Results 15,761-15,780 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Other Questions: School Enrolments (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, I recently published the draft general scheme of the education (admission to schools) Bill 2013, as well as draft regulations for discussion ahead of enacting legislation. As these proposals have been published in draft form, they will be subject to a great deal of detailed scrutiny before becoming law. I have referred the draft proposals to the Joint Committee...

Other Questions: School Enrolments (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I welcome the Deputy's comments and I share some of his concerns. Our present system works very well for 80% of the 4,000 schools. In 20% of cases, parents simply cannot get their children into primary or post-primary schools unless they put their names down soon after birth. The Deputy is aware of this problem in his constituency and other urban areas. The proposals were drafted in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Contribution (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware the Student Contribution stands at €2,500 for the current academic year and is payable by students who qualify under my Department's free fees schemes. I have already signalled my intention to increase the Student Contribution by €250 each year hereafter until the 2015/16 academic year when the Contribution will stand at €3,000. The full...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The policy of this Government is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. The level of resources being devoted to supporting children with Special Educational Needs has been maintained at €1.3 billion. These resources have been protected despite the ongoing severe financial position. The ongoing commitment of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 78 together. The Deputies will be aware that, following agreement in principle by the Government to broaden the current means testing arrangements for student grants by way of inclusion of the value of capital assets, I set up a dedicated implementation group to bring forward detailed proposals. I have received a draft report from the implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 86 together. The Government is very cognisant of the important role of primary schools in the fabric of local communities. Our overall primary school enrolment has been growing rapidly in recent years and this is going to continue. In managing the resource consequences of this, it is important that decisions on school provision and organisation are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 80, 81 and 84 together. The budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the forthcoming budget. The decisions in relation to such matters will be announced at budget time. A particular challenge in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Guidance Counsellors (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have already acknowledged to the House that bringing guidance within quota is challenging for schools. However, the alternative was to adjust the PTR staffing allocations. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions in different households. In the interest of equity, I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from the City of Dublin Education and Training Board that in preparation for the 2013/2014 academic year, the grants administration process has undergone significant development to enhance its effectiveness and deal with the difficulties experienced last year. Student Universal Support Ireland has implemented a number of initiatives recommended by an independent review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (8 Oct 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 or 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My aim in bringing forward legislative proposals in relation to school admission is to improve the admissions process and to ensure that the way schools decide on applications is structured, fair and transparent. The proposed new regulatory framework is aimed at substantially improving the experience between the public and schools on student admission. I have published a draft General...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The errors which occurred in Leaving Certificate Mathematics were the subject of a report to me by the SEC in August. The SEC acknowledges that these errors may have caused confusion and distress for some candidates and has apologised publicly. I am assured by the SEC that these errors were addressed through the marking process to ensure that candidates were not disadvantaged. In their report...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The context for any discussion about PTR or 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. The Government will continue to protect front-line services as best as possible. However, it is important to note that all public servants are being asked to do...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Procurement Service Framework Agreements (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Procurement Service puts procurement frameworks and contracts in place for use by public bodies. The national stationery contract, which was put in place in April 2011, does not apply to the school sector. However, a Request for Tender has issued for the new stationery contract which will apply to schools after it is awarded. My colleague Minister Howlin has highlighted the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Appointments (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not directly employ retired or non-serving teachers, principals or deputy principals for the purposes of the provision of in service training for teachers. However, a number of qualified teachers, including retirees, are employed on a part time basis through Blackrock Education Centre to assist national support services to deliver CPD for schools in identified priority...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 101, 109, 125, 236, 249 and 268 together. The context for any discussion about PTR or 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 the thousands...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to School Costs (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There was no change in Budget 2013 to any of the student grant rates including the non-adjacent or adjacent rates of grant, or the higher special rate of grant, for the 2013 financial year. The aim of the student maintenance grant scheme has always been to make a contribution to the cost of going to college; covering the full cost has never been a feasible option. Students from welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 202 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that pupils with Down Syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (8 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 104 and 108 together. I was very pleased to recently publish new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools. These new procedures have been developed following consultation with the relevant education partners and replace guidelines that were issued to schools in 1993. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance...