Results 9,961-9,980 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A9 is a new subhead for 2012 to cover costs to my Department of our Presidency of the EU in 2013. The provision of €175,000 is made up of €137,000 for pay costs and €38,000 for non-pay costs. The pay provision is for additional full time and part-time staff for the Presidency, including two interns who are to take up duty in the Irish Permanent Representation in Brussels from July of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) had a combined exchequer outturn for current expenditure of €12.935m in 2008, when the decision to amalgamate those agencies into a single qualifications and quality assurance body was announced. Their 2011 exchequer...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Funding is provided from my Department's Subhead B.3 to support the following activities: - The costs of Ireland's participation in the education and training related work of the OECD and the Council of Europe. - A financial contribution to the College of Europe, including scholarships for Irish students. - Scholarships for Irish students and for the expenses involved in Ireland's...

Written Answers — UNESCO Contribution: UNESCO Contribution (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The purpose of UNESCO contribution in subhead B.4 is to meet the costs arising from Ireland's membership of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, by way of the payment of a membership contribution. The subhead also provides for international exchange programmes. The Teacher Exchanges programme for second-level teachers France: 2 Irish teachers visited...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The B.5 subhead, entitled "Research and Development Activities" has two components. 1. Research and development 2. EU projects 1. Research and development. The purpose of the Research and Development subhead (B5.1) is to fund individual researchers and research institutes for specific educational research projects. A Departmental Research and Development Committee assesses applications for...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2011 there were 130,679 training places provided by my Department funded support services for teachers. This figure includes the primary and post primary sector. Each year Vocational Education Committees (VEC) are allocated funding for the delivery of a Continuing Professional Development programme for Youthreach, Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC) and Vocational Training...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA's 2012 allocation reflects an increase of €.077m (8%) on the 2011 outturn which my Department considers sufficient to allow the Council to continue to fulfil its statutory obligations as laid out in the Education Act 1998. A core element of its work for 2012 is to continue to support Junior Cycle reform. It is important to note that reform will be introduced on a phased basis....

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are six projects in Local Drugs Task Force areas which receive allocations from subhead B8 of my Department's Vote. Four of the projects are administered by the VECs in Dublin City, Dublin County (2) and Dun Laoghaire; my Department also provides each VEC with an allocation towards administration costs. The remaining two projects are administered directly by my Department. The...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There were no projects or schemes that failed to access funding under educational disadvantage schemes administered by my Department in 2011 or 2012. The 1% decrease alluded to in the Deputy's question refers to the allocation for B10 Educational Disadvantage (Dormant Accounts Funding) in 2012, of €1.6 million. This allocation is some €13,000 or 0.81% less than the outturn under B10...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: At the end of December 2011 the Redress Board had accepted 15,404 applications of which 14,855 had been processed resulting in 13,915 awards. A total of €866.58m was paid out in awards and €166.34m was paid in legal and associated costs. The Board's annual report provides a more detailed breakdown of the legal payments to solicitors in any one year. At end 2011, the Redress Board had a...

Written Answers — Good Friday Agreement: Good Friday Agreement (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement there are four designated areas of cooperation in the area of education; special education needs, educational underachievement, teacher mobility and school, youth and teachers exchanges. My Department funds a number of initiatives in these four areas. A list of projects currently funded is attached as Appendix A for the deputy's information. In...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Schools Broadband Programme services are secured by my Department on behalf of schools through a public tendering process. All schools wishing to avail of broadband under the Programme are currently in receipt of the best available connections within resources. As the Deputy will be aware, broadband capacity can vary due to geographical location. However, since the commencement of...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Teachers in Primary Schools are paid salary in accordance with the Common Basic Salary Scale. This scale ranges from €30,904 to €59,359 for those whose first appointment was prior to 1st January 2011 (full details in Circular 04/2010). For those Primary Teachers whose first appointment was on or after 1st January 2011, the salary scale ranges from €27,814 to €53,423 (full details in...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware Budget 2012 provided for a 2% reduction in the funding for capitation and related grants to primary and second level schools in both 2012 and 2013 and a further 1% in 2014 and 2015. Due to my decision of 21st February last, to retain posts from previous disadvantage schemes in DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 primary schools, it was necessary to generate alternative savings...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 139 together. The amount spent on renting temporary accommodation at primary and post-primary level, including – but not limited to - prefabricated accommodation has reduced in recent years as outlined below: 2012: €29.3m (allocation) 2011: €28.9m 2010: €29.3m 2009: €39m As the Deputy is aware I announced an initiative to replace rented...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 138 together. The number of retired teachers in receipt of pension benefit under the Primary School Teachers Pension Scheme is in excess of 13,000. The number of retired teachers in receipt of pension benefit under the Secondary, Community and Comprehensive School Teachers Pension Scheme is in excess of 9,500. The Pension Unit of my Department is...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This Government has protected education as much as it can. Far greater reductions in expenditure and in the number of public servants are being made in other sectors relative to those in schools. But there are limits to the level of expenditure on education and the number of teaching posts we can afford. The Budget 2012 measures in relation to the post-primary sector are set out in the...

Written Answers — Third Level Progression: Third Level Progression (3 May 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', published in October 2010, is available on the HEA website. The proportion of new entrants in 2007/08 who were not present one year later was 15% on average across all sectors and NFQ Levels. However, the Deputy will appreciate that...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of teachers who retired from primary and secondary schools in the months of January and February 2012 is 1166. The compulsory retirement age where applicable is generally attained at the end of the school year in which the teacher reaches age 65 years. Accordingly, no compulsory retirements are included in this figure. Information is not available on a regional basis. The Pension...