Results 11,961-11,980 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers is not a recognised national school and is not therefore eligible to receive funding from my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (8 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, a project for a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers is included in the five-year construction programme that I announced last March. It is my Department's intention that this project will proceed to construction in the period 2015-16. My Department has sought the assistance of, and is working closely with, the relevant Local Authority in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (8 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am not in a position to comment on the use of this resource by teachers in post-primary schools. It is a matter for individual schools to select the resources and textbooks available that best support their implementation of the syllabuses, including CSPE, prescribed by my Department. This flexibility gives schools the opportunity to select the resources that are most appropriate to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (8 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within by Department and is being sought from the bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department. When it is compiled, it will be forwarded to the Deputy.

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I commented on it this morning.

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I move amendment No. 2:To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:"notes that: — the annual cost of attending college increased by over 950% during Fianna Fáil’s time in office, from €190 in 1996-97 to €2,000 in 2011-12, effectively bringing to an end the era of free third level education in Ireland; — sixty-six bodies...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I have already made it clear to the Higher Education Authority that it is not acceptable for students to be placed at any disadvantage because of any delays. In response to Deputy Troy's contribution, I must point out that it is not my role to communicate directly with individual colleges in this regard. The intermediary is the Higher Education Authority, to which I have written on a number...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Let me just describe the process of how we arrived at SUSI. We invited expressions of interest from all of the grant-awarding public sector agencies in taking the lead role and becoming the sole grant-awarding agency. The principle of having one agency to do this work was accepted by everybody, both in opposition and in government. Subsequent to the change of government on 11 March 2011, I...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputies have raised a legitimate issue in a responsible way and I am responding in that manner. Most of us in the House this evening have already received our education. We are talking about students who are struggling now, in very difficult times, when trying to get alternative finance by way of a loan is extremely difficult. I am acutely conscious of that. What we want to do...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My own party colleagues and the Fine Gael Deputies acknowledge that it is not working the way we had hoped. If there are mistakes in the system, I assure Deputy O'Brien that it is easy for me to say I did not make them, but I am responsible.

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Clearly it is not working as well as we had hoped and we have to learn from that. There is nothing wrong with saying that it has not worked as well as we had hoped and we have to learn lessons from that.

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My approach to this is twofold. First, let us fix the problem and get the confirmation and grants out to all eligible applicants so that they can draw down the money. Second, let us go back, having done that, and examine what went wrong. I do not want to have an inquiry in the middle of trying to solve the problem.

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I would love to say that I am satisfied but I cannot do so because I do not know. I have spoken with the chief executive of SUSI, Jacinta Stewart, and I heard all the questions that members of the committee put to her. She was accompanied by just two officials to assist her in responding to questions. My priority is to ensure that every student who is entitled to a grant and has applied...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There was no reason for me to intervene.

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Some day Deputy McConalogue will be standing over here as a Minister, and I wish him well in that regard. When he occupies this position, he will find that he cannot have overall responsibility for his Department at the same time as supervising its day-to-day operations. He will need to delegate authority and management. One responds to organisations when they request additional resources...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I accept that the Chair, acting as the referee, cannot interfere with the game. Perhaps it is the democrat in me but I would sooner have a dialogue than allow people to make speeches to each other. I listened carefully to what Deputy McConalogue had to say on behalf of Fianna Fáil. I also listened to Deputy Martin, who left a number of hostages to fortune given his record in this...

Education Funding: Motion [Private Members] (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The objective was to make it better, however.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The person referred to by the Deputy was an employee of the Board of Management of the Limerick Model School. The Board of Management has made an application, under the terms of the Superannuation Act 1887, seeking to award the individual concerned a gratuity payment on retirement. My officials are liaising with officials of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 284 together. I have accepted the recommendations set out in a report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on the structures of initial teacher education. The purpose of the report, which I requested, was to identify new possible structures to improve initial teacher education in Ireland so that it is comparable with the best in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (13 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 2nd November, 2012.