Results 8,961-8,980 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Garda Vetting of Personnel: Garda Vetting of Personnel (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The arrangements for vetting of teaching and non-teaching staff were introduced in September 2006. In late 2010, my Department issued Circular 0063/2010 which updated and clarified the requirements for Garda vetting as part of recruitment procedures for all teaching and non-teaching positions. Responsibility for complying with the vetting requirements rests with the school authority as...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department of Education and Skills received 1,170 requests under the Freedom of Information Acts in 2011. 142 of the requests sought non-personal information. Search and retrieval fees were sought and paid in respect of 4 requests. The largest fee sought in respect of a request was €1046.82.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2011 twenty staff retired from my Department. The cost of pension lump sum gratuities amounted to €1.3m. The total cost of pension amounted to €211,665 in 2011. The staff concerned will receive a similar pension payments in 2012 and as such on a full year costing will amount to approximately €400,000. When the last Government's term of office concluded in 2011 seven ministerial...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is a requirement of the Official Languages Act that documents setting out public policy proposals, annual reports, statements of strategy, and matters considered to be of major public importance, are communicated by Government Departments in both Irish and English. Given this Act, and the obligations under the Education Act to promote bilingualism, to promote Irish as a community language...

Written Answers — Sonraí Staitistiúla: Sonraí Staitistiúla (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Tá na sonraí staitistiúla don scoilbhliain 2010/11 ar fáil anois ar laithreán greasáin na Roinne http://www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?pcategory=17216&ecateg ory=47122&language=EN. Tá an fhaisnéis staitistiúil don scoilbhliain reatha á cur le céile sa Roinn agus beidh sé dlite le haghaidh foilseacháin i mí Mheán Fómhair 2012.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (23 Feb 2012)

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

Written Answers — Higher Education Evaluation: Higher Education Evaluation (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Strategy for Higher Education recommended the development of an Irish National Student Survey (INNS) as a key tool in the wider performance and quality measurement of Irish higher education. There has been significant progress in its development by a Steering Group comprising institutional research officers and academics from the universities, colleges and institutes of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the Mallow area has been identified by my Department as one of the areas where, due to demographic changes, it is projected that there will be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. In this context, it is proposed that one the twenty new primary schools that I announced in June 2011...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I want to reassure the Deputy that no school will be without teachers due to the forthcoming retirement of teachers from the public sector.The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. For example, schools are permitted to fill teaching vacancies that arise within their...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Last December I announced details of the education infrastructure plan for 2012. Details of this plan are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. For the Deputy's convenience I have provided copies of the announced lists of schools under construction (60 schools) or anticipated to be progressed to construction in 2012 (56 schools). I have also committed to announcing details...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 102 and 108 together. A key part of the Government's overall budgetary strategy is a requirement to reduce the public sector payroll. This will continue to be the case until we close the gap between what we spend as a country and what we take in through taxes. Given that one third of all public sector employees work in the Education sector it is simply...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to reiterate for the Deputy this Government's commitment to the provision of resources for children with special educational needs. As I recently indicated to the Deputy in my response to his question of 19 January 2012, there has been no reduction in the number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) which will be available for the next school year, with 10,575 posts remaining available...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not compiled in the format sought. Officials in the Pension Unit of my Department are currently fully occupied addressing the pension benefit entitlements for those who are retiring at this time. The number of teachers in Primary Secondary, Community and Comprehensive schools who have applied to retire in the period 1 January to 29 February 2012 is...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, I published details of new procedures and criteria for the establishment and patronage of new second level schools. The new arrangements published by my Department, provide a balanced approach to allow for applications to be made from prospective patrons for the establishment of schools. The criteria to be used in deciding on patronage of the new schools place a particular...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for the replacement of the school's Assembly Hall/Gym. In accordance with the published criteria for large scale building projects, the project has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — Third Level Progression: Third Level Progression (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The HEA is responsible for the collection of data on student progression. The most recent report by the HEA entitled 'A study of Progression in Higher Education' is available on the HEA website. The following table from the report illustrates the non-presence rates of new entrants in their second year of study by sector, NFQ level and course duration. New entrants are classified as 'not...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs advises the Government on the current and future skills needs of the economy. This advice, together with information for other relevant agencies, both local and national informs course planning and provision. In 2012, at a time of reducing resources my Department will fund over 450,000 education and training places across the range of provision in the...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I assume the Deputy is referring to the situation whereby officials that retire on or before the 29th, February 2012 will have their pension entitlements calculated at the payscale in place on the 1st January 2010. The tabular statement below gives details of the number of officials that are expected to retire from the Department by the 29th, February 2012 together with details of retirements...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Appeals were received in my Department from the applicants referred to by the Deputy. The appeals have been considered and the decisions have issued to the applicants.

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (28 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, third level institutions are autonomous bodies and responsibility for day to day management and operational affairs, including course provision, is a matter for the governing bodies and management of the relevant institution. The Higher Education Authority allocates an annual core recurrent grant to each institution and it is a matter for the institution to...