Results 10,301-10,320 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 153 together. My Department has recently entered into a framework agreement with 15 internet service providers as part of the Schools Broadband Access Programme. Under the framework agreement all previous school connections were put out to tender and contracts are due to be signed shortly. The request for a second connection at Carrigaline Educate...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme is available for downloading from...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A postgraduate student entering a course for the first time in May 2012 should have made application to the appropriate awarding authority under the Student Grant Scheme 2011 and should have received a decision at this point. The Deputy will be aware that, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 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 schedule for the 2012-2013 school year is available on my...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The appeals process at post primary level is now complete and the Chief Executive Officer of Westmeath Vocational Educational Committee has been notified of the outcome of their appeal. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and it's decision is final.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced last December that the means test for student grants will be amended to take account of the value of certain capital assets as well as income for the 2013/14 academic year. A dedicated Capital Asset Test implementation group has been established. The group has been charged with bringing forward detailed implementation proposals on new means testing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is actively engaged in the process of acquiring a site for the proposed new school, referred to by the Deputy, and have reached agreement, in principal, subject to contract with Cork County Council, in relation to the proposed purchase of the site concerned. In this regard, the issue of the "decision to grant planning permission" by the Local Authority...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has reached agreement, in principle, subject to contract with Cork County Council, in relation to the proposed acquisition of a site for the school to which he refers. With regards to planning permission, a "Notification of Decision to Grant Permission" has been issued by the Local Authority and the "Decision to Grant Permission" is awaited....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are eight teachers serving in primary, secondary and community/comprehensive schools currently being paid by payable order. The Deputy should note that there are fifty six thousand five hundred and forty four teachers paid on the serving payrolls. None of the eight teachers currently being paid by payable order have received the salary increase of 2.5% from the 1st September, 2008.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are 6 teachers who opted to be paid by electronic funds transfer in the period February / March 2009 who were given retrospection of the salary increase of 2.5% to the 1st September 2008. No retrospection was paid to teachers since that time. A Rights Commissioner decision in June 2009 indicated that retrospection should not be paid. All new staff joining the Department's payrolls are...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are 572 retired primary, secondary and community/comprehensive school teachers paid by payable order from the retired teachers payroll operated by my Department who retired before 01st September 2008. The increase of 2.5% payable from 01st September 2008 was awarded to all these retired teachers.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are no retired primary, secondary and community/comprehensive school teachers paid by payable order from the payroll operated by my Department who retired between 01st September 2008 and 31st January 2009. Their pension is paid electronically into an account.

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As a result of Budget 2012, Circular 70/2011 provides that teachers who had been engaged in a public sector teaching post on or before 4 December 2011 are eligible to retain the qualification allowances they were entitled to be in receipt of on that date. Such teachers will not be paid any additional allowance where they acquire any further qualification on or after 5 December 2011. The...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of a Vocational Education Committee (VEC) school to the VEC in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Pre-enrolment data by standard or individual school is not available.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16: Medium Term Exchequer Framework published last November provides for an investment of €2.2 billion in the Education Sector over the five year period to 2016. On 12 March this year, I provided details in the 5 year plan of 275 major school building projects that will proceed to construction over the duration of the plan (details of the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education is responsible for allocating Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of such supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. In considering the level of SNA support required by a school the NCSE takes into...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware from my previous response to him in December 2011 that this project was at an advanced stage of the tender process but progress had been delayed due to a number of technical issues relating to site access. These issues have now been resolved. However following the withdrawal of both the preferred bidder and the second lowest tenderer, my Department in consultation...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Financial assistance is available to students under the student grant scheme, which from the 2012/2013 academic year will be administered by Student Universal Support Ireland ( SUSI - a division of the City of Dublin VEC) on behalf of my Department. SUSI will accept all new applications in its first year of operation. Renewal applications will continue to be dealt with by the existing 66...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167, 213 and 229 together. The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill contains provisions to protect the existing remuneration and superannuation entitlements of staff transferring to the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland. It is appropriate that the Oireachtas would protect remuneration and pension...