Results 13,941-13,960 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together. My Department currently operates a number of exchange or re-deployment schemes for teachers. At Primary level a teacher exchange scheme exists whereby a teacher may voluntarily exchange with a teacher in any other school. The minimum period for which an exchange may occur is one year and the maximum is five years. Within the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that, at close of business on 22nd April 2013, 19,462 applications had been refused. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to their awarding body. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by their awarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that, at close of business on 22nd April 2013, 6,669 appeals had been received by SUSI and 164 of these are awaiting a decision from the appeals officer. SUSI aims to issue appeal determinations as promptly as possible and within the timeframe specified in the Student Support Act, 2011. Where an appeal is turned down in writing by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that, at close of business on 22nd April 2013, 1,099 students who have been awarded a grant have yet to receive payment as they have not yet entered their bank account details and/or the college has not yet confirmed their attendance. SUSI is continuing to make payments on a weekly basis to ensure students can get paid their grant as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that in 2011 my Department purchased a site, subject to the granting of planning permission, to construct a new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy. My officials consulted with the planning authority and planning permission has been recently granted for a 16 classroom school. As the Deputy will be aware, in view of the need to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Free Education Scheme (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The authorities of Kilkenny College indicated that they were considering that the long term future of the College might be better secured by entering the Free Scheme. The Government is committed to supporting access of minority denomination communities to schools that are of their tradition or ethos. The provision made by Kilkenny College caters for the needs of children from the Protestant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A syllabus for Politics and Society as a new subject in the Leaving Certificate was submitted to my Department by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in May 2011. The implementation issues are being examined at present in the context of overall system priorities and resources.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government is committed to improving the quality of education in Ireland. In relation to teaching, this agenda is being driven on a wide number of fronts, including through the work of the Teaching Council, the initial teacher education (ITE) providers, the national induction programme for newly qualified teachers and the provision of a range of continuing professional development...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Responsibility for the delivery of the school referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the Office of Public Works. The OPW have recently forwarded a tender report for this school project to the Department and the Department is currently, with the OPW, considering these documents. The school project is being progressed so that the accommodation required for the school will be provided at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Provision for languages is spread out over the Irish education system. At primary level the focus is on acquisition of the two national languages, Irish and English. Beyond the primary level, the focus expands to include not only English and Irish but also other languages. Post-primary builds on the foundation established at primary level by offering not only English and Irish but also a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An incomplete application for home tuition for the pupil referred to by the Deputy was submitted to my Department. My officials have advised the parents in question on what is required to process the application further and await their reply.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The numbers of students (both new and renewal) who received student grants (which may include maintenance or fees) from the academic year 2007/08 to 2011/12 are as follows: 2007/08 = 54,666 2008/09 = 57,261 2009/10 = 69,486 2010/11 = 71,532 2011/12 = 76,644 These data are compiled from information supplied to my Department by the 66 grant awarding authorities. In addition, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of students enrolled in higher education full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses in HEA designated institutions in the 2011/12 academic year is some 162,786 students. Finalised data in relation to the 2012/13 academic year will not be available until late summer 2013 but provisional data as at the 1st November 2012 suggests that some 161,443 students were enrolled in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard, which was first launched in May 2011, strategically targets funding of free part-time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. Springboard 2011 provided part-time higher education places for 4,956 unemployed people on 204 courses at certificate, degree and post graduate level....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools for the coming school year 2013/14 is set out in Circular 0013/2013, which is available on the Department website. These arrangements include the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My officials understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy appealed the original decision to its Appeals Officer on 18th April , 2013. SUSI aims to issue appeal determinations as promptly as possible and within the specified timeframe specified in the Student Support Act, 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available on an up to date basis and I have asked my officials to compile the data and will provide it as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that, in conjunction with my colleague Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, I was pleased to announce at the end of January this year, the publication of the Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools – Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention. The Guidelines have been developed to bring coherence to and build upon the multitude of practices that are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Services Provision (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. All contracts under the Schools Broadband Access Programme were recently re-tendered under a public procurement competition. As a result, the number of service providers has been expanded from 6 to 13 thereby increasing the range of service options...