Results 12,841-12,860 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Other Questions: Higher Education Institutions (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Briefly, there are four stages to the process of reconfiguration in the institutes of technology, IOT, sector. I can talk separately about the university and wider third-level college sectors because initial teacher education has been dealt with separately. Both Deputies will be familiar with the proposal whereby 19 institutions have been brought down to six configurations. In respect of...

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 150 together. The Deputy may be aware that I asked the anti-bullying working group to submit its report and draft action plan to me by 30 November. The working group met this deadline and I was satisfied at that time with the progress it made. The working group identified a number of tasks that needed to be completed before finalising the plan and...

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Neither the Leas-Cheann Comhairle nor I can comment on the length of Deputy Wallace's hair. This is a significant document and I am very pleased that the work done by the working group will be published on Thursday. I invite the House to consider debating the document or just perusing it. It is not the final answer and I do not know if there will ever be a final answer to the problem....

Other Questions: Bullying in Schools (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Time prevents me from doing so now but counselling will be part and parcel of the measures. That feeds into the earlier question on guidance counsellors and the question of pastoral care in second level schools. The issue is embodied in part by the new proposals for junior cycle reform, with an aim of helping young people to be conscious of their own well-being and minding themselves....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Decisions on course deferrals are an issue between the student and the relevant higher education institution. Institutions have different rules on the particular circumstances that may be considered as reasons for a deferral. As the Deputy will appreciate, higher education institutions are autonomous bodies. As such, the governing authority of each institution is responsble for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 137, 148, 149, 158 and 159 together. The reduction of €13.2 million in 2013 VEC allocations is separate to the change in the pupil teacher ratio for Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses. That reduction takes account of VEC capacity to utilise cash balances on a once off basis. While it would have been preferable not to have to make any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The passing of primary legislation is required for the establishment of SOLAS. The Heads of a Bill for the establishment of SOLAS were approved by Government last year. The Bill will, among other things, provide for the establishment of SOLAS, the dissolution of FÁS and the transfer of the FÁS training services to the Education and Training Boards that are being established under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In general, the management authorities of schools are responsible for renting or purchasing prefabs. In current economic circumstances it is important that small and medium sized businesses are not hindered in competing for contracts that they are performing effectively and centralising the process would make it more difficult for these to compete. In recent years the emphasis within my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Directive 2005/36/EC, which has been transposed into Irish law, provides the framework for the recognition of the qualifications of professionals moving within the EU. In December 2011, the European Commission produced a legislative proposal to modernise this Directive and it has been examined by the European Council and the European Parliament since then. The facilitation of the mobility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Literacy Levels (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Over the period since the launch of the Strategy in July 2011, there has been significant progress under many of the 41 actions and almost 180 sub-actions. I have increased the time spent on literacy and numeracy at primary level and the revision of the English and Irish curricula is being prioritised in Junior Cycle Reform. Major changes are being made to initial teacher training and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 278 together. A wide-ranging programme of reform is currently being rolled out across all levels of the education system to ensure the continued development of skills appropriate to enterprise, particularly through the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and the reform of the Junior Cycle. A range of recommendations to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: All of the additional resources requested by Student Universal Support Ireland to address the delays in the processing of student grant applications were approved. I understand from SUSI that grants processing is now largely up to date and that completed applications are being dealt with as they come in. Priority continues to be given to some 3,700 students who are due payment of their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An initial appeal to the relevant grant awarding authority is provided for under the Student Support Act 2011. This provides for a review of the decision by an appeals officer, independently of the original assessment process. If the grant applicant is still not satisfied with the outcome of the initial appeal, a further appeal can be made to the Student Grants Appeals Board which is fully...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Student Assistance Fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department. As administration of the fund is devolved to the individual higher education institutions, the HEA is not currently in a position to provide the data in the format requested by the Deputy. However, a survey conducted by the HEA in November 2012 shows that the higher education sector...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have established a group of education partners to discuss and support implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle. Bodies representing second level teachers are members of this group as well as representatives from the National Parents Councils at primary and post-primary levels. It is intended that the group will continue to meet regularly over the 8 year phasing in period of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The processing of student grant applications is up to date for all students who have submitted completed applications to Student Universal Support Ireland. Those students who have yet to return the required supporting documentation should do so immediately to enable their applications to be processed to completion. Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies. As such, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The submission on system configuration of the IUA to the HEA in response to the landscape process currently underway demonstrates a welcome willingness to engage with the formation of regional clusters. Building regional collaborative clusters of all our institutions is key to the delivery of the objectives of the National Strategy including achieving a more coherent, higher quality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151, 282 and 288 together. The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities. They will continue to be a feature of our education landscape. In these extremely challenging times, all public servants are being asked to deliver our public services on a reduced level of resources and teachers in small...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 274 together. The Government has protected frontline services in schools to the greatest extent possible in the recent budget and there will no reduction in teacher numbers in primary schools and in free second level schools for the 2013/14 school year as a result of the budget. The DEIS scheme for disadvantaged schools is also fully protected with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (22 Jan 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that a dedicated capital assets test implementation group was established to bring forward detailed implementation proposals on new means testing arrangements for student grants, to include the value of assets. I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently under consideration and I will be consulting further with my cabinet...