Results 15,101-15,120 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Regulations (4 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (D/PER) has responsibility for implementing national policy on public procurement, particularly in relation to construction procurement. Capital projects funded by my Department are administered in line with the guidance issued by D/PER under the Capital Works Management Framework. Bonds are generally required for projects with an estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (4 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Since March 2006 the Teaching Council is the statutory body for the registration of teachers including the recognition of teaching qualifications. The Council's registration regulations must be met before a person can be registered as a teacher. The Regulations aim to ensure consistency of approach and high standards for entry to the profession. Teachers are employed by the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (4 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The reckonable income thresholds for the standard rates of student grant normally track the percentage changes in average industrial earnings for specified reference periods as provided by the Central Statistics Office. Calculation of reckonable income is set out in Article 22(3) of the Student Grant Scheme 2013. The eligibility criteria for student grants including the income thresholds is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (4 Jul 2013)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Suspension (4 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: When the Minor Works Grant last issued in November 2011 for the school year 2011/2012, I stated that given the need to focus on meeting the demand for additional school places, it was unlikely that funding would be available for the Minor Works Grant in the coming years. This is borne out by the fact that in 2012, 85% of the capital expenditure in the school sector was in respect of large...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (4 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule is the mechanism used for the allocation of classroom...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Bodies Membership (4 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: It has not been possible to collate the information in the time available. I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: This is a day to day operation matter for FAS. I have made enquires of FAS and I understand that to qualify for the Craft Certificate an apprentice must complete all 7 training phases and assessments and be employed as an apprentice with a FÁS approved employer for a minimum period of 4 years (208 weeks). According to the information on record on the FÁS Apprenticeship Database,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Places (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department will fund over 430,000 part time and full time education and training places across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors in 2013. Unemployed participants are prioritised for places in further education and training. In line with commitments under the Pathways to Work initiative, over 51,000 places across this provision will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, stage 2b. This stage includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certificate, Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of tender documents. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with my Department's recently published Circular on Supplementary Assignment Arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (Circular 37/2013), all SNAs who received notification of the termination of their employment due to redundancy from 1st May 2013 are deemed to be a member of a Supplementary Assignment Panel for SNAs. As a result, unless an SNA opts out of this Panel, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Teaching Council is the designated authority for the recognition of professional qualifications of teachers in Ireland under Council Directive 2005/36/EC. The Council is obliged under the terms of the Directive to grant registration (or freedom of establishment) to teachers who have completed 'regulated education and training' and are deemed fully qualified as a teacher under the terms...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, his student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI on 19th June, 2013. On that basis, the application is currently being reassessed and the student will be notified directly by SUSI of the outcome. Where an appeal is turned down...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on the 4th July 2013 advising her that she was deemed ineligible to receive a grant. If the applicant considers that she has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 1st July, 2013. SUSI also confirmed that they are awaiting an invoice from the applicant's college for the fees. Regarding the payment of fees, where a student has informed the institution that a decision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that, in the case of the student in question, her grant application was refused. The student appealed this decision to the appeals officer in SUSI and the original decision was upheld. A letter outlining the position issued to the student on the 27th June,2013. Where an individual applicant has had an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded the special rate of maintenance grant and all maintenance payments have issued to the student for the 2012/2013 academic year. SUSI have confirmed that an invoice for Student Contribution was received from Waterford Insitute of Technology and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was issued a provisionally award letter on the 5th July 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, her grant application was refused. The student appealed this decision to the appeals officer in SUSI and on review the original decision was upheld. A letter outlining the position was issued to the student on the 21st June 2013. Where an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Funding (9 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently considering the matter to which he refers and a response will be conveyed to the applicant as soon as this process has been completed. The matter will be considered in the context of the financial constraints within which my Department is operating and the priority to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place. ...