Results 10,561-10,580 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: In 2008, my Department undertook a review of the provision of temporary accommodation with a view to achieving best value for money. The review the development of new contractual terms to incorporate buy-out and relocation options to cater for individual local circumstances and appropriately protect the interests of the Department and school authorities. In February 2011, the schools...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The schools referred to by the Deputy have an application with my Department for capital funding for a major school project. In view of the need to ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of major school projects required to meet demographic demand will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years. In the context of the need to prioritise available...
- Written Answers — Third Level Grants: Third Level Grants (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The Student Grant Scheme and the Student Support Regulations for the 2012/13 academic year were published by my Department on the 11th June to coincide with the introduction of the single grant awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland or SUSI, and the new central online application system going live. The online application facility along with the guidelines pertaining to the...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, on the 20th June I outlined an Action Plan in response to the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. I also said that I broadly accept the recommendations on divestment made by the Advisory Group and I have requested that the process leading to divesting of patronage in areas of stable population begin...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports including resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.
- Written Answers — Education and Training Boards: Education and Training Boards (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 to 227, inclusive, together. My Department has not finalised budget proposals for the new Education and Training Boards. However, I expect that the new boards will be established early in 2013 and work on the budgets for each of the boards will be undertaken later this year. My Department published Circular 24/2012 on 19 June 2012 which detailed the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the tabular statement. Staff Retired from Department of Education and Skills from 2009 to 2012 Number of retirees Cost of lump sums paid 2009 56 ⬠4.9 million 2010 29 ⬠1.5 million 2011 26 ⬠1.9 million 2012 41 ⬠4.1 million |
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based...
- Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together. The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations, charging and collecting fees for examinations and applying such monies to the carrying out of...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I do not have any plans at present to issue guidelines on the teaching of English in Gaelscoileanna specifically. My Department issued a Circular (56/2011) to primary schools regarding the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in November 2011 and this may be accessed on the website of my Department. This circular to primary schools covered issues relating to time for...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 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 2a Submission (Developed Sketch Design) and, when complete, the school will forward this submission to my Department for review. Assuming no issues arise, the project will then proceed to stage 2(b) which includes planning...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the Government has decided that a salary ceiling of â¬200,000 will apply to future appointments to senior positions across the Public Service. Since becoming Minister I have written to the Chairpersons of University Governing Bodies requesting them to ask all relevant individuals, including Presidents, who earn in excess of â¬200,000, to make voluntary waivers...
- Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (26 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: The programme for Government clearly states that education is a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. One of my Department's high level goals is to provide a quality inclusive school and early years' education system with improved learning outcomes. A key focus of education policy is...
- Written Answers — Third Level Grants: Third Level Grants (26 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...
- Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: A question would be welcome.
- School Textbooks (27 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I am very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. I have met with members of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks and to avoid placing schools and families in a position where textbooks are altered unnecessarily. The association agreed a voluntary code of practice among their members,...
- School Textbooks (27 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for bringing this matter before the House. With regard to the home economics curriculum, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, last changed it in 1994. The first edition of Lifewise was published in 2006 and a second edition is being published in 2012. The code of practice provides for no revisions to existing textbooks for four years unless changes...
- School Textbooks (27 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: I agree with the Deputy on the last matter. Where a workbook and a textbook are integrated into a single document it should not be beyond the boundaries of imagination to construct a disposable workbook alongside the textbook. The textbook would remain valid and each year a cheaper, castaway workbook could be run in tandem with it. It is, in effect, built-in obsolescence to have a workbook...
- Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (27 Jun 2012)
Ruairi Quinn: My Department undertook a comprehensive consultation process on the proposed fund. Press advertisements invited views, which could be forwarded by post, e-mail or by a freefone service, which was operated by Barnardos. Officials also met with groups representing survivors of residential institutional abuse, the congregations and a number of other interested parties. Under existing...