Results 7,221-7,240 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 127 and 128 together. This Government is committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has identified a number of areas where, due to demographic changes, it is projected that there will be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. In this context, I have recently announced that 20 new primary and 20 new post primary schools are to be established nationally in the next six years to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Teaching resources are allocated to schools on a school year basis. Schools will be permitted to fill vacancies that arise during the course of the current school year in allocated posts. The level of retirements in 2012 will become clearer after 1 December when teachers are required to give notice of their intention to retire. The position at third level operates somewhat differently in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: At its meeting on 11 April 2011, the Government approved the preparation of a new capital investment framework for the period from 2012 to be prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This involves a review of the planned public capital programme in order to determine those programmes and projects that will best support economic recovery. My Department has submitted a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 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. I understand the concerns of students with regard to the changes to the student grant schemes for the 2011/12 academic year and I will take account of these in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 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 — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Since I was appointed as Minister for Education and Skills on 9 March 2011, I have appointed two special advisers as follows: Mr. John Walshe, Special Adviser on a salary €92,672 per annum and Ms. Deirdre Grant, Director of Communications (Special Adviser) on a salary €86,604 per annum.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard is a specific initiative to provide 6,000 part time higher education places for unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return and who will need new qualifications and skills to re-enter employment as the economy recovers. The Springboard courses are in areas of current and future skills needs, as identified by the Expert Group on Future...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I assume that the Deputy is referring to an application submitted by the school in question under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to replace a number of windows in the school. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is solely for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for special needs pupils. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Applications for redundancy / partial redundancy for Special Needs Assistants are being received by my Department on an ongoing basis. Applications are processed in date order of receipt and every effort is being made to process these applications as quickly as possible. Applications received in mid-November 2010 are currently being processed. The priority of my Department's Payroll...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Office of Public Works, working on behalf of my Department, is negotiating with the owners of a suitable site with a view to acquiring same for the school referred to by the Deputy. Given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions I am not in a position to comment further at this time. The acquisition of the site and the delivery of the school building project will be considered...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 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 — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 159 together. No application has been received on this matter. Any such request would be considered in light of any future decision to extend the roll out and the availability of resources.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The proposed building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy was not included in the school building works programme for 2011 announced earlier this year by my predecessor. Last year, in line with my Departments strategy to reduce the level of expenditure on rental of temporary accommodation, my Department approved the purchase of prefabs at the schools which had previously been...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As advised in my previous answer on 21st July 2011, it is expected that enrolments will increase nationally from a current enrolment at primary level of circa 509,652 pupils to circa 552,800 pupils by 2017 and at post-primary level from a current enrolment of circa 317,432 pupils to circa 342,300 pupils by 2017. It is within this context that I recently announced that up to 40 new schools are...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 together. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 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 legislative framework and a distinct...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The eligibility of an applicant, or the level of the grant awarded, may be re-assessed by the awarding authority in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year. The applicant should in the first instance contact the relevant awarding body and notify them of the change in...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: To date this Department has received seven applications from staff wishing to retire before 29th February 2012. Requests for information on retirement are received in Personnel Section on an ongoing basis. Although there has been a significant increase in requests for estimates of pension entitlements from staff in the last number of months there is no way of knowing at this time how many of...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (27 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy might wish to note that a site for the school campus to which she refers has been identified by Co. Wicklow VEC, however, it has not been possible to date to progress this proposed acquisition due to the complexities associated with the site identified. The progression of all large scale building projects, including a project for this school, from initial design stage through to...

Written Answers — School Books: School Books (27 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...