Results 13,881-13,900 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department strives to ensure that a continuum of special education provision is available as required for children with special educational needs. In line with this approach the policy is to promote a child-centred approach to education of all children with special educational needs including those with autism. As each child with autism is unique they should have access to a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that works will commence on site in early May for the school building project referred to by the Deputy and will be completed in quarter 2 of 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The reality is there was extensive consultation over many months with teachers and other stakeholders in relation to the NCCA document "Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle." The plans for a revised Junior Cycle, as announced by me last October, reflect the content of the "Towards a Framework" document. However, my proposals do go further in relation to assessment – and the move away...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The current arrangements for the vetting of teachers have been in place since 2006 and operate on a non-statutory basis. As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality sponsored the recently enacted National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. The Act is not yet commenced but provides for the putting in place of statutory requirements...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department currently spends some €1.3 billion or 15% of its budget in support of children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism. Many children with autism are supported in mainstream schools where they are integrated with other children, including those with other Special Educational Needs. These children have access to additional resource teaching hours and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Following on from recent publication of the results of the surveys of primary school patronage, I have written to the Catholic Patrons in the 23 areas where parental demand for change has been confirmed in the recent surveys. I requested they now consider options for reconfiguring schools under their patronage in order to allow the transfer of a school to a new patron. I have asked the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The Design team are currently working on the completion of stage 2(b) which includes the preparation of tender documents. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware of the financial access issues in relation to fees and grants being encountered by children of non-EU migrants entering and attending higher education courses. These issues are currently under consideration. The Deputy will however appreciate in the current economic climate that any decision in relation to changes to either the Free Fees Schemes or the Student Grant Scheme will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Design (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions: 1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. 2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term payment prescribed under the scheme. In the case of a dependent candidate, the reckonable income taken into account is that of the candidate and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The health and safety of school staff and pupils is a fundamental aspect of the day-to-day management of schools. My Department has a role in supporting schools in relation to how they discharge those responsibilities. The survey conducted by IMPACT can be valuable in informing best practice in schools and I hope it will be made available to my Department and others. On receipt of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Issues (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I appointed the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board with effect from 25th March 2013. A copy of the Press Release issued, with the members' details, is being forwarded to the Deputy. 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 institutional child...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those 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 schools,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Currently all primary and post primary schools provide P.E. as part of the curriculum and approved syllabuses are in place. The recommended time allocation for P.E. is 1 hour per week at primary level and two hours per week at post primary. This time allocation allows for the delivery of a broad and balanced P.E. programme that enables students to achieve the learning outcomes associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Of all NCSE approved resource teaching hours in the 2012/13 school year, 85% were allocated to schools that had resource base posts. A network of over 2,500 full-time resource posts has been put in place in close to 1,700 base schools throughout the country. Base schools are required to co-operate with their neighbouring schools to ensure that any surplus capacity in the (25 hour) resource...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Leaving Certificate is a high stakes examination. It provides a direct entry access route to further and higher education and the labour market. This is no longer true of the Junior Certificate for the vast majority of students. Just as we reached a point in 1967, where there was no longer a need for a state examined Primary Certificate, I believe we have now reached that point in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants Eligibility Criteria (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that, following agreement in principle by the Government to broaden the current means testing arrangements for student grants by way of inclusion of the value of capital assets, I set up a dedicated implementation group to bring forward detailed proposals. I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently under consideration and I will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware I launched new "Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools" on 28 January last. These Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the Guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes. The publication of these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Evidence has shown that disadvantage associated with poverty and social exclusion assumes a multiplier effect where the levels are highly concentrated in schools. DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion remains my Department's policy instrument to address educational disadvantage which focuses on addressing and prioritising the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: On Tuesday, 29 January 2013, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald, and I published an Action Plan on Bullying which sets out 12 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. Officials from my Department have already commenced work on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Over the period since the launch of the National Literacy and Numeracy 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...