Results 8,081-8,100 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Programme: Schools Building Programme (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 70 primary schools from County Kerry made an application under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 21 primary schools were successful under this year's Scheme. Primary school applications under the SWS were further assessed for purposes of the Jobs Initiative announced on the 10th May 2011. Under this assessment, a further 3 primary schools in...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has no record of having received an application for the works referenced by the Deputy. However I wish to advise the Deputy that the College, referred to by him, has received substantial funding from my Department in recent years. In 2006, €205,910 was provided to the College in question under the Summer Works Scheme 2006 for improvement works to facilitate disabled access....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. I understand from the grant awarding authority in this case, that the grant application in question has been processed and confirmation in relation to certain details is awaited from the student.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. I understand from the grant awarding authority in this case that the application in question is currently being assessed and a decision will issue as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I regret that the information is not collated by the student grant awarding authorities in the format requested by the Deputy. However, information supplied to my Department by the grant awarding authorities in Donegal indicates that 3,750 students were in receipt of a student grant for the 2010/11 academic year.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Grant assistance remains available to postgraduate students on a more limited basis. The primary motivation for the Government in taking very difficult budgetary decisions is to retrieve our economic sovereignty and put the economy on a road to recovery. In closing the gap between revenue and spending, unpalatable savings measures are necessary and savings for student supports were...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 140 together. While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's budget, the Government has tried to protect front line services in 2012. The Government has protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained the overall number of resource...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 141 together. Given the scale of our economic crisis, adjustments have had to be made across all areas of the public sector. Despite this challenge, the Government has sought to do this in as fair a way as possible. While DEIS schools are not immune to budgetary measures, a key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target funding at...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to update the Deputy that the Board of Management of the school in question has advised that the recommendations of the HSE report have been implemented in full. As the Deputy is aware a further report was prepared subsequent to a separate review of the school by a member of the Department's Inspectorate and an Educational Psychologist. The Board of Management has confirmed...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the recent process of briefing patrons in relation to applications for patronage of the new schools, a number of queries were raised with the Department about possible applications for patronage which involve partnerships between two or more patrons. These issues chiefly concerned the particular patronage model that would apply where two or more patrons intended to have a joint or...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 to 148, inclusive, together. In 2009 students in 65 countries/economics, including Ireland, participated in the assessment, making PISA 2009 the largest international survey of education to date. The overall mean score of students in Ireland in the 2009 study was 495.6 compared with 526.7 in 2000. The survey was constructed in a manner to ensure a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Dec 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 it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student is eligible for a grant for a particular course or whether or not a student is in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy was included in the School Building Work Programme announced on 24th January 2011. It was one of a number of schools authorised to secure planning permission with a view to preparing tender documents. The Design Team are currently working on the completion of Stage 2(b) of Architectural Planning which includes Planning Permission,...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153, 155, 156, 158 to 162, inclusive, and 167 together. While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's budget, the Government has tried to protect front line services in 2012. The Government has protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The budget measures, including those relating to guidance, come into effect from September 2012. Schools will be notified in the normal manner in relation to these changes. My Department will be issuing a Circular in January that will outline the staffing arrangements in schools for the 2012/13 school year.

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, until now a specific resource was provided for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation to post primary schools. In future, schools will meet their guidance requirements from within the overall resource provided by that normal staffing schedule. Individually schools can continue to make provision for guidance and counselling, however, decisions on how...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Dec 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. In view of the above I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's budget, the Government has tried to protect front line services in 2012. The Government has protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained the overall number of resource teachers and SNAs to support children with special needs....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the current means testing arrangements for student grants take no account of the capital value of savings or assets in determining eligibility for financial assistance. This approach is at variance with other major financial support schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection and other public bodies such as the HSE. A considerable body of reports...