Results 8,281-8,300 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) primarily funds PhD scholarships and early stage postdoctoral fellowships. Selection is on the basis of excellence following assessment by expert independent panels. There is no emphasis on funding one discipline over another and awards are made solely on the basis of academic excellence and in accordance with...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1The Educational Disadvantage Committee (EDC) was established under Section 32 of the Education Act, 1998. The role of the EDC was to advise the Minister for Education and Science on policies and strategies to be adopted to identify and correct educational disadvantage. The Committee's final report 'Moving Beyond Educational Disadvantage' was published in December 2005. The Government...

Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1A new student contribution charge of €2,000 was introduced in higher education by the previous Government with effect from the 2011/2012 academic year. This charge replaced the previous Student Services Charge and applies to all students who currently benefit under the 'free fees' scheme. The contribution is paid by the Exchequer in respect of students who qualify under the third level...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1Under the terms of the Ethics Acts, 1995 and 2001 all civil servants serving in a grade of which the maximum salary is not less than the maximum salary of a Principal Officer (General Service Grade) in the Civil Service are required to complete a return in the event they have an interest to declare. In addition to these posts the Department of Public Expenditure, with the assistance of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1In 2011 twenty-one officials at my Department retired. The cost of superannuation lump sum payments amounted to approximately €1.3m. The estimated cost of pension for those concerned in 2012 will be in the region of €378,000. Figures for bodies under the aegis of my Department are not readily available and officials are compiling the information and it will be forwarded to the Deputy...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1The table below contains the information requested by the Deputy. It should be pointed out that the 2011 Outturn is provisional, subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. VOTE 26 - EDUCATION & SKILLS 2011 Allocation and Provisional Outturn €000s Subhead / Service 2011 REV Allocation 2011 Provsional Outturn Variation A.1 - SALARIES, WAGES AND...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 191 together. The Deputies will be aware that as part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a teaching post in small primary schools will be gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. The schools concerned are those with four or less classroom teachers. It is important to emphasise that no...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the process of tendering for appointment of a design team on the school building project to which he refers has recently commenced. The project will entail the extension and refurbishment of the existing school. An advertisement seeking suitably qualified consultants has been published on the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1A major project for the school referred to by the Deputy was included in the Ministerial Announcement on 24th January 2011 to progress into Architectural Planning. As this school is located on a split site, the proposal for the development on the existing site involved detailed discussions between the school authorities and the Local Authority regarding traffic management and other issues....

Written Answers — School Catchment Areas: School Catchment Areas (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together. Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes the country was divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1A redundancy application from the person referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department on 5th September 2011. Applications are processed in date order of receipt and every effort is being made to process these applications as quickly as possible. Applications received in July 2011 are currently being processed. Extra resources have been assigned to the Redundancy Unit to ensure...

Written Answers — Third Level Sector: Third Level Sector (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the Department, however, the Higher Education Authority has been requested to contact each institution seeking a response and I will forward the available data to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1In October 2011, my officials concluded an agreement with SIPTU, the trade union representing the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of VECs, on a redeployment scheme for CEOs in the context of the Croke Park agreement. This scheme will be used, in the first instance, for determining the appointment of CEOs to the new Education and Training Boards, following the enactment of the relevant...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 1I propose to take Questions 185 to 187, inclusive, together. The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including the operation of special centres. In view of the above I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 4I am pleased to inform the Deputy that accommodation briefs for the two schools referred to by the Deputy have been completed. The appropriate method for delivery of these projects is being considered and final decisions will be communicated to the school authorities in the near future.

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government announced as part of Budget 2012 that, pending completion of the public service-wide review of allowances, changes to teacher qualification allowances were being made with immediate effect. These changes affect both existing teachers and new appointees in the future. The position of existing teachers who, on 5 December 2011, were undertaking courses will be considered in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Substitute vacancies, however they may arise, must be filled in accordance with agreed recruitment procedures. Circular 31/2011 issued in Summer 2011 and set down rules in this regard which are applicable to all appointments made on or after 1 September 2011. Schools are required to keep a list of those appropriately qualified registered teachers who inform the school that they are...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The provision of a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers necessitates the acquisition of a new site and a suitable site has been identified. My Department sought the assistance of Westmeath County Council in acquiring the site and requested that they commence negotiations, with the landowners, with a view to securing title to the lands and transferring these lands to me. I...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for capital funding for a new school. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale capital projects and the appropriate band rating has been assigned. The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school referred...

Written Answers — Scéimeanna Scoláireachta: Scéimeanna Scoláireachta (18 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Mar a d'fhógair mé faoi Bhuiséad 2012, tá sé i gceist scéim aonair nua, stíl sparántachta agus bunaithe ar fhiúntas, a chur in ionad na cúig scéim scoláireachta don Ardoideachas atá ann cheana féin, lena n-áirítear Scoláireacht Sheachtain na Cásca 1916 agus na trí Scoláireacht Gaeilge. Beidh na dámhachtainí faoin scéim nua socraithe ag €2,000 an mac léinn. Beidh an...