Results 11,081-11,100 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the House for its co-operation not just on this Bill, but also in respect of other items of legislation I have brought before it since becoming Minister for Education and Skills. I compliment Senators on their work and I hope they enjoy their well-deserved holiday.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As I announced last December, 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. The Deputy will be aware that a dedicated capital asssets test implementation group was established to bring forward detailed implementation proposals on new means testing arrangements for student grants, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Home Tuition Scheme provides funding to parents to provide for education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement including eligible pre-school children with an autistic spectrum disorder. The child to whom the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Reform (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 356, 414 and 470 to 476, inclusive, together. My Department is in discussion with all of the relevant bodies, including the universities, on the full range of issues related to the transition to higher education which are identified in the NCCA-HEA report published following the Transitions conference last September. It will submit a report for me on all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The statutory responsibility for the determination of the education, training and qualifications required for a person to be registered as a teacher rests with the Teaching Council. Therefore I do not have a direct role in the matter. The requirements for registration with the Teaching Council are set out in its 2009 Registration Regulations which are available on its website...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a third-level admissions scheme for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions under this programme are regulated by the institutions themselves. Further details are available at www.accesscollege.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy lost a mainstream classroom post due to a reduction in its pupil enrolments as at 30 September 2011. The school appealed this decision to the Staffing Appeals Board on the basis that it was projecting an increase in enrolment figures for September 2012. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board deferred making a decision on this appeal pending confirmation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (18 Sep 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 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Labour Market Activation Scheme (LMA), which was introduced in 2009, provided for 1,500 free undergraduate and 1,000 free postgraduate places for unemployed people on part time courses in universities and institutes of technology across the country. Only those part time courses approved and selected by an independent evaluation panel were eligible for funding under the LMA initiative....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy is a 2 teacher school and it will remain so for the 2012/13 school year. Its pupil enrolment on 30 September 2012 will be the basis for determining its staffing allocation for the 2013/14 school year. These enrolment returns are due to be submitted to the Department in October.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for new student grant applications is a matter for the central grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application in relation to means, residency, nationality and previous academic attainment, it would not be possible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: No new agencies have been established under the aegis of my Department since February, 2011. - In June 2011, the functions of the National Educational Welfare Board transferred to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. - Since September 2011, the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) is within the remit of Dublin West Education Centre alongside the Department's largest...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's officials clarified that the Deputy is referring to the bodies under the aegis of my Department. Attached please find a list of the Agencies under the remit of my Department. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the cost of each agency is available in the published annual estimates for the Department. http://per.gov.ie/estpubexp2012/; in addition annual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Job Creation Issues (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: During its first 100 days in Office, this Government put in place a Jobs Initiative and, within its first year of being in Office, the Government put in place an Action Plan for Jobs. The Deputy will be aware that the APJ includes a target to create the environment where the number of people at work will increase by 100,000 – from 1.8 million to 1.9 million – by 2016, and reach...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The following is the information regarding taxi expenditure in my Department since February 2011: 2011 (from 1 February 2011) €25,554.11 2012 ( to 31 August 2012) €16,756.18 Taxis used by my Department's officials are for business purposes and officials are required to ensure that every effort is made to minimise the use of taxis. These costs were incurred by officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Numbers (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is one Director of Communications at the Press Office of my Department on an annual salary of €86,604. None of the agencies under the remit of my Department have dedicated press officer positions. In the event they receive press or media enquiries these matters are addressed by an administrative member of staff.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of all appointments to bodies under the aegis of my Department , including those made since my appointment as Minister, can be accessed on my Department's website www.education.ie. The day to day management of agencies, including the payment of expenses in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines, is a matter for the management of each agency and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The total photography costs for my Department since 9 March 2011 are set out in the following table. My Department adheres to the National Procurement Service's photography framework in place for central government, local government and the health and education sectors. My Department does not pay a Ministerial allowance to either myself or the Minister of State. The total photography costs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The details requested in relation to entertainment expenses paid for directly by my Department are outlined on the attached table. My Department does not pay a Ministerial allowance to either myself or the Ministers of State. My Department adheres to Department of Finance guidelines in relation to official entertainment expenditure. In order to minimise costs, it is my Department's practice...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The following table provides details of my Department's expenditure on refreshments for meetings and functions in 2011 and to date in 2012. Year Expenditure 2011 €73,067.17 2012 €37,166.16 The type of refreshments included are beverages, snacks and lunches for meetings, functions and in house courses. My Department engages on a regular basis with a broad range of stake...