Results 10,041-10,060 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses, including those in Northern Ireland, from the 2012/13 academic year onwards will not be entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Existing postgraduate students will not be affected. However, those students who meet the...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The correspondence, inter alia, calls for the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012 to be voted down and suggests that not one survivor will benefit directly from the Fund only service providers. As the Deputy will be aware, this Bill has been drafted following the unanimous agreement of an all-party motion passed in Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the 2009 Ryan Report...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (15 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. This limits the capacity for any additionality in the DEIS programme. In this context, I have no immediate plans to undertake the type of...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department proposes to proceed with by-elections to fill vacancies for representatives of staff and parent representatives in a number of vocational education committees as early as possible in the next school year. It is intended to issue a circular well in advance of the election date, which has yet to be determined.

Written Answers — Education and Training Boards: Education and Training Boards (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In October 2011 the General Scheme of an Education and Training Boards Bill was referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education. The General Scheme was also published at that time. Following discussions with my Department and relevant stakeholders, the committee prepared a report which I responded to at a meeting of the committee on 25 January 2012. The...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government is strongly committed to promoting Ireland as a centre for international education. The Programme for Government sets out an ambitious target of doubling international student numbers over the coming five years, through full implementation of the international education strategy, Investing in Global Relationships. International education is also identified in the Action Plan...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards will not be entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. However, those students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant will be...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The delivery of the proposed extension at the school in question has been devolved to Co. Kilkenny VEC and I understand that the VEC will shortly commence the process of appointing a Design Team.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that as outlined in the Five Year Plan and in view of the need to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place, the delivery of major school projects to meet significant demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years. The Five Year school building programme is focused on meeting those...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Circular 31/2011 each principal must report to his or her board of management on a regular basis on the fact that a list of unemployed registered teachers is being maintained, and the circumstances in which he or she has had to engage a registered teacher in receipt of a pension under a public service pension scheme or an unregistered person. Records relating to recruitment and...

Written Answers — Institutes of Education: Institutes of Education (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Confucius Institutes are an initiative of the Chinese Government, intended to promote study and awareness of Chinese language and culture worldwide. There are two such Institutes in Ireland, both based in universities: the UCC Confucius Institute and the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland. As autonomous institutions, both universities have their own direct relationships with the Chinese...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student should qualify for a grant. Where a grant application is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The allocation of funds to the National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) is €2,041,927 for 2012 . This funding covers the full cost of the service including the employment of 1 National Co-ordinator, 4 Assistant National Co-ordinators, 7 Regional Development Officers, 1 Literary Development Officer, 1 Speech and Language Therapist, 1.75 Occupational Therapists and 1 Research Officer. No...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: An appeal from the person in respect of whom details were supplied by the Deputy is due for consideration at the next sitting of the Student Grants Appeals Board which is scheduled for the 7th June 2012.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I recently announced details of a forum to explore ways to tackle the problem of bullying in schools. This Anti-Bullying Forum is due to take place on the 17th of May 2012 and will bring together a range of experts, support groups and representatives of the schools sector including parents and students. It is envisaged that there will be a range of speakers on the day of the Forum which will...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 233, inclusive, together. The need for additional school provision in Ashbourne was identified by analysis carried out by the Forward Planning Section of my Department, using enrolment data and demographic trends. My Department put in place an application and patron selection process for the establishment of new schools to cater for increasing...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 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 — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards will not be entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Existing postgraduate students will not be affected while pursuing their current course. In making these changes, I have provided for...