Results 10,001-10,020 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for a new roof for their school building. As the scope of works for which funding is sought is outside the terms of the scheme it cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been informed of this decision.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCSE will be notifying schools in due course of their allocation for the 2012/13 school year of resource hours for low incidence special needs. The arrangements for how schools access these resource hours in teaching posts are set out in the Department Staffing Circular 0007/2012. Under these arrangements a network of over 2,500 full-time resource posts has been put in place in close to...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (8 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I have received details in relation to one such student and officials in my Department are making inquiries into the matter. I will respond in writing to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Provision: School Provision (8 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Among the recommendations of the study referred to by the Deputy, which was published in May 2005, it was recommended that a site be reserved in the area to cater for a second level school. As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced that 20 new post-primary schools are to be established up to 2017 across a number of locations to meet significantly increasing demographics in those...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that all eligible primary and special needs schools in the country received the Minor Works Grant for 2011/2012 in November 2011. The total costs of the grant exceeded €28m. A list of the schools in County Waterford that received the grant is as follows. PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN COUNTY WATERFORD WHICH RECEIVED MINOR WORKS GRANT FOR 2011/2012 Roll Number...

Written Answers — State Banking Sector: State Banking Sector (8 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not have any contracts with the companies referred to by the Deputy. With regard to contracts entered into by the bodies under the aegis of my Department, this is an administrative matter for each agency. This information is not collated centrally by my Department. The Deputy should be aware, however, that the procurement of goods, works and services by bodies under the...

Written Answers — Third Level Entrance Examinations: Third Level Entrance Examinations (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together. The selection criteria for admission to medical programmes are determined by the higher education institutions in line with their statutory autonomy in academic affairs. The introduction of HPAT in 2009 had regard to the findings of the Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education & Training: Medical Education in Ireland: A New...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard is a specific initiative to provide part time higher education places targeted at unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return and who will need new qualifications and skills to re-enter employment in areas where sustainable opportunities may arise as the economy recovers. A first-stage process evaluation of Springboard was published by...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department will shortly be making direct contact with the school authority in the context of the matters raised by her.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I believe that the Deputy may have misunderstood the reply given by the Taoiseach on 1 May 2012 to a question concerning the modern languages in primary schools initiative. In his reply, the Taoiseach did not give a commitment to review the decision to end the modern languages in primary school initiative. He did however state that the primary curriculum is being reviewed by the NCCA in the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: At a Government meeting held on the 15th March, 2011, it was decided to reduce the number of staff permitted in Minister's Private Offices from 10 to 8 and Minister of State's Private Offices from 7 to 5. The number of staff permitted in Minister's Constituency Offices was reduced from 6 to 4 and Ministers of State's Constituency Offices from 5 to 3. The staffing of these offices at my...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed by school Boards of Management, on behalf of the school patrons or trustees, and it is the Board of Management that employ the teachers at the school. Accordingly, whereas I provide funding and policy direction for schools, neither I nor the Department have legal powers to instruct schools to follow...

Written Answers — Skills Development: Skills Development (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 67 and 68 together. The new Higher Diploma Level 8 Conversion ICT Programmes targeted at jobseekers have been rolling out from March 2012. To date 682 students have accepted places or are enrolled on these programmes countrywide. A preliminary evaluation of applicant data shows that there has been strong demand for these programmes from high quality...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility and the payment of the student grant is a matter for a student's local grant awarding authority, in this case County Roscommon VEC. Officials in my Department contacted County Roscommon VEC, which confirmed that it issued the 2nd instalment of the grant on the 11th of January 2012 and the 3rd instalment on the 17th of April 2012 to the student's college,...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy will retain all of its current teaching posts for the forthcoming 2012-13 school year. 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...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of 18 year olds in post-primary schools for 2011/12 school year is 18,061 in mainstream education which includes Junior Certificate, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate programmes. There are an additional 7,846 18 year olds enrolled in Post Leaving Certificate, Core VTOS and Repeat Leaving Certificate programmes. The age...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 staffing arrangements in schools for the 2012/2013 school year can also be...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (10 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A key priority for my Department is to prioritise and target resources in schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. That challenge is significant given the current economic climate and the target to reduce public expenditure. Therefore, there is no capacity for any additionality in the DEIS programme. The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (10 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The income threshold for this level of grant is currently being determined in the context of the formulation of the student grant scheme for the 2012/13 academic year. It is expected that the scheme will be published to coincide with the projected go-live date for the new online grant application system on 28 May 2012.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (10 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant awarding authority. Where the appeals officer decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my...