Results 10,601-10,620 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Third Level Grants (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Students entering postgraduates courses who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant will be eligible to have their postgraduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270 under the student grant scheme. In addition, a limited number of students who would previously have qualified under the standard grant thresholds will qualify for a €2,000 contribution...

Third Level Grants (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Science Foundation Ireland was a very good initiative established by a Minister in the Fianna Fáil-led Administration in the late 1990s and has put an enormous amount of money into science and science-related research. It has benefited in the main, but not exclusively, science graduates who want to do postgraduate work, including doctoral and postdoctoral studies. Substantial funding...

Third Level Grants (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In response to Deputy Lawlor's question, the problem is that financial institutions in the private sector are making loans available but, in many cases, parents or family relatives must go guarantor. Evidently, that mitigates against people without familial support to underwrite the loan. We are looking at ways in which loan finance can be made easier to access. The detailed statistics on...

Teaching Contracts (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I assume the Deputy is referring to the position of teachers who hold a contract of indefinite duration, CID. Under the public service agreement, the Government has given a commitment that compulsory redundancy will not apply to permanent staff within the public service, save where existing exit provisions apply. This commitment was given in the context of redeployment and comprehends...

Teaching Contracts (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the difficulty. The problem in getting good, permanent employment in secondary schools is that teachers tend to be teachers of subjects. Getting the number of hours required to teach a couple of subjects can be problematic, particularly in smaller schools. It is a topic I will discuss with the employment and management bodies in the area. The same problem does not exist in...

Teaching Contracts (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will take note of the specific request and provide information on it. Across the employment spectrum in education, the good news for teachers at primary and secondary level is that in the next six years we will have 45,000 extra primary school pupils and 25,000 post-primary pupils. Dividing this by the pupil teacher ratio, approximately 30, gives an indication of the number of teachers...

School Uniforms (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I have previously put on the record of this House my support for any measures that can reduce uniform costs for parents, including measures such as the use of generic type uniforms or the use of sew-on crests or school badges. I have raised this matter informally with the National Parents Council at primary level and I recommend that the primary and post primary National Parents Councils...

School Uniforms (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: And then the child loses it.

School Uniforms (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This is an issue that arises at the same time every year. I am personally aware of the costs involved as I have a young son and grandchildren. The most appropriate solution is for a school to opt for a generic colour for its uniform, which could be delivered by the large retail units. As it is, uniforms are often not manufactured in this country, so it is not a question of disrupting local...

School Uniforms (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I agree that such an engagement would be useful. Perhaps the Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education would issue an invitation to the relevant management bodies to participate in a discussion on the issue. That could be very helpful.

School Uniforms (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Subject to confirmation - although I am fairly confident it is the case - I have no legal basis for varying the capitation funding available to schools that are delivering the curriculum on the basis of whether or not they offer the type of flexible uniform policy to which the Deputy referred.

Vocational Education Committees (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The agreed redeployment arrangements for CEOs are operating at present. The process will result in the identification of the CEOs designate for 15 of the 16 boards. I expect the process to have reached that point by early August. The CEOs designate will be appointed to the new boards when the Education and Training Boards Bill 2011 is enacted and the boards are established by law. Under...

Vocational Education Committees (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I acknowledge the concern and frustration the Deputy has expressed. Nothing is worse than uncertainty in any aspect of one's life, let alone one's employment. The people involved were all permanent CEOs, with the associated entitlements, and they have co-operated with the Department in regard to the reconfiguration which, as the Deputy observed earlier, amounts to a massive national reform...

School Accommodation (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My priority is to ensure there is sufficient school accommodation to meet projected pupil enrolment increases into the future. The five-year plan, which I announced in March as part of a €2 billion capital investment programme, outlines the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of the plan. These have been prioritised on the basis of meeting significant...

School Accommodation (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Okay.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 within my Department's...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware I outlined my Action Plan in response to the Report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism last week. I have decided to proceed immediately with the process leading to divesting of patronage in an initial 44 identified areas. I have also decided that there should be a public consultation process on the findings and recommendations in the...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Following the consultation process, a White Paper will be drafted taking account of the views expressed with the aim of having a final draft prepared by early 2013. I will also be asking the NCCA to explore, with the education partners and religious interests, the development of Education about Religions and Beliefs and Ethics programmes. While certain costs will arise, the use of existing...

Written Answers — Higher Education Institutions: Higher Education Institutions (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This ranking measured the performance of higher education systems not individual higher education institutions. Ireland's system performed well, ranking 16th out of the 48 countries measured. However, I have cautioned before about placing too much reliance on different rankings whose individual methodologies and biases vary widely. My focus in terms of the higher education reform agenda is...

Written Answers — Value for Money Reviews: Value for Money Reviews (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no question of me refusing to publish the value for money review. On the contrary, I look forward to its completion and, as I committed to the House, I will ensure publication of the report at the earliest possible date which I expect will be shortly after the summer. I have discussed the progress of the report with my officials and realise that it has not proved possible to meet...