Results 14,461-14,480 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (29 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An appeal from the person in respect of whom details were supplied by the Deputy was received in my Department on 23 April 2013 and is due for consideration by the Independent Student Grants Appeals Board on 11 June 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Remuneration (29 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There are currently 10 people in the Education sector who are earning in excess of €200,000 and who are not academic medical consultants, four of whom are Heads of Universities. The remainder are appointments made in accordance with a framework agreed between the Irish Universities Association and the Higher Education Authority which allows for a departure from approved levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (29 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that officials from my Department have been working closely for some time now with officials from Wicklow County Council in relation to acquiring a suitable site for the delivery of school accommodation in the area referred to by him. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that agreement in principle, subject to contract, has been reached in relation to a suitable site...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs Services Provision: Motion (29 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Members will be aware that the National Council for Special Education has a specific role under section 20 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act, to which reference has already been made, to provide me, as the Minister for Education and Skills, with expert independent evidence-informed policy advice on the education of children and others with disabilities....

Seanad: Special Educational Needs Services Provision: Motion (29 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the road to travel and we will travel it as far and as quickly as we can. I have been able to ring-fence the amount of moneys available for its implementation. We have capped the number of special needs assistants, SNAs, but there are pressures on the system. This year, for example, the assessment process shows there is an increase in the number of overall special needs children...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs Services Provision: Motion (29 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: That is the very point and outcomes have consequences. In some cases, those consequences may change the nature of the support. In this debate, we must not just measure the commitment to a policy by the amount of moneys put into it but also measure its success. We do this in our own personal lives. We adopt a course of action and invest time in it. If it is not working to our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: FÁS Training Programmes (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Persons who are unemployed but, not in receipt of a social protection payment are generally eligible to take part in FÁS training courses. However, only those who were receiving a social protection payment prior to commencing training may be eligible to receive a FÁS training allowance while undertaking a course. I am informed by FÁS that the individual in question commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the 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 resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland. Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A new National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2014-2019) is currently being prepared by the National Access Office for my Department. The findings of the School Completers - Whats Next report will be considered in the context of this new Access Plan.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student should qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant. However, the qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2012/13 academic year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together. My Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of major school projects to meet significant demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Public Service Transformation Plan, which was published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in November 2011, Payable Orders will be abolished as a method of payment from August 2013. This decision is being implemented by all Government Departments. Hereafter pensions will be paid by Electronic Funds Transfer only. In order to ensure continued payment of pension...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As I said at the NAPD conference last year, at national level the NAPD has shown great leadership in helping to formulate education policy. At local level NAPD members show great leadership in the running of our schools, day in, day out. I am therefore very disappointed that Facebook has indicated that they will not engage directly with the NAPD and facilitate a meeting with them....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. Since becoming Minister for Education and Skills, I have attempted to take steps to reduce the burden on families. Shortly after coming into office I met with members of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks. I have also stressed to them...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: All arrears due to the teacher will issue on 13th June 2013. A letter has been sent directly to the person in question setting out her service history, registration details and appointment status.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the attached table which has been extracted from the Databank maintained by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The Databank can be accessed at . The figures reflected in the databank detail all current and capital spending by Government Departments and agencies, along with expenditure from the Social Insurance Fund and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that following the recent completion of the pre-qualification of contractors, the project has been authorisation to proceed to tender. It is anticipated, once the tender period is complete, that a contractor will be appointed and construction will commence in the final quarter of this year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the 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 resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (30 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In the context of the forthcoming Budget, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has asked my Department to identify savings which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future Ministerial ceilings. The identification of savings options should ensure that a sufficient range of proposals is made by all Departments to help the...