with the grant awarding authority...

Written Answers — Irish Language Exemption: Irish Language Exemption (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In recent years, my Department has given some consideration to consolidating and updating the departmental circulars which deal with exemptions from the study of Irish in recognised primary (12/96) and post-primary schools (M10/94). All aspects of the current arrangements are under consideration including issues in respect of students with special educational needs. The intention is to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for funding for the provision of a General Purpose Room (GP), or alternatively to convert two of the existing classrooms into a GP Room and then build two additional classrooms. The position is that given the current financial constraints within which the Department is operating, priority is being given to applications for...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is set out below. Agency Name Total Board Members Board Details An Chomhairle um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) 21 The board was appointed in September 2010 for a 4 year term. Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse (CICA) 6 It is not envisaged that further appointments will be made prior to the Commission being dissolved by the...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Applications for the 5,900 Springboard places opened on 25 May 2011 through the online applications facility on the Bluebrick.ie web portal. It is open to applicants to submit multiple applications and to date 16,040 applications have been received from 6,736 people. 3,792 applicants have been accepted and are enrolled on courses and 2,378 applications are currently being processed. As...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is being collated and will be forwarded as soon as possible.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to bring the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 before the House. The main purpose of the Bill is to amalgamate the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, known as HETAC, and the Further Education and Training Awards Council, known as FETAC. The new agency will also take on...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Has Senator D'Arcy retired from the teaching profession?