Results 7,281-7,300 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn
- Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: A national cross-sectoral Professional Development Support Service for Teachers was established in September 2010 to support the sharing and development of expertise, best pedagogical practice, skills and competencies across the primary and post-primary sectors. A cross-sectoral approach to continuing professional development (CPD) aims to streamline, coordinate and prevent a duplication of...
- Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The aim of the continuing professional development (CPD) provided by all support services is to enhance and maintain the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. In designing its continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), which is staffed by expert practitioners, consults as appropriate with other experts in the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I would like to inform the Deputy that I have asked officials in my Department to examine possible improvements to ensure that the procurement process for school building projects is as efficient as possible. A number of strategies to streamline procurement processes have already been implemented and others will be implemented over the coming months. Officials from my Department are also...
- Written Answers — Safety in School Laboratories: Safety in School Laboratories (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not hold an inventory of the chemicals held in stock by individual schools, and the management of such stock is a matter for the school authorities. A once off disposal of chemicals was funded by the Department in 2000/01 on the basis that schools would assume responsibility on an ongoing basis thereafter for the safe stock and disposal of chemicals. My Department has...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: Students pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration in publicly-funded institutions in other EU Member States may be eligible for a maintenance grant under the Student Grant Scheme. To qualify for such a grant a student must also satisfy the terms and condition of the scheme relating to residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. The student...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: There is no limit on the number of students in a household that may qualify for a student grant provided that all applicants satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme. Under the scheme, the qualifying reckonable income limits for households with more than one student attending further or higher education may be incrementally increased to take account of this situation.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The student grant scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by local grant awarding authorities - local authorities and VECs. 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 age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment, it would not be possible...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 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 — Road Safety: Road Safety (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care, including traffic management measures. The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter, however, for the relevant Local Authority. Local...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: At this point I do not propose to give any specific commitment on the allocation of teachers to schools for the 2012/13 school year. The number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the next budget and meeting our obligations under the EU/IMF Programme. The Government will endeavour to...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Sep 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides for a scheme of grants towards the purchase of equipment for the use of students in primary and second level schools who have been diagnosed as having serious physical and/or communicative disabilities which make ordinary communication through speech and/or writing impossible for them. The purpose of the grant-aid is to provide such students with equipment of direct...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together. Special Needs Assistants are paid on 12 point salary scale ranging from â¬23,188 to â¬35,919 for those whose first appointment was prior to 1st January 2011 (full details in Circular 05/2010 hereunder). For those Special Needs Assistants whose first appointment was on or after 1st January 2011, the salary scale ranges from â¬20,869 to...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding requested under the Additional Accommodation Scheme for works associated with the building project at this school has been approved. The school authorities have been notified accordingly.
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: No decisions have yet been taken regarding the payment of the primary school minor works grant in the current school year. Consequently, reference to the grant was excluded from the annual schedule of grants for primary schools in respect of the school year 2011/2012.
- Written Answers — School Management: School Management (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The term of office of new boards of management of primary schools will commence on 1 December 2011. My Department has this week issued Circular Letter 0064/2011 to all primary schools advising that the election/nomination processes for the appointment of new boards must now commence. My Department has also published the updated booklet "Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011"...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The total amount allocated to date under the 2011 Additional Accommodation Scheme amounts to â¬34.8 million of which â¬4.5 million has been expended. A further â¬32.8 million has been expended to date this year in respect of commitments arising from Additional Accommodation Schemes approved prior to 2011.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, a major project for the school to which he refers was included on the list of projects on the work programme for 2011, which was announced on 24 January last, where briefs will be formulated in 2011 and the process of appointing a Design Team will commence. In order to progress the project, my Department requested additional information from the school authorities...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 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 — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: Some 18,000 students qualifying for grant support are estimated to live between 24 kms and 45 kms from their colleges and it is estimated that some 6,900 mature students qualifying for grant support live 45 kilometres or less from their institution. Students qualifying for the maintenance element of the student grant in these cohorts will receive the adjacent rate of grant together with...
- Written Answers — Radioactive Waste: Radioactive Waste (4 Oct 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 212, inclusive, and 214 together. The management of radioactive waste is the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government working in conjunction with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII). Information available from the RPII regarding disused radioactive waste in the country's education sector...