Results 10,141-10,160 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The cost for the provision of ministerial transport at my Department in 2011 was €57,248.77. In 2012 the cost to date is €36,919.50 and includes the salaries of the two civilian drivers plus the employer's P.R.S.I. contribution together with relevant subsistence expenses claimed by the Drivers. My Department does not have the financial information required by the Deputy in relation to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 301 together. The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The Design Team are currently working on the Stage 2a Submission (Developed Sketch Design). To ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of projects to meet the increasing demographic demands will...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The student referred to by the Deputy recently had their appeal considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. In order to be considered for a grant a student is required, under Section 8(1)(b) of the Student Support Act 2011, to be in attendance on a full-time basis. The course referred to by the Deputy does not require a student to devote their whole working time to their...

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

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested is outlined on the table. In 2008 my Department established a process to centrally monitor proposals to engage external consultants. As a result of this process consultancy expenditure since 2008 has been kept to a minimum. My Department continues to monitor proposals to engage external consultants with a view to keeping expenditure in this area as low as...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The Design Team are currently working on the Stage 1 Submission (Site Report/Suitability and Initial Sketch Scheme). Due to the financial constraints imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of school accommodation to meet the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Department issued Circular 0012/2012 in March, 2012 which is available on the website, setting out the arrangements for access to the redeployment panels for the 2012/13 school year for eligible registered primary teachers in fixed term, substitute and part-time positions. The closing date for receipt of applications for access to the redeployment panels was 20 April, 2012. The...

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Ask a question.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will refer to it in my response to Second Stage.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The highest levels of literacy are in Latin America.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: No real policy change has been made. It is being expressed in a different way. I can clarify this point for the Deputy. He can rest assured we are not diminishing or disimproving working conditions.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: No, I am not saying that.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are pubs closing in rural Ireland and the Government is not closing them.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for his comments. The debate on smaller schools will take place when the value for money report, which will be out in a matter of weeks, is available. As for the Bill that is concluding its Second Stage debate, I thank the Deputies for all the contributions made. In particular, I pay tribute to Deputy Smith on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party and Deputy McClellan on...

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011: Referral to Select Committee (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Education and Skills pursuant to Standing Order 82A(3)(a).

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The current focus in schools is on using ICT (a) as a tool in learning and (b) to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the curriculum, guided by the ICT curriculum framework developed by the NCCA. This framework is supported by extensive digital resources on the Scoilnet website, by professional development programmes for teachers and by investment in ICT infrastructure. All...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The new arrangements for 2012/13 school year incorporate a long overdue updating of the GAM (learning support) allocation for all schools. This inevitably involves changes to existing clustering arrangements whereby a teacher is shared between schools. Shared full-time posts and travel between schools is a long standing feature of the primary system. There were a plethora of long-standing...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Circular 0056/2011- Initial Steps in the Implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was issued to Primary Schools in November 2011. Para 5.2 of the Circular informed primary schools that from January 2012 they had to increase the time spent on mathematics by 70 minutes per week. For infants with their shorter school day this will require 3 hours 25 minutes. For other...

Written Answers — School Inspection Reports: School Inspection Reports (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are 188 schools in the second level sector that offer Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses covering a wide range of disciplines. 167 of these schools provide PLC courses in addition to their curriculum provision for the junior and senior cycles leading to the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate examinations and qualification. Since 2003, the Inspectorate has conducted 1,483...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for improved accommodation. I can confirm that in the context of considering the application, my Department has carried out a site visit to the school. The outcome of this visit is now being considered and my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities as soon as this process has been completed.