Results 7,681-7,700 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (10 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The average class size at primary level in the 1997/98 school year was 26.1. The latest available class size data refers to the 2010/11 school year and was 23.9. The source of this data is the Annual Census of Primary Schools. Average class size is not available at post-primary level.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive information relating to the number of teaching posts in schools. The figures for the 1996-1997 school year show that there were 44,273 teaching posts in primary and post primary schools. The comparative figure for the 2010-2011 school year is 58,674 teaching posts.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (10 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have endorsed the broad thrust of the proposals on junior cycle reform submitted to me by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in October 2011 following an extensive consultation process. They are underpinned by 24 statements of learning which all students will be expected to achieve, either through the study of subjects or short courses. I have asked my officials to begin...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (10 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has requested the assistance of the Office of Public Works (OPW) in relation to the proposed restoration of the property referred to by the Deputy. I am advised that the OPW has tendered for the services of a conservation architect and this appointment will be made soon. The brief for the restoration of the building will take account of a number of relevant factors including...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Nov 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 — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, there are 55 fee-charging schools in the State. Fee-charging schools do not receive capitation grants or related supports. The only current funding provided to fee-charging schools by my Department in 2011 is the Assistive Technology grant for students with particular special educational needs. Almost €16,000 was paid to fee-charging schools in respect of this...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has not provided support for the programme referred to by the Deputy, which I understand was run as a pilot project in some schools. The Deputy will be aware that a Comprehensive Expenditure Review is ongoing in all Government Departments at the request of the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform and due to the current economic climate the funding for new programmes,...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. 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 reckonable income, it would not be possible for me to say why a student's level of grant was reduced. Where a grant...

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) charged with ensuring that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. While responsibility for the National...

Written Answers — Overseas Student Enrolments: Overseas Student Enrolments (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: HETAC seeks the Personal Public Services Number (PPSN) as part of its learner registration processes. HETAC is aware that certain learners may not have a PPSN available at registration. In these circumstances, an alternative identifier is generated by HETAC. FETAC requires students to have a PPSN or its UK equivalent for the purpose of certification of learning and uses them as a unique...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have made no changes to the qualifying year for assessing reckonable income for the self-employed for the student grant. For 2011/2012 academic year all relevant income arising between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010 is considered. The same approach was used for previous academic years. The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a third-level admissions scheme for students from...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of individual schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or, occasionally, on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating teaching staff and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to special schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Departments criteria in allocating such support, which now...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware I announced new criteria on 27 June 2011 in relation to the establishment of new second level schools. As part of the new procedures it was clearly stated that an initial decision would be made by the Department on whether the new schools would operate through the medium of Irish or English. Applications would then be sought from prospective patrons when this...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180, 184, 192 and 194 together. 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...

Written Answers — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Action Plans, Progress Reports and Savings Reports under the Public Service Agreement 2010 – 2104 for State Agencies under my Department's remit for the period up to April 2011 are available on the Departments website at: http://www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?maincat=17216&pcategor y=17216&ecategory=59433&language=EN. The Implementation Body for the Agreement is currently considering...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is envisaged that planning application will be lodged in early 2012. Subject to no issues arising, it is envisaged that construction of Phase I will commence in late 2012 and be completed in August 2013.

Written Answers — Literacy and Numeracy Levels: Literacy and Numeracy Levels (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Irish 15 year old students have participated in two recent international studies of achievement levels in literacy and numeracy. These were the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 which tested students' reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy using traditional pencil-and-paper tests and the OECD PISA 2009 Digital Literacy Assessment which...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The qualification referred to by the Deputy is awarded by an awarding body from outside the State and not by FETAC. The awarding body in question had a number of awards aligned with the National Framework of Qualifications in 2009, including a number of awards in the field of beauty therapy. However, the particular award title referred to by the Deputy is not included in the list of...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (15 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed by school Boards of Management, on behalf of the school patrons or trustees, and it is the Board of Management that employ the teachers at the school. Accordingly, whereas I provide funding and policy direction for schools, neither I nor the Department have legal powers to instruct schools to follow a particular course of...