Results 15,861-15,880 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (9 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has assumed the award-making function of both FETAC, which made awards for programmes provided by Abbey College, and HETAC. Under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012, providers which seek access to the awards of QQI must first have their procedures for quality assurance agreed by QQI. QQI is introducing a new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Issues (9 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Irish higher education system must deliver against multiple objectives. A System Performance Framework has been published which outlines key system objectives and indicators for the system as a whole. No single institution can hope to deliver comprehensively against all these objectives. Instead, the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 supports the development of a system of...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to provide improved accommodation for the school to which he refers. It is intended that the school will be accommodated in a school building currently occupied temporarily by a special school pending the construction of a permanent school building for the latter. This permanent building is listed on the Five Year Construction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Services Provision (9 Oct 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: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Oct 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 operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed that the number of apprentices registered by employers in the past 5 years, as well as the total apprentice population for each year is as follows: Year Registrations Apprenticeship population 2008 3,765 26,170 2009 1,535 21,407 2010 1,204 14,801 2011 1,307 13,001 2012 1,434 8,862 2013 1,266 (year to date) 7,725 (year to date) The above figures also include the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, the vast majority of support for child care, including preschool education, is not provided by my Department, but is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Funding for island preschools is a matter for that Department. In my Department, teacher allocations at primary and post-primary level are approved annually in accordance with established...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Redundancies (9 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government announced a targeted voluntary redundancy package earlier this year which is initially to be rolled out in three areas including specific parts of the Education Sector. Officials of my Department are currently liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with a view to finalising arrangements for the roll out of a targeted scheme for the Sector. Although...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Issues (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed that the number of apprentices registered by employers in the past 5 years, as well as the total apprentice population for each year is as follows: Year Registrations Apprenticeship population 2008 3,765 26,170 2009 1,535 21,407 2010 1,204 14,801 2011 1,307 13,001 2012 1,434 8,862 2013 1,266 (year to date) 7,725 (year to date The above figures also include the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 66 together. Apprenticeship training in Ireland is regulated by legislation, with FÁS as the regulatory authority. It is an employer demand-driven programme aimed at developing the skills of the apprentice to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. In recent years, the impact of the economic downturn has led to a collapse in demand...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 1 October 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (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 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has operational responsibility for the operation of the certificate examinations. One of the key objectives of the SEC is to provide an examinations system of the highest possible quality. The aspiration of any examining body, including the SEC, is to preside over a system that is completely error free. However, it is recognised, across the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Car Parks (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy have been approved devolved funding to replace prefabs at their school. In recent days the school have submitted a further request for capital funding to provide additional car parking spaces on their school site. I wish to advise the Deputy that, in general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently considering the application to which he refers and a response will be conveyed to the school authorities shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of my Department's School Transport scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs arising from a diagnosed disability, children are eligible for transport where they: 1. have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability in accordance with the designation of high and low incidence disability set out in Department of Education and Skill's (DES) Circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (10 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed that as of close of business on 6th October, SUSI has received 7,073 new applications after the 5th August 2013 closing date. SUSI has already initially assessed 3,284 of the late new applications.