Results 8,881-8,900 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 116 together. 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 relevant appointment...

Written Answers — Home Tuition Scheme: Home Tuition Scheme (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 115, inclusive, together. As I have previously advised my Department is currently reviewing operational elements of the home tuition schemes, including the appointment of tutors. I now wish to clarify that this review is ongoing. I have no plans currently to make changes to the eligibility criteria for the home tuition scheme.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy is currently located in a former VEC school building in Naas. Interim refurbishments were carried out to the building in 2010. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that we now propose that this building will be used to provide for the long term accommodation needs of the school. To this end, my Department recently carried out a technical assessment of the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has sought the assistance of, and is working closely with, the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy. Once a suitable site has been identified and acquired, the proposed building project will be considered in the context of the capital budget...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This Government is committed to supporting the overall thrust of 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, and to the delivery of the goals and targets proposed. In addition a National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy is being progressed which is designed to promote curriculum reform in both Irish and English, to strengthen assessment, improve professional development of teachers,...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The commitment in the Programme for Government is that 'As resources allow, this Government will invest in a targeted early childhood education programme for disadvantaged children, building on existing targeted pre-school supports for families most in need of assistance such as the Youngballymun project. There are existing wholly State-funded intervention programmes for young children at...

Written Answers — Réigiúin Ghaeltachta: Réigiúin Ghaeltachta (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Rinneadh scoileanna i réigiúin Ghaeltachta a fheidhmiú riamh maidir leis an sceideal foirne mar a feidhmíodh gnáthscoileanna agus post teagaisc ranga a bhunú acu ag an mbunleibhéal. Bhí sceideal níos fabhraí i bhfeidhm i gcás scoileanna na Gaeltachta chun post a choinneáil idir na bandaí ceathrar agus dáréag oide ranga. An ghné bhuiséadach chun an lion daltaí a mhéadú...

Written Answers — Réigiúin Ghaeltachta: Réigiúin Ghaeltachta (22 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Bhunaigh mo Roinnse An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta i 2002 chun comhairle agus taighde a chur ar fáil agus chun gabháil leis an dtaighde i dtaca le nithe a bhaineann le múineadh na Gaeilge, chun comhordú a dhéanamh ar sholáthar téacsanna agus acmhainní d'oideachas trí Ghaeilge, agus chun seirbhísí tacaíochta a sholáthar do scoileanna Gaeltachta agus...

Leaders' Questions (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Well said.

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 3 together. DEIS is one of the key measures to address the national target under the EU 2020 National Reform Programme. Among the key issues and needs addressed by DEIS are targeted reductions in pupil-teacher ratios. The reform of the teacher allocations process under budget 2012 includes no change to the mainstream staffing schedule for primary...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank Deputy Smith for his question. I am quite happy to ensure the appeal proceeds. I was not consulted about the decision of the Department to deny him the information. It was an automatic decision because when the request came in, we were still discussing the changes. In fact, the changes were discussed right up until just before the Cabinet meeting. I am not sure when Deputy...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I would love to be in the position in which the Deputy thinks we all live, and in a world that does not exist as far as this country is concerned. The fact is 17% of the entire current account budget of this Government, and of previous Governments, goes on education. With the exception of social welfare, it is probably the biggest single expenditure item. Some 80% of that budget goes to...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Given many controversial things were said in and around the budget decision, I want to clarify the position. There was no reduction in DEIS band 1 and band 2 primary schools in the normal course of events. What was identified was that some DEIS schools had retained additional posts which had been allocated to them before DEIS was introduced in 2004, either under Breaking the Cycle or Giving...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: While a key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage, the current economic climate and the challenge to meet significant targets on reducing public expenditure limits opportunities and means there is no capacity to provide for additionality to the DEIS programme, including the selection of...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS in 2005 was managed by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, on behalf of the Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the inspectorate. The ERC's overall approach was guided by the definition of educational disadvantage as set out in the Education Act 1998, which...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not have an answer to the Deputy's specific question about the various pupil-teacher ratios on the website. I will have that clarified and will communicate directly with him. The reality is that not all disadvantaged pupils are in DEIS schools and the majority are in non-DEIS schools. It has been expressed to me that in some cases parents would prefer not to have their child in a DEIS...

School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The modern languages in primary schools initiative has been a pilot scheme involving approximately 550 schools that has operated since 1998. The decision to end the scheme took account of a 2008 report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA. The report identified serious issues with curricular overload at primary level. The NCCA's advice recommended that, for the...

School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is correct that the modern languages initiative started life as a pilot scheme. However, there was never a recommendation or decision by my predecessors to roll it out across the entire network of 3,200 primary schools. Only 17% of that total benefited from the scheme. As an Opposition Deputy I was appalled at the implications of the PISA findings in terms of literacy and...

School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: All I can say is that there was no appetite among the professional educators in my Department, even before the PISA results were announced, to extend the initiative to all primary schools. I raised the question of literacy and numeracy standards while in opposition. The Deputy's former colleague, Mary Coughlan, as Minister for Education and Skills, responded to the PISA findings with an...

School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Aspects of financial literacy are included in the curriculum at present in such areas as mathematics, home economics, economics, business and accounting, enterprise education and the mathematical applications within the leaving certificate applied programme. The programmes cover a range of skills relevant to money management. These areas will be further strengthened to the extent possible...