Results 13,661-13,680 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that reasonable accommodations for students with special educational needs, who are taking State examinations, may include the provision of a reader or scribe, subject to the conditions set out by the State Examinations Commission, which are available at www.examinations.ie. Such accommodations are specific to participation in state examinations and are therefore...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Approximately 88% of Primary teachers, excluding Principals, are female. In the case of Voluntary Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools approximately 69% of teachers, excluding Principals are female. VEC teachers are employees of VECs and are paid on 33 separate VEC payrolls. Accordingly, the Department does not have the information which the Deputy is seeking for teachers in VECs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Multidenominational Schools (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced that 20 new primary schools are to be established up to 2017 across a number of locations to meet significantly increasing demographics in those areas. This announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new primary school in Ratoath, County Meath. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to analyse...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The independent Student Grants Appeal Board is in receipt of an appeal from the student in question. The appeal is due for consideration on the 27th March next. The student will be notified directly of the outcome by the Appeals Board.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers to recently applied to my Department seeking funding for a PE hall. My Department has written to the school authority concerned to advise that in view of the need to prioritise available funding towards the provision of essential mainstream classroom accommodation, it is not possible to provide an indicative timeframe for the progression of the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households. I have no plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants Eligibility Criteria (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review carried out in 2011, a decision was made to abolish the payments by this Department towards the cost of attendance at Gaeltacht courses by students commencing their programme of primary initial teacher education. The decision came into effect for the 2012/13 academic year. As the Deputy will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Transition Year Programme (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I believe that it is very important that we hear the student voice when we are developing policy. To that end I have encouraged ISSU to engage with my Department with a view to outlining its proposals for research on Transition Year and I understand that a meeting has already taken place. ISSU are scheduled to meet officials from my Department after Easter to discuss the further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Second-Level Students' Union (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My officials met with the ISSU to discuss the matter in question. They advised the ISSU representatives they must first resolve issues regarding their legal status and requested a strategic plan demonstrating how they can achieve self sufficiency. I clarified this at subsequent meetings with them.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including Resource Teaching support for children with more complex special needs. The NCSE operates within my...

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

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, provisional recognition was granted for the establishment of the Gaelcholáiste referred to with effect from September 2007, for a trial 3 year period. It was noted that the enrolment figures achieved in the three-year period of provisional recognition fell very significantly short of the targets identified by the organising committee for the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the Deputy's office has clarified that the question relates to the schools in County Mayo that are scheduled to amalgamate. I wish to advise the Deputy that Eskeragh National School and Keenagh National School are due to amalgamate during the current school year and my Department has conveyed approval for the amalgamation to the Patron concerned.

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

Ruairi Quinn: The major school building project referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning. The Design Team for this project was appointed in October 2012. The project is included on the five year Capital Investment programme, announced in March 2012, to progress to Construction in 2014/15.

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

Ruairi Quinn: The introduction of this new salary scale has been a complex task which has required a detailed implementation process. My Department, in consultation with VECs, is working through the operational aspects of these changes as they affect existing teachers and their pay. The case of the person referred to by the Deputy is being examined. The person will be advised of the position in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 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: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The introduction of this new salary scale has been a complex task which has required a detailed implementation process. My Department, in consultation with VECs, is working through the operational aspects of these changes as they affect existing teachers and their pay. The case of the person referred to by the Deputy is being examined. The person will be advised of the position in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the matter raised by the Deputy related to an internal staffing arrangement within the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the Deputy's question was forwarded to that organisation for their consideration and direct reply. I can advise the Deputy that the NCSE has confirmed that a reply has now issued directly to the Deputy regarding this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement 2010 - 2014, teachers undertook to provide additional time for a range of activities to take place without the need to reduce class contact/tuition time. The purposes for which the additional time can be used in primary schools are detailed in circular letter 8/2011, which is available on my Department's website. The recent proposals put...

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

Ruairi Quinn: In July 2012 a planned investment in educational projects through the public private partnership process (PPP) was announced as part of the Government's economic stimulus package. As a result, a further 2 bundles of school projects will be rolled out consisting of a total of 12 individual schools worth a total of approximately €100 million. Delivering these schools through the PPP...