Results 12,641-12,660 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy a grant has been refused and a letter outlining the position issued on 17 December 2012. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The management authorities of the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application recently for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to carry out various improvement works at their school. As the scope of works for which funding is sought is outside the terms of the scheme they cannot be considered for funding. The management authority of the school has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Eligibility for the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and associated payments is determined and administered by the Department of Social Protection. The BTEA scheme was established to assist people who have been out of the workforce for some time and whose opportunities of obtaining employment would be enhanced by participation in the scheme. In this regard, I understand that it is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The vetting arrangements for those seeking to work in the schools sector were initially introduced in 2006. The recently enacted National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 will provide the statutory basis for the vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable adults, including those working in schools The Act sets out the statutory procedures...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Literacy Levels (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has prioritised funding for literacy and numeracy initiatives in the current, very difficult, budgetary context. The priority is to support measures which are proven to be core to improving outcomes for our children and young people. These include improving initial teacher training and continuing professional development, supporting curricular change and systematically...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of the above, I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy has been approved devolved funding to build an extension under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The school authorities have recently submitted an application for additional funding related to the accommodation already approved and also for further capital funding towards the provision of ancillary school accommodation. The school has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy a grant has been refused and a letter outlining the position issued on 4 January 2013. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take qQestions Nos. 263 and 346 together. My Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) operates an early intervention continuum of assessment in schools for students with the broad range of special educational needs. The continuum of assessment allows for the identification of pupils with special educational needs, their nature and severity by harnessing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of schools which had major projects that commenced construction in 2010, 2011 and 2012 was 45, 65 and 39 respectively. All of these projects progressed under the new Public Works Contract(s). This form of contract includes a clause to allow the contracting parties (i.e. the Contractor or the Employer) to refer disputes to Conciliation and if necessary to Arbitration. Three of these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Maintenance support is not available for students entering postgraduate courses in the academic year 2012/13. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that issued a grant award letter to the student in question on 14 November 2011. His application was subsequently reviewed and a revised award letter issued providing the him with revised grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school to which he has referred. Given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this point in time in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Qualifications (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As per the results from the most recent 2011 census conducted by the Central Statistics Office, there are approximately 35.5% (427,498 of 1,203,174) of the population between the ages of 20 and 40 who hold a third level qualification of Ordinary Bachelor Degree or National diploma or higher.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Qualifications (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As per the results from the most recent 2011 census conducted by the Central Statistics Office, just over 20,012 people from a population of 99,314 over the age of 15, or 20.2% held a third level qualification of Ordinary Bachelor Degree or National Diploma or higher in County Kerry.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received correspondence from the school authorities in June 2012 relating to the matters to which he refers. The school stated that they had drawn up a plan for the development of the school, including proposals to address traffic management issues. However, the development would require the acquisition of additional land adjacent to the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources. Therefore, all income is assessed from the same starting point, eliminating any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions. I have no plans at present to change this arrangement in respect of the determination of income for grant purposes.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Rankings (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Irish universities' positions in the Times Higher Education rankings has remained relatively stable this year which show that Ireland still has 2 universities in the top 200; 2 in the top 350 and another university in the top 400. Two of these universities, Trinity College Dublin and National University Ireland Galway have improved their relative ranking positions in the last year. While...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The following table provides a breakdown of the processing position of student grant applications received by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) on a county basis. The data provided is at a point in time on 15 January, 2013. It gives the position for student grant applications for attendance at both further and higher education. This data has been provided to my Department by SUSI. SUSI...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, her student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI and the original decision was overturned. On that basis, a letter issued to the student on 10 January 2013 confirming that her application is currently being reassessed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (16 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that further supporting documentation was requested from the student referred to by the Deputy. The documentation was received on 14 January 2013 and is currently under consideration. When the analysis is complete the student will be notified directly of the outcome.