Results 13,821-13,840 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is probably aware, on 29th of January last, Minister Fitzgerald and I published the Action Plan on Bullying which sets out twelve actions to help prevent and tackle bullying in primary and second level schools. I have ring-fenced €500,000 to support implementation of these actions this year. As part of the Action Plan, new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, in June of 2011, I announced that 20 new primary schools are to be established up to 2017 across a number of locations to cater for increasing demographics. This announcement included a proposal to establish a new primary school in Lucan. The new school will commence operation in September 2013 under the patronage of County Dublin VEC to be located in interim start-up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 440 and 443 together. 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...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. A design team has recently been appointed to commence the architectural planning process. The school currently caters for a Principal plus 16 Mainstream classroom teachers and when complete will accommodate Principal plus 24 Mainstream classrooms. This project was included in the 5 year...

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

Ruairi Quinn: A building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is contained on the 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced in March 2012. The proposed extension project is scheduled to commence construction in 2014/2015. The current position is that the Schedule of Accommodation for the project has been finalised and this was furnished to the school authority on the 12th April last. The next...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 444 and 467 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a formal role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 to advise me as Minister in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. The NCSE has been asked to provide comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Prior to September 2011, there were three primary schools in the Ashbourne area, all of which were under Catholic patronage. During 2010 and 2011, the Department had been examining the question of increasing the number of primary school places in the area to cater for the expected increase in enrolments. The patron indicated that, following local consultation in the area, the consensus was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: 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. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE allocates a level of SNA support for each school annually...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 448 and 449 together. The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the National School Annual Census return. The census for the current school year (2012/13) is being finalised at present and results will be published on my Department's website later in the year. At that point the definitive answers to the Deputy's questions will be provided as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The detailed data sought by the Deputy has taken my officials some time to compile. However, the information is being finalised at present and I can confirm that it will be issued directly to the Deputy within the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have recently established the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) Board pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act, 2012. The Board will oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million pledged by the religious congregations to support the needs of some 15,000 survivors of residential institutional child abuse, who have received awards from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Expenditure (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 to 457, inclusive, together. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA institutions. The HEA allocates this grant to institutions for free fees and core grant funding and other specific earmarked initiatives As the Deputy will be aware, higher education institutions such as DIT...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Availability (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Ensuring streamlined and diverse provision of higher education is a key priority of the higher education reform agenda. The Higher Education Authority will shortly advise me on a future outline configuration for the system which will incorporate consolidation within the institute of technology sector and greater collaboration between all higher education institutions on a regional basis....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently awaiting the appointment of a Design Team and the commencement of architectural planning. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 492 together. The Deputies will be aware that I signed a Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and the County and City Managers' Association (CCMA) last year. This Memorandum of Understanding fosters increased levels of cooperation and formalises the local authorities' part in identifying and securing sites for educational use. In this...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland, that on 19th March 2013, a request for further documentation was issued to the student referred to by the Deputy. When the requested documentation is returned the student will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Land Acquisition (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested by him. However, I will forward on the information sought to the Deputy at an early date.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Regulations (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Public Service Reform Plan, published in November 2011, recognises the key strategic importance of public procurement and provides for the development of a new policy framework for procurement. This work is now being led by the newly appointed Chief Procurement Officer, Paul Quinn. Under his leadership, a new national procurement office for the public sector is being established. Paul...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Chaplaincy Services (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department allocates chaplain posts to Community and Comprehensive Schools and designated Community Colleges. There are currently 152 whole time equivalent chaplain posts allocated to these schools. The annual cost is approximately €9m. The appointment of catholic or Protestant chaplains to these schools flow from the original agreements concluded when the schools concerned were...