Results 7,621-7,640 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 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. Circular...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The total number of recognised pupils submitted in a school's annual enrolment return to my Department is used to calculate staffing and grant allocations for that school. Under my Department's Rules and Programmes for Second Level Schools a recognised pupil must be following an approved course for junior or senior cycle and must be not less than 12 years of age on 1st January of the school...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the reality of our economic situation presents significant challenges that have to be reconciled with limitations on public resources. This is a very stark reality, which, unfortunately, means that changes to any public service, including the student grant scheme, cannot be ruled out. I empathise with students and I am very conscious of the fundamental role...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment. The retention of such posts in the current school year is subject to schools' having achieved their projected enrolment on 30 September. If the enrolment...

Written Answers — Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile: Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Tá sé curtha in iúl do scoileanna nach ceart dóibh tiomantais a ghlacadh orthu féin mar gheall ar choinne a bheith acu le heisiúint deontas na mionoibreacha bunscoile sa scoilbhliain reatha (2011/12). Is é is dóichí go ndéanfar an cinneadh maidir le híoc an deontais go rí-ghairid.

Written Answers — Soláthar Pinsin: Soláthar Pinsin (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Tá an duine i gceist tar éis iarratas ar shochar pinsean scortha de dheasca drochshláinte a chur faoi bhráid mo Roinne ach níl an fhoirm iarratais comhlánaithe go hiomlán. Tá Rannóg na bPinsean i mo Roinnse i dteagmháil leis an duine i gceist i dtaobh an iarratais seo.

Written Answers — Coistí Gairmoideachais: Coistí Gairmoideachais (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Le déanaí thug mo Roinn comhaontú i gcrích leis an gCeardchumann Seirbhísí, Tionsclaíoch, Gairmiúil agus Teicniúil, an ceardchumann a dhéanann ionadaíocht do na Príomhoifigigh Feidhmiúcháin (POFanna) ar na CGOanna, faoi scéim ath-imlonnaithe do POFanna i gcomhthéacs chomhaontú Pháirc an Chrócaigh. Bainfear feidhm as an scéim seo, sa chéad ásc, chun ceapacháin POFanna ar...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I issued Circular 0031/2011 in May of this year one purpose of which is to ensure, as far as practicable, that schools prioritise unemployed teachers over retired teachers. In particular, it prohibits schools from employing retired teachers to cover short-term absences unless all efforts to employ an appropriately qualified and registered teacher have failed. This circular also requires a...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A value for money review on small primary schools is under way in my Department and is not expected to be completed until the end of the year. This review is part of the normal review processes undertaken by all Departments on an annual basis on selected areas of expenditure and is being conducted in line with the standard procedure for value for money reviews. I expect a report to be made...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy contacted my Department in December 2010 regarding a proposed extension. Following communications between my officials and the school, an application for major capital works was furnished to my Department in July 2011. This application is being assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that a new 12 classroom school is currently under construction to facilitate the amalgamation of the boys' and girls' schools in the area to which he refers. The school authority had confirmed to my Department that the scale of the project would meet its needs for the foreseeable future. However, the school has now submitted an application for additional...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of the number of the student grant applications received and processed by Dublin City Council for the 2011/12 academic year are contained in the attached document. This information, which was provided to my Department by Dublin City Council, is as at 4 November 2011. The Deputy will be pleased to know that plans are well under way to replace the 66 grant awarding bodies with one...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 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. Circular...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy applied for funding under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme. A list of 453 successful schools was announced on 30 March 2011. Applications from schools for gas, mechanical and electrical works were prioritised under the Summer Works Scheme funding this year and I regret that the application made by the school in question was not selected....

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I, along with my colleagues in Government, recognise the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos. 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...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I regret that I am not in a position to reverse or vary any of the changes to the student grant scheme introduced by the last Government under Budget 2011 because the savings from these measures had been factored into the public expenditure programme for 2011 by that Government. However, while a qualifying student may receive a lower rate of grant for the 2011/12 academic year, he/she will...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department received an application for replacement furniture from the school in question. This application has been considered by my Department. However, in light of the competing demands on the available budget, it is not possible to approve funding to replace existing furniture at this time.

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The USA is a priority market for the promotion of international education. I myself visited Chicago in July to address a gathering of over 100 US universities at the National Association of Fellowship Advisors to highlight Ireland as a centre for international study. The UK is not a priority market for recruitment of international students, and no promotional activities are planned in that...

Written Answers — Third Level Institutions: Third Level Institutions (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Quality assurance processes in Irish higher education institutions operate to best international standards. Universities are primarily responsible for their own quality assurance procedures and have delegated their statutory obligations in relation to reviewing and reporting on the effectiveness of their procedures to the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB). In the institutes of...