Results 10,621-10,640 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: Apart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary or post-primary schools are not permitted to charge school fees. Voluntary contributions by parents are however permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay. I have no plans to prohibit such voluntary contributions. The Deputy will, however, be aware...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 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 — State Examinations: State Examinations (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Comments and observations regarding test instruments are an intrinsic part of the feedback that SEC would normally expect to receive in any year. The well-tried methodology in place to deal with issues that arise in the course of the examination process is the development of the marking scheme by the Chief Examiner and his college of examiners in light of the circumstances of that year's...

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the review of allowances in the public service which is ongoing at the moment is being conducted by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the detail of this review or to speculate on its possible outcome pending the completion of the review and its consideration by Government.

Written Answers — Schools Guidance Counsellors: Schools Guidance Counsellors (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: All schools must continue to provide guidance to their pupils however from the start of the new school year guidance provision will be managed by schools from within their standard staffing allocation. Circular 0009/2012 issued by my Department while informing post primary school management and staff of the revised arrangements confirmed the requirement to provide for guidance. This was in...

Written Answers — Special Education Review: Special Education Review (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a formal role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 in advising me in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. I have asked the NCSE to provide me with comprehensive advice on how the educational system currently...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA is currently in the process of developing a new language curriculum for primary schools in the context of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. The three research reports, which I launched on 29th. May, were commissioned by the NCCA to support this process. One of the recently published reports, by Dr. Pádraig Ó Duibhir and Professor Jim Cummins, focuses specifically on the...

Written Answers — Student Grant Scheme: Student Grant Scheme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The online student grant application system went live on 11th June 2012 and to date over 13,500 fully completed student grant applications have already been received by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). There was no delay in making the student grant application process available. In fact, it has been made available earlier than previous years. The introduction of SUSI as the new...

Written Answers — Schools Guidance Counsellors: Schools Guidance Counsellors (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This Government has protected education as much as it can. Far greater reductions in expenditure and in the number of public servants are being made in other sectors relative to those in schools. But there are limits to the level of expenditure on education and the number of teaching posts we can afford. My Department has published Circular 0009/2012 to inform all post primary school...

Written Answers — Research Centres Programme: Research Centres Programme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the Deputy is referring to a proposal for the establishment of an education research and policy institute, along the lines of the UK Institute of Education (IOE). The IOE in the UK conducts around a quarter of the educational research carried out in UK Universities. Research at the IOE is funded by a diverse range of organisations including research councils, charities,...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that in light of the scale of demand for additional school places forecast to arise over the coming years, my Department has held meetings with a number of relevant state bodies, including the National Asset Management Agency, in order to discuss the need for suitable sites for educational purposes in the coming years.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011 I announced that 20 new post-primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. This announcement included for the provision of a new Gaelcholaiste in Balbriggan to commence operation in September 2014. The assessment of the applications received for patronage of new second level...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General confirms that over €8 million in unauthorised payments were made to senior university staff over the period June 2005 to February 2011. This is completely unacceptable behaviour and represents a failure in governance in our universities and is a serious breach of public pay policy. These unauthorised payments have been ceased in all...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 73 small primary schools were originally due to lose a classroom teacher in September 2012 as a result of the budget measure to increase the relevant pupil thresholds. The Staffing Appeals Board considered appeals from any of the 73 schools that could show that their projected enrolments for September 2012 were sufficient to allow them retain their classroom teacher over the longer term. 38...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is not my Department's intention to provide a new Circular regarding the arrangements for the provision of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for the coming school year as neither the policy nor the arrangements for the provision of SNA support have been revised or amended. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 43 and 49 together. Comments and observations regarding test instruments are an intrinsic part of the feedback that SEC would normally expect to receive in any year. The well-tried methodology in place to deal with issues that arise in the course of the examination process is the development of the marking scheme by the Chief Examiner and his college of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 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 to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of such...

Written Answers — Teaching Council of Ireland: Teaching Council of Ireland (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Section 18 of the Teaching Council Act 2001, the Council publishes annual audited accounts which are laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The annual accounts provide full details of the Council's income and expenditure for each year together with an up to date overview of its financial position including accumulated reserves. The Teaching Council's annual accounts for 2011 show a...

Written Answers — Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge: Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Tionóladh cruinniú tionscnaimh an Ghrúpa Idir-rannaigh don Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030 ar 8 Feabhra 2012. Bhí ionadaithe as roinnt Ranna Rialtais, an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna ina measc, i láthair. Nótáladh ag an gcruinniú go gcuirfear chun cinn tiomantas an Rialtais d'fheidhmiú na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge laistigh de na hacmhainní buiséadacha atá...

Written Answers — Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme, operated by the Department of Social Protection, provides support for eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. Eligibility for the Back to School Allowance is determined and administered by that Department and is therefore primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for...