Results 10,741-10,760 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department recently offered grant aid to the school in question to facilitate the construction of Learning support/resource accommodation under the Prefab Replacement Initiative. The school subsequently requested the replacement of further accommodation under the Initiative. However, based on the need to prioritise the available funding to replace rented mainstream classrooms and SET...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Applications for devolved funding for additional accommodation can be submitted as needs arise and are considered on a case by case basis. In the context of the number of applications received and the funding available, priority is given to the provision of mainstream classrooms and accommodation for special education. Other factors taken into account include the demographic growth in the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that my Department has received an application with costings for a proposed extension at the school to which the Deputy refers. The application is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Prompt Payments: Prompt Payments (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The average time lapse between receipt of invoices for goods and services in the period January to March 2012 in respect of my Department was 13 days. Equivalent information in respect of bodies and agencies under my remit is not collated centrally by my Department. However, quarterly returns details provided both by my Department and by bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department,...

Written Answers — Third Level Admissions: Third Level Admissions (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 94, inclusive, together. The information sought by the Deputy is not available in my Department as it has no role to play in determining the admissions criteria or process of selection of students for entry to higher education institutions. The introduction of HPAT in 2009 had regard to the findings of the Working Group on Undergraduate Medical...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Statistics section of my Department's website contains information relating to pupil teacher ratio (PTR) at primary and second level. Pupil Teacher Ratio in respect of all schools is only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or any other variable. The website also contains extensive information relating to class size in primary schools. The source of this data is...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Historical data on the rental of prefab units is readily available from 2009 onwards. The number of 'rented' prefabs in use at both Primary and Post Primary level in counties Cavan and Monaghan for years 2009 to 2012, is outlined in the table. Please note that one prefab unit may consist of one or more classrooms and/or ancillary accommodation. RENTED PREFABS IN COUNTIES CAVAN & MONAGHAN...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) 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...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On the approval of construction contracts involving school authorities as the client, my Department advises school authorities in detail of the new requirements that are required to be adhered to and which have been introduced by the Revenue Commissioners relating to the operation of Relevant Contracts Tax (RCT). In the first instance an explanation of the background to the new requirements...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the first named school referred to by the Deputy has been included in the 5 year construction programme and is scheduled to commence construction in 2015/16. In this regard, the process of appointing a Design Team is currently underway. With regard to the second named school, a building project comprising of 26 classrooms, Special Needs Unit and ancillary...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 103 together. Firstly, I wish to advise the Deputy that he may wish to contact my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children or the Health Service Executive (HSE) directly regarding services provided by the HSE. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of persons whose salary is within the pay ranges requested by the Deputy is provided in the table below. It is not possible to provide this information in relation to personnel employed in Vocational Education Committees (VECs) as my Department does not hold information on payments other than the basic salary scales applicable to VEC employees. Each VEC is a separate employer...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On behalf of the Government, I thank Deputy O'Dea for the observations he made, which we welcome. We will probably have information about the bond auction before the end of business, and if I receive the information, I will convey it to the House. These figures are disappointing. The Government views unemployment as its number one priority and we believe these figures are far too high. We...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I agree it is being effectively tackled but, sadly, none of us anticipated the scale of the problem left behind by the previous Government.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There remains a major problem of consumer debt in this economy. That includes personal debt, mortgage debt and the rest of it. It has taken us longer than we would have liked to get to the insolvency legislation that my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality has launched in the House. The length of time required for Second Stage speeches is an indication of the complexity of the...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am glad the Sinn Féin Party met with the troika. I hope its members continue to meet such people; it might detach them from the voodoo economics they spout in here. The reality is no family, no small business and no country can run a permanent budget deficit. The cycle must be balanced over a period of time. Unfortunately, because the tax base of this country was destroyed when the...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It was a planned surplus, which had never happened before, and we will do it again if we get the opportunity. In the meantime we will look at all the issues that are on the table, but this is the second week in July and the budget will be delivered in December. All of the special adviser salaries are a fraction of what they were, in both amount and numbers, compared to the previous...

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: First of all, I will take no lecture from a party in this House whose military wing visited two and half decades of austerity on this island.

Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The House may be interested to know the NTMA sold three-month bonds this morning at a 1.8% yield, less than the expected 2% yield.