Results 12,121-12,140 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The curriculum in schools is devised on the basis that ICT is a tool to be embedded into the teaching and learning of all subjects and therefore in all schools. A recent report by my Department's Inspectorate found that there is a trend towards the greater incorporation of ICT into classroom activities in our primary schools. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has developed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, all new applications for the 2012/13 academic year are being processed and paid by SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority. Continuing students who are renewing their grant for attendance on an existing course with their existing awarding authority, which will be either a local authority or a VEC, will continue to have their applications processed and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Nov 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 — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that, following agreement in principle by the Government to broaden the current means testing arrangements for student grants by way of inclusion of the value of capital assets, I set up a dedicated implementation group to bring forward detailed proposals for implementation in 2013. I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools, which is available on the Department website, includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment. Additional temporary EAL (language) support posts are provided, as necessary, to schools that have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, all new applications for the 2012/13 academic year are being processed and paid by SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority. Continuing students who are renewing their grant for attendance on an existing course with their existing awarding authority, which will be either a local authority or a VEC, will continue to have their applications processed and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials from my Department have been meeting with the SUSI management team on a monthly basis since the start of the year and more recently are meeting on a weekly basis. The processing of student grants by SUSI is being closely monitored and kept under continuous review by my Department. All additional staffing requests by SUSI have been sanctioned.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has recently gone to tender. Assuming that no issues arise, it is anticipated that construction will commence in the second quarter of 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the new Junior Cycle all students will be expected to achieve 24 statements of learning over the period of their Junior Cycle. These include valuing local and national heritage and understanding the importance of the relationship between past and current event and the forces that drive change and understanding the origins and impacts of social, economic and environmental aspects of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The joint Government-Industry Action Plan, which I launched in January this year, was developed as a direct response to specific skills shortages in the ICT sector. The Plan outlines a range of short, medium and long term measures to develop a sustainable domestic supply of high quality ICT graduates to support the further expansion and development of ICT sector and support innovation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Access (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The primary motivation for the Government in taking very difficult budgetary decisions is to retrieve our economic sovereignty and put the economy on a road to recovery. In closing the gap between revenue and spending, unpalatable savings measures are necessary and savings for student supports were inevitable as part of that. Given the growth in demand for participation in third level, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Loans and Fees (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department, with support and advice from the National Treasury Management Agency, met with a number of commercial providers in relation to the provision of credit to enable postgraduate students to pursue their studies. A loan system is now in place for such students by Bank of Ireland which is more flexible and affordable than standard unsecured personal loans as the repayment schedule...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Retention Rates (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's recently published Report on Retention Rates of Pupils in Second Level Schools, which shows the highest number of students ever completing second level education, is a welcome development. It does, of course, place pressure on our teacher numbers at a time of increasing enrolments. At this point I do not propose to give any specific commitment on the current levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department calculates the staffing and grant allocations for primary and post primary schools on the basis of the total number of 'recognised' pupils enrolled in the school on 30 September of the previous year. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. In accordance with Circular 0057/2011, pupils in post primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Physical education (P.E.) is already included in the curriculum at primary level and it also forms part of the Junior Certificate at post primary level. At primary level, the P.E. curriculum includes six broad strands featuring Athletics, Dance, Gymnastics, Games, Outdoor and adventure activities and Aquatics. A minimum of one hour of P.E. per week is recommended for all primary school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I agree with the Deputy about the challenges faced with rapidly increasing enrolments in our schools. This is why certain budgetary measures regarding teacher allocations have been introduced and further measures will be required in future years in order to manage teacher payroll costs. Teaching resources are allocated to schools on a school year basis. Unlike most other areas of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Access (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Monitoring of access and participation in higher education is ongoing by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) as part of work on the current National Access Plan (2008-2013). Every year, 'Equal Access' data on the socio-economic background of entrants to higher education is gathered by each higher education institution as part of the student registration process. The HEA are also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that this Government is committed to the provision of resources for children with special educational needs. The Programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. Approximately 15% of the entire budget of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Nov 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: Departmental Contracts (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: School building projects are tendered in line with public procurement procedures. There are two methods of tendering (the Restricted procedure and the Open procedure). In both procedures there are minimum standards for participation (including previous experience, turnover, insurances, capacity to obtain a bond etc). The minimum standards for participation are stated in the Contract...