Results 12,261-12,280 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A new school on a new site is planned for the school to which the Deputy refers and the Department is currently in the process of acquiring the site. A review of the final project brief is now being undertaken. Following that, the project will be progressed through Architectural Planning in the context of the available funding. As enrolment increases are not uniformly distributed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the acquisition of a site for the school to which he refers is being finalised at present by the Chief State Solicitor's Office. I am advised that this purchase is expected to close soon. Due to the commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to provide the information sought by the Deputy at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It has recently been announced that my Department will examine the question of exemptions from Irish. Work has previously been done in relation to the exemptions circular as indicated in replies to earlier questions from the Deputy in September 2011 and January 2012. However, the issues involved are complex and it is clear that we need to gather more detailed evidence on the manner in which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The new centralised grant awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), as at the 23rd November, 2012 paid student maintenance grants to some 265 students in County Tipperary. SUSI is continuing to make payments on a weekly basis to ensure students can get paid their grant as expeditiously as possible, once they have been awarded a grant. Those awarded a grant must supply bank...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Nine contractors indicated their interest in the completion contract for the project to which the Deputy refers. It is anticipated that tenders will issue within days and will be returned before the end of this year. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that work will commence on site early next year and be completed in quarter 2 of 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy a grant has been awarded and an award letter issued on 11th October, 2012. In the award letter the student was requested to enter her bank account details online. All students awarded a grant must supply bank account details. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for new student grant applications from the 2012/13 academic year is a matter for the new centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The following table provides details requested by the Deputy of the number of staff in each of the salary bands. Details included in the table for Department staff refer to the Chief Inspector who earned between €150,000 and €200,000 and the former Secretary General who earned between €200,000 and €300,000. Details in the remaining columns refer to senior staff in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On the 22nd July 2011 I wrote to all relevant Bodies requesting them to ask all relevant individuals who earn in excess of €200,000 to make a voluntary waiver of salary. There were eight relevant individuals whose annual salaries were in excess of €200,000 at that date. While two individuals, one of whom is a university Head, agreed to make personal arrangements with their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) having received in excess of 66,000 applications that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe. While every effort is made by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) to ensure that applicants are not put through the application...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2011 the school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding to provide 2 mainstream classrooms, 2 resource rooms plus sanitary facilities. In October, 2012 the school authority applied for additional funding for works associated with planning conditions. My Department has written to the school authority requesting further information related to the application. On receipt of this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review last year, a decision was made to abolish the payment of grants by this Department towards the cost of student teachers' attendance at Gaeltacht courses. The decision came into effect for students commencing their programme of primary initial teacher education in the 2012/13 academic year. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The July Education Programme is an educational programme operated by my Department for children who have been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and/or a severe to profound general learning disability. The Home Based programme is available where a child cannot avail of the school based programme. A maximum of 40 hours' home tuition can be approved for the month of July .This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to include this project in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department has just received the Stage 1 report from the Boards of Management and their Design Team and it is currently under review. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: All Special Needs Assistants with a contracted appointment with a school receive an annualised salary (paid fortnightly). Public holiday pay is already included in this salary and no extra public holiday payment is due to be paid. Substitute Special Needs Assistants receive payment in respect of public holidays in line with the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, i.e. if the SNA has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In January 2011, my Department issued an Expression of Interest invitation to the VECs, local authorities or other public bodies who might be interested in taking on administrative responsibility for the centralised student grants awarding and payments function. A total of 10 proposals were received. These proposals were examined by an independent selection panel against the evaluation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The enrolment of pupils in a school is a matter for the individual school. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.In this regard a board of management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or, occasionally, on the basis of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with CDVEC, that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy who is a renewal applicant that a grant has been awarded and an award letter issued on 22 November, 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The stage 2(a) submission is currently with my Department for review. Once the stage 2(a) is approved the project will progress to stage 2(b) which includes applications for planning permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the preparation of...