Results 10,821-10,840 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Fire Safety: Fire Safety (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The aggregate information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department. A school is not required to apply for a Fire Safety Certificate unless it is undertaking building works. A Fire Safety Certificate is a certificate granted by a Building Control Authority certifying that the building or works, if constructed in accordance with the plans, documents and information submitted to the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that this relates to a student who does not qualify for free fees and is being charged the non EU rate of fee as an international student. As explained in my last reply higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged (EU or Non EU rate), in cases where undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees under...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. My Department has published the staffing arrangements at post primary level for the coming school year, 2012/13. The relevant Post Primary circular is 0009/2012 which is available on my Department's website. The staffing arrangements in schools for the 2012/2013 school year can...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCSE has notified all schools of their allocation for the 2012/13 school year of resource hours for low incidence special needs. The arrangements for how schools access these resource hours in teaching posts are set out in the Department Staffing Circular 0007/2012. Under these arrangements a network of over 2,500 full-time resource posts has been put in place in close to 1,700 base...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In September 2011, the school referred to by the Deputy was granted funding for the provision of 2 Mainstream Classrooms under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. In May 2012 the school applied for additional funding for a sliding sound proof partition between both classrooms so that the school could use the rooms for assemblies, choir practice and parent meetings. This...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Some 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 provisionally upheld appeals from 41 schools subject to confirmation that their actual enrolments in September 2012 reach the required level. The breakdown of the remaining 32 schools is...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 175 together. Attention to information literacy is a feature of the NCCA's ICT Framework: A structured approach to ICT in Curriculum and Assessment (2007) which is available to all primary and post-primary schools. There are no specific initiatives underway at the moment on information literacy at primary level but information literacy is an integral...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Contracting Authorities have an obligation to ensure that, as part of suitability assessment for projects, Contractors have adequate economic and financial capacity. The Turnover requirements are 1.5 times the project value, which for small projects of limited duration is not onerous. In that regard I do not propose to make any changes to the requirements.

Written Answers — Information and Communications Technology: Information and Communications Technology (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Between November 2009 and November 2010, my Department distributed some €92m directly to schools and VECs under the national ICT Infrastructure Grant Scheme. The main priority under this scheme is the equipping of each classroom with a teaching computer and digital projector. Once the baseline is in place schools can allocate any remaining funding under the scheme to other ICT equipment and...

Written Answers — Emergency Works Scheme: Emergency Works Scheme (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy submitted a revised application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to replace windows at their school. The application is currently being considered and the school authority will be advised of the decision as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In October 2011 the General Scheme of an Education and Training Boards Bill was referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education. The General Scheme was also published at that time. Following discussions with this Department and relevant stakeholders, the Committee prepared a report which the Minister responded to at a meeting of the Committee on 25 January...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy may be aware that an Anti-Bullying Forum was held on Thursday 17th May bringing together a range of experts, support groups and representatives of the schools sector including parents and students. I was very pleased to open this important Forum and to provide an opportunity to explore with all the relevant stakeholders how best to tackle bullying in schools and to consider what...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department issued Circular M35/05 in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem. The circular referred to the recommendations of the previously published report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags. This report acknowledged that many of the solutions...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The Design Team are currently working on the Stage 2a submission (Developed Sketch Design) of the design process. This project was not included in the Capital Programme, which I announced in March of this year. School building projects currently in architectural planning,...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is called taking responsibility.

Written Answers — Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta: Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Molaim ceisteanna Uimhir 76, 77 agus 98 a thógáil le chéile. Mar a d'fhógraíodh i mBuiséad 2012, cuirfear scéim aonair nua de sparántachtaí, a bheidh bunaithe ar fhiúntas agus riachtanas airgeadais, in ionad na cúig scéim scoláireachta don ardoideachas, lena n-áirítear Scoláireacht Sheachtain na Cásca 1916 An Scéim Scoláireachtaí Triú Leibhéal do Scoláirí ón...

Written Answers — School Guidelines on Mental Health: School Guidelines on Mental Health (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The work on the development of Mental Health Guidelines for Post-Primary Schools is currently at an advanced stage and will be launched and published following the completion of the final consultation phase with relevant stakeholders including unions. The working group for the Guidelines comprises senior personnel from my Department, the Health Services Executive and the Department of Health...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is readily available on my Departments web-site and is updated regularly. The full budget allocation in 2012 for large scale projects amounts to €209m of which €118m has been expended to date. With over 56% of the allocation expended at the end of the first week in July, I am confident that the total allocation will be fully utilised by year-end.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has been in contact with the school authority regarding the accommodation needs of the school to which he refers and is awaiting a response from the school on the queries raised.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that a draft report is currently under consideration by the Implementation Group and that I should receive the report in the coming weeks.