Results 7,321-7,340 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers has advised my Department that it wishes to relocate from its existing premises to alternative accommodation. As the school has provisional recognition, the sourcing of such accommodation remains the responsibility of the Patron. My Department's role extends to providing grant assistance for accommodation rental and the school has...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware that the timing of processing and paying of grants varies between the 66 awarding authorities depending on a number of variables including the volume of applications received, staffing resources and whether or not properly completed application forms have been submitted. Work prioritisation across different functions, and how available staff are deployed to execute those functions...

Written Answers — Universities and Institutes of Technology: Universities and Institutes of Technology (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous academically independent institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act, 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Act, 2006 respectively. Neither I, nor my Department has any function in relation to the day to day management or academic affairs of any institute. The extension of opening hours in academic libraries is a matter for...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Budget 2011, the previous Fianna Fáil-Green party Government introduced changes to the qualifying criteria for the non-adjacent rate of student grant. These changes remove the automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent rate of grant and increase the qualifying distance criterion for that rate of grant to 45 kms. As the previous Government had factored in the savings...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Oct 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 — Third Level Access: Third Level Access (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The management of the Third Level Access Measures Fund rests with the Higher Education Authority and the allocation of funding for the various access measures, one of which is the Student Assistance Fund, is a matter for that authority. Some €15.3m is available in the Fund overall to support individual students under these initiatives. Question No. 254 answered with Question No. 235.

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware works carried out under my Department's Summer Work Schemes are devolved to individual Board of Management and the issues referred to by the Deputy should be raised with the school management authority concerned in the first instance. If there are individual cases where there is concern that Heath and Safety regulations has not been complied with, these cases should be...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware of my Department's commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs in school settings. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified professional teachers, special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum with the option, in line with each...

Written Answers — Skills Development: Skills Development (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: To be eligible for a place on a Springboard course an applicant must have a previous history of employment, and at the time of starting a Springboard course must be unemployed and in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit or One Parent Family Payment or be signing for contribution credits. All applicants must be available for and actively seeking employment. While this is the...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have been informed by the Teaching Council that the amount of time that it takes to process applications for registration is dependent on the type of application. The Council has stated that it makes every effort to expedite an application in urgent circumstances such as confirming registration for teachers taking up new appointments. However, it cannot register a teacher without...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of the specific case to which the Deputy refers are not readily available to my Department, as such transactions are a matter for Wexford Vocational Education Committee itself. Accordingly, my Department has requested the information from the VEC and this will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. Expenditure on legal fees in Co Wexford VEC in 2008 and 2009, as recorded in...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department was informed by the Chairperson of Co. Wexford Vocational Education Committee that the Committee had accepted the findings and recommendations of an internal audit report signed on 19th December 2011 by the person to whom the Deputy refers.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is a basic principle of public procurement, including for legal services, that a competitive process should be used unless there are justifiably exceptional circumstances. The type of competitive process can vary depending on the size and characteristics of the contract to be awarded. For contracts or purchases below the EU threshold values less formal procedures may be appropriate. It is...

Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 91 and 110 together. A new student contribution of €2,000 was introduced in higher education institutions with effect from the 2011/12 academic year. The student contribution replaces the Student Services Charge and applies to all students who benefit under the free fees scheme. In recognition of the financial pressures that the student contribution may...

Written Answers — Student Assistance Fund: Student Assistance Fund (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 103, 105, 114 and 115 together. The management of the Third Level Access Measures Fund rests with the Higher Education Authority and the allocation of funding for the various access measures, one of which is the Student Assistance Fund, is a matter for that authority. Some €15.3m is available in the Fund overall to support individual students under...

Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 111 together. The reality of the economic situation and the public expenditure corrections which must be made present challenges to the Higher Education sector. Future demand for participation growth needs to be reconciled with limitations on public resources and a need to protect and enhance core quality. Although the nature of these difficult...

Written Answers — Third Level Remuneration: Third Level Remuneration (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The 2011 current funding provision for the higher education sector, which is in the region of €1.2 billion, is down 7% on the allocation for 2010. This reduction is a net 3% when additional income from the new Student Contribution charge of €2,000 is taken into account. Pay expenditure represents approximately 70% of total current expenditure in the sector. This represents a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 97 and 106 together. I regret that the economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse or vary any of the changes to the student grant schemes announced in Budget 2011 by the previous Government because that Government had factored the savings from these measures into the public expenditure programme for 2011. The...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: From the details supplied, it appears that the Deputy is referring to proof of independent residency to allow a student to be assessed as an independent mature student. Firstly, to enable such an assessment, a student must be at least twenty three years of age on the first of January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course. Assuming that is the case, the documentary evidence...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (5 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule for the 2011-2012 school year was published on my...