Results 13,721-13,740 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In parallel with the proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement, the Government has decided to legislate for a reduction in all public service pensions greater than €32,500. Pensions below that level will not be affected. For public servants who retired before the end of February 2012, the reduction will be implemented by way...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that higher education institutions, including universities, are autonomous bodies and the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in the case of postgraduate study is a matter for the institutions to determine. Therefore it is a matter for the institution concerned to determine the fee rate applicable to the student referred to by the Deputy, based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of remuneration paid to Chairpersons and board members of the state agencies under the remit of my Department can be downloaded from the Departments website http://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies/Details-o f-Membership-of-State-Boards/.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Eligibility (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. SNAs are allocated to schools in order to provide for the care...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting of Personnel (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have been advised by the State Examinations Commission that the recruitment of superintendents for the 2013 certificate examinations is in line with both the requirements and provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and I see no need to carry out an investigation as suggested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Weight of Schoolbags (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department issued Circular M35/05 in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem. The circular referred to the recommendations of the previously published report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags. This report acknowledged that many of the solutions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including children with Down syndrome, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions 125 and 126 together. I understand from SUSI that in total there is now 59 staff working in Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), 34 of which are permanent and 25 are temporary. Due to the cyclical nature of work associated with student grants the staffing levels are under continuous review by SUSI, and the staffing levels to be retained between now and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 128 together. In accordance with normal protocol, it is the function of my officials to conduct business with the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Dublin VEC in relation to the operation of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) and to report to me as appropriate. A project team comprising Department officials, the Chief Executive Officer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 138 together. Funding for the administration of student grants by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is provided on a financial year basis. It is not possible to fully disaggregate costs on a single academic year basis as operational costs span two academic years. The funding provided by this Department to SUSI in the financial year 2012...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The contractual arrangement that Student Universal Support Ireland has with Abtran is a framework agreement which includes attended hourly rates and attended daily rates. This approach provides flexibility in responding to resource demands within the peaks in the workloads that arise during the student grant processing period.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland that at close of business on 24th March 2013, 37,623 applications have been awarded or provisionally awarded. 23,064 have been refused or cancelled. 790 applications are currently with SUSI for processing, the majority of which are as a result of the close out strategy. 35,589 awards have now been paid. 533 students have to submit course...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that as of 24th March 2013, 5,769 appeals have been decided by SUSI appeals officers. 3,604 appeals were overturned of which 1,258 were overturned on foot of additional information received from the student. Appeals received by SUSI are dealt with in date order, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the Revenue Commissioners contacted Student Universal Support Ireland in relation to the company in question for a reference at the end of the tendering process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Design (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As a matter of routine, my Department reviews the student grant scheme each year to prepare policy proposals and to include changes announced under the relevant Budget. My Department is currently preparing the necessary regulations for the student grant scheme for 2013/14 with a view to publishing them as early as possible this year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An external review of Student Universal Support Ireland's business processes is currently being undertaken to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year. The review is at an advanced stage and is currently being finalised by Accenture the company carrying out the review. As the review is still on-going the final cost of the review is not yet available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Design (27 Mar 2013)

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: Schools Building Projects Status (27 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: Departmental Reports (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The report of the value for money review of small primary school provision is in the final stages of preparation. I expect to publish the report and I look forward to debating its findings at that stage.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Transport (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The tabular statement gives details of the costs associated with the provision of ministerial transport in 2012 at my Department. A review of ministerial transport was initiated by the current Government and it was decided that state cars would only be provided for An Taoiseach, An Tanáiste and the Minister for Justice & Defence. The other members of cabinet now use their own car...