Results 10,101-10,120 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Education Finance Board: Education Finance Board (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Education Finance Board is an independent statutory body established in 1996 pursuant to section 23 of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Act 2005. Funding for the Board has been provided from the €12.7 million contribution provided by the religious congregations under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement specifically earmarked for educational support for former residents...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The Design Team was appointed earlier this month following a tender competition. The Boards of Management will now work with their Design Team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning. School building projects currently in architectural planning,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The Design Team is currently working on the Stage 2(b) submission (Detailed Design & Preparation of Tender documentation). Planning Permission, Disabled Access and Fire Safety Certification have been secured. The project is included in the recently announced five year...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Scheme the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss...

Written Answers — School Expulsions: School Expulsions (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) has advised my officials that there were 128 students expelled from second level schools for the 2008/09 school year and that there were 148 students for the following school year. The data for 2010/2011 school year is being finalised by the NEWB. Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is estimated that some 170 staff have been involved in the student grants administration function across 66 grant awarding bodies nationwide – 33 VECs and 33 local authorities. The single grant awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland, or SUSI, which has been established as a unit of the City of Dublin VEC, will operate with a whole time equivalent staffing of 65, thereby...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 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. However, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, students entering new...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Special need assistants are employed by the managerial authorities of the individual primary and second level schools or by Vocational Education Committees and not my Department. Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The projects which have completed stage 2(b) which are not on the five year construction programme are Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, Knocknacarra, Galway Roll Number 19994G, Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, Galway Roll Number 63090I and St. Raphael's College, Loughrea, Galway Roll Number 63070C. School building projects currently in architectural planning, including the projects referred to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The total photography costs incurred by my Department since 9 March 2011 are €381.15 (€315 + €66.15 VAT). This cost relates to copies of photographs taken of a school project and their use on an A1 display board which was submitted to the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland for the joint RIAI/Department colloquium on school design which was held on June 30th 2011 in Dublin. There...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware my Department funds the Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) support service at Post Primary level which includes modules on Anti-Bullying which addresses racist bullying. The SPHE Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator is available to give schools in depth advice and support on issues to do with bullying at their request and in addition runs training courses on positive...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. A stage 2(b) submission was received from the design team earlier this week and is currently under review. The project is included in the recently announced five year construction programme and is scheduled to proceed to construction in 2015/2016.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 before the House. The main purpose of the Bill is to amalgamate the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, known as HETAC, and the Further Education and Training Awards Council, known as...

Private Members' Business. Referendum (Amendment) (Varying Of Polling Day) Bill 2012 — First Stage (Resumed) (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is time for that to be done.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together. I understand that the schools referred to by the Deputy have made enquiries with my Department regarding the amalgamation process.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...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools that are not in a position to admit all pupils seeking entry to implement an...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools within the free education scheme. As the Deputy is aware these grants are calculated on a per pupil basis with minimums and maximums applying to certain grants. Capitation for amalgamated schools is calculated on the same basis as any other recognised primary school. Where schools are amalgamating there is provision...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 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 relevant appointment and retention figures for mainstream staffing for the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware I recently allocated €35 million to allow almost 200 schools with rented prefab accommodation an opportunity to replace their rented prefabs with permanent accommodation. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 140 schools have now been approved and full details of these schools are available on my Department's website. Assessment of the remaining applications is...