Results 13,641-13,660 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that the independent Student Grants Appeals Board is currently sitting at weekly intervals in March to deal with the appeals on hand. The Appeals Board has also scheduled a similar sitting arrangement for April. Appeals are received on an on-going basis throughout the academic year. Appeals are considered by the Appeals Board as quickly as possible and within the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application from the student in question is being reviewed and SUSI will contact the student directly in relation to the outcome shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement Issues (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement arise from an intensive and difficult set of negotiations between the Public Services Committee of ICTU and the Government. These negotiations took place against a backdrop of continuing significant difficulties in the finances of the State. The public service trade unions are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not operate LoCall 1890 numbers. Last year, my Department replaced an ageing telephone system, with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephony system, in its three main offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore. It is planned to rollout VoIP to all regional and local offices later this year. Once this is fully implemented,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together. For the Deputy's information, a new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony system was procured for my Department in 2012. The project involved the roll out of the new system across the three main locations of the Department (ie Athlone, Dublin and Tullamore offices) and has greatly reduced telephony expenditure. During 2013,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Presidential Reports (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have received a copy of the "Being Young and Irish – Take Charge of Change" report. I share the concerns of the young people in relation to the creation of jobs. Last year, the Government published "Pathways to Work". This will involve radical reform and restructuring of the Further Education and Training Sector and the establishment of SOLAS which is currently underway. In 2011,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post Leaving Certificate Centres (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) is an approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre which is managed and funded by City of Dublin Vocational Educational Committee (CDVEC) from funding provided by my Department. Post Leaving Certificate Centres provide further education courses up to Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that policy can be expressed and manifested through a variety of forms. Explicitly, it is communicated via legislation, regulations, rulings, orders, plans, strategies, policy statements, and other forms – or through a combination of these. Therefore the Deputy will appreciate that specific policies and objectives are not always articulated in just one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school project referred to by the Deputy is included in the 5 year capital programme and is scheduled to progress to construction in 2014/15. The OPW had agreed to deliver a number of schools including the school referred to by the Deputy and the process of consultation with the relevant stakeholders on the timeframe for the delivery of these schools will commence shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In general , incidents, of the type referred to by the Deputy, are best dealt with in accordance with a school's code of behaviour and it is therefore important that a school's code of behaviour makes very clear the standards expected of pupils, including those relating to respecting school staff, and the actions that will be taken in the event of any breaches of the code. The Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school project referred to by the Deputy is included in the 5 year capital programme and is scheduled to progress to construction in 2014/15. The OPW had agreed to deliver a number of schools including the school referred to by the Deputy and the process of consultation with the relevant stakeholders on the timeframe for the delivery of these schools will commence shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An appeal from the student in question was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on the 5th March 2013. I understand that the appeal was unsuccessful and that the Appeals Board upheld the decision of the appeals officer and the awarding authority. The student was notified of the outcome on 5th March 2013. Information in respect of a change of circumstances was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is in the process of being updated in consultation with the NDFA and will be forwarded to him in the next few days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: It would appear from the details supplied by the Deputy that the first named student is a second level pupil. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the second named student has had his grant application reviewed and a revised award letter issued on 4th March 2013. The grant application for the third named student is currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234, 236 and 263 together. The first measure took effect on 1 September 2010. It requires that, in order to be eligible to receive the qualified rate of pay and allowances, a person on their first appointment to teaching must be registered with the Teaching Council and appropriately qualified for that position or sector. This was introduced for the purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) having received in excess of 69,000 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 SUSI to ensure that applicants are processed correctly, SUSI accepts that, following its quality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 237, 256 and 265 together. The school project referred to by the Deputies is included in the 5 year capital programme and is scheduled to progress to construction in 2014/15. The OPW had agreed to deliver a number of schools including the school referred to by the Deputy and the process of consultation with the relevant stakeholders on the timeframe for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme is available for downloading...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) having received in excess of 69,000 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 SUSI to ensure that applicants are processed correctly, SUSI accepts that, following its quality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The application from the school referred to by the Deputy is being considered by my Department. All applications for additional accommodation must have Patron approval and it is understood that the Patron is considering the matter. Department officials met with the school's Patron on 20th March last.