Results 15,441-15,460 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (18 Sep 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 student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI on 29th August and the student will be notified directly by SUSI of the outcome. Where an appeal is turned down in writing by SUSI and the applicant remains of the view...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been contacted by phone and a letter informing the student of the outcome of his appeal is being issued.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced on 9 March 2012, outlines the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of the Plan. The Deputy will be aware that an extension project at the school to which he refers has been included in the Plan and is due to commence construction in 2015/16. The current status of all projects on the school building programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 329 and 370 together. The context for any discussion about class sizes is that my Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. My focus is on ensuring we have school places and teachers for all the additional pupils entering our schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (18 Sep 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 re-tendered last year under a public procurement competition. As a result of this the number of service providers has been expanded from 6 to 13 with the aim of ensuring that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Stay Safe Programme (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In general, the Board has the responsibility to ensure that the school operates efficiently and effectively. Boards of Management are required to comply with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the relevant Rules for National schools and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested is available on my Department's webite at the link below. Please see table under the heading Class Size Information at Individual Primary School Level.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities, in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream national school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for a pupil or pupils with special care needs arising from a disability. The first priority is that the care needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The policy my Department is to provide for the maximum level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, while also providing for a continuum of provision which can ensure that specialist facilities are also provided for students whose needs are such that they require specialist support in either special schools, or in special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Weight of Schoolbags (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware my Department issued Circular M35/05 in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem. The circular referred to the recommendations of the previously published report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags. This report acknowledged...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 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, that following an appeal to the SUSI Appeals Officer the original decision of the awarding authority was upheld and a decision letter issued on 13th August, 2013. Under the residency requirement of the Student Grant Scheme, a student must have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The capital funding provided to primary and post-primary schools in County Cork (including Cork City) in each of the years 2008 to 2012 and to date in 2013 was as follows: 2008 - €40.673m 2009 - €38.956m 2010 - €40.498m 2011 - €31.194m 2012 - €30.828m 2013 - €28.343m The Deputy will appreciate that without the specific school names and school roll...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. Thus my Department has issued a number of circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Under these circulars school Principal's must maintain a list of unemployed registered...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343, 388, 389 and 408 together. As the Deputy will be aware the student contribution, which currently stands at €2,500, is payable by students who qualify under the free fees schemes. Students who qualify under my Department's student grant scheme have the contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer. Conscious of financial pressures on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that SUSI -Student Universal Support Ireland, the centralised student grants awarding body, has met its first target for processing applications for the 2013/2014 academic year. It has completed its initial assessment of all first time applications received before the August 5th deadline for priority processing. Late applications continue to be accepted. This year the SUSI...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 to 348, inclusive, together. The introduction of a Code of Practice for the provision of education to international learners and a related International Education mark are provided for in the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012 and no further legislation is required. The Act provides that Quality and Qualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2011, the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme to build two mainstream classrooms. Construction of the two classrooms commenced in July this year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In January this year the school referred to by the Deputy was approved devolved funding under my Department's Additional to build two mainstream classrooms. I understand from the school authority that construction of the two classrooms will commence shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. A Pre-Stage 1 Stakeholder Meeting between the Department, the School Board of Management and its Design Team was held earlier this month. The school currently caters for a Principal plus 16 Mainstream classroom teachers. When this project is complete the school will accommodate a...