Results 7,261-7,280 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Books: School Books (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I share the concern expressed by many parents and organisations in relation to the high cost of school textbooks and the frequent rate of revisions made by book publishers. I have adopted a number of approaches to this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, I recently met with educational book publishers, representatives of parents' organisations and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul regarding...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An application for redundancy was received by my Department on 21st September 2011 from the Special Needs Assistant referred to by the Deputy. 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 December 2010 are currently being processed. The priority of my Department's Payroll...

Written Answers — School Meals Programme: School Meals Programme (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Expenditure on the provision of school meals which is primarily funded by the School Meals Programme, administered by my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection was €34.96 million in 2010 with €35 million provided for 2011. The estimated cost of providing a daily lunch meal for 874,759 school going children and young people in primary and post primary schools currently and based on...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Anecdotal evidence indicates that there is an over supply of teachers and that there are newly qualified teachers not yet holding teaching positions in schools. The full extent of over supply is not yet known. Historically, my Department has endeavoured to manage the supply of trained primary teachers in an effort to achieve some equilibrium between the supply of and the demand for trained...

Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my intention to lease the entire former community school site referred to by the Deputy, including the sports complex, to the City of Dublin VEC. My Department has requested the VEC to ensure that the club referred to by the Deputy is given use of the facility following execution of the lease. I understand that the VEC has already presented a draft user...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Promotional competitions conducted by my Department are governed by the Code of Practice as published by the Commission for Public Service Appointments. In addition to this my Department must comply with the terms of the Employment Equality Act 1998. As such, candidates that apply for promotional competitions are not obliged to state their age or date of birth. During the ten year period...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (28 Sep 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 (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In the coming period, I will be designating the headquarter location for the 16 bodies. In doing so, I will be taking a number of factors into account. The VEC headquarters must, as far as possible, be able to facilitate redeployment of staff having regard to the terms of the Croke Park Agreement. Where redeployment of all of the headquarters staff in an entity to one location is not...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (28 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Within a matter of weeks I hope to have the approval of the Government for the publication of the General Scheme of an Education and Training Boards Bill. This Bill will consolidate the existing nine Vocational Education Acts and will reflect the enhanced role future role of the Sector. This will be a substantial piece of legislation which will provide for the legal establishment of the...

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Did the Deputy write that herself?

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Hear, hear.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A major project for the school to which the Deputy refers was included in the Ministerial announcement on 24 January 2011. The Brief for this project is currently being finalised. The next step would be to undergo a procurement process to appoint a Design Team to the project. This would be done through the Government procurement portal www.etenders.gov.ie. The current status of all projects...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department introduced a €20 million scheme in 2009 to improve roof and cavity wall insulation levels in school buildings across the country. The devolved energy efficiency scheme, which was implemented with the help of Sustainable Energy Ireland, allowed schools to apply for funding on a once-off basis to upgrade the fabric insulation in attics and the external cavity walls of their...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures and must take account of all appropriate legislation. The Board of Management of the school is responsible for recruitment, selection, appointment, discipline and dismissal of staff. It is the policy of my Department that only registered and qualified personnel...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of pupils attending fee paying second level schools, and aided by my Department, for the past three years is as follows: 08/09 = 26,504; 09/10 = 26,277; 10/11 = 26,219.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am at present finalising my consideration of where the headquarters will be located and I expect to in a position to communicate my decision for all of the mergers in the near future.

Written Answers — Outdoor Education Centres: Outdoor Education Centres (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department gives support and funding to a number of VECs to operate Outdoor Education Centres. There are 12 centres in all. The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) lodged a claim with my Department for a substantial pay increase on behalf of the Directors of each of these Centres. Following protracted negotiations, my Department consented to an ad hoc referral of the claim to the Labour...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: At the end of the 2010/2011 school year there were 328 retired teachers employed on a temporary or substitute basis in Primary, Secondary and Community/Comprehensive schools. This does not include schools under the auspices of Vocational Education Committees. Figures are not yet available for the number of retired teachers employed in schools in the 2011/2012 school year. Details of the...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 70 together. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is in the process of developing its website. The current website is a holding page and is available in English only. Work is underway on reviewing the extensive bank of resources developed by the former support services with regard to their ongoing relevance. The materials selected...