Results 13,961-13,980 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: Texts for inclusion in the lists of prescribed works for study at Leaving Certificate level are chosen by a sub-committee of the course committee for Senior Cycle English, which in turn ratifies the final selection for each year. The sub-committee is currently working on the draft list of texts for examination in 2016. The work is managed by the education officer for English for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 629 Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places are currently available in County Westmeath. These are offered in six different centres, four Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) schools, one Voluntary Secondary school and one Community and Comprehensive school. The total number of approved places available under the PLC programme is 32,688. My Department is not in a position to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: In relation to the first named candidate officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland, that on 12th April 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. In relation to the second named candidate officials in my...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy has an application with my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school building. The current status of all schools on the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The Deputy will be aware that the Five Year Construction Plan, that I announced on 9 March 2012, outlines the major school...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is endeavouring to maximise the efficient use of all available capacity in the public sector to assist in the delivery of the schools programme and in this context the new school building for the school mentioned by the Deputy is one of 15 school projects where responsibility for the delivery of the projects was devolved to the Office of Public Works (OPW). Four of these...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that officials from my Department provided the data in question to the Deputy's office on the 10th April.

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for the registration of teachers including the recognition of qualifications. I understand that the person in question has already been in contact with the Teaching Council and has been requested by the Council to apply for registration using the application form PRQA 01. As each application for registration is considered on...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: On Committee Stage I mentioned that there would be consideration of a small number of amendments to the Bill relating to accountability. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 will essentially ensure that in the transition from VECs to education and training boards, there will be no gap in the obligation to respond to the Committee of Public Accounts on VECs' financial activities. They will require the...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Debate on these issues has featured, as has already been said, on each stage of the Oireachtas consideration of this Bill and I have listened carefully to comments and suggestions about the composition of the new bodies. On Report Stage in the Dáil I introduced a series of amendments in this area. The Bill now provides that the Minister of the day must specify at least one body that is...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: On Committee Stage, Senator Bacik raised a drafting issue. She pointed to a potential inconsistency between two sections. In section 30(1)(c), parents representatives have to be either parents of children under 18 years who are students in schools and centres for education or parents of learners of any age in children detention schools, prisons, etc. However, the Senator felt it was not...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I will offer an opinion, which I will have to confirm. I will outline a common sense answer which may not necessarily be the legal answer. If the students are under the age of 18 and in school, somebody needs to represent them in the capacity of a guardian. It may be formal or informal. They may be living with their grandparents because their parents may be abroad working. If there...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: No, I would not think so.

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: On Committee Stage, I indicated that further consideration was needed on the best way to deal with accounting for the current year where part of 2013 will relate to the time of the VECs and the remainder of the year will relate to the new bodies. The purpose of amendment No. 7 is to amend the accounts provision so that the 1 April date for submission of accounts each year to the Comptroller...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In response to Senator Mooney's understandable compassionate intervention on behalf of acting CEOs, it may seem a little unjust that there are 13 who were acting CEOs but there is a rational explanation for it. The previous Administration embarked on reform and rationalisation of a series of public agencies, including the VECs. It was my predecessor, former Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, who, in the...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am prompted to respond since I have been showered with flattery and appreciation. We seldom pay tribute to those who do the work, and this massive Bill involved nine primary pieces of legislation and at least 640 statutory instruments. The person who did all of this work, Mr. Dalton Tattan, is sitting behind me and I would like to record to show that we as legislators are indebted to his...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Is it located on the main road, on the right hand side?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: It is on the left hand side as one drives to Letterkenny.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am familiar with the school. Every by-election brings strangers to a constituency and one ends the campaign as an expert on every back alley and lane. I know the school and church well. I am glad for the Senator's illumination of the opportunity to build a decent school. There is no question about the unsatisfactory nature of the existing school and I concur with everything that he has...

Leaders' Questions (24 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Hear, hear.