Results 16,021-16,040 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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 schools, in order to ensure that as many children as possible can be educated with their peers within their own community. My Department therefore provides for a range of placement options and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (5 Nov 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. It is important to note that schools themselves employ teachers and not the the Department of Education and Skills. However my Department has issued a number of circulars...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, her application will be processed following receipt of requested documents and the applicant will be informed directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy did not make an application for the academic year 2013/14. Late applications can still be made on www.susi.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme Issues (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages. The Springboard programme is open to people of all age groups, and is specifically targeted at people with a previous history of employment or self employment that have lost jobs in sectors...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, the initiative for an amalgamation may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Board of Management and in particular, the Patron. The decision making authority for any amalgamation including any appropriate arrangements belongs to the Patron of a school, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills. The trustees of the schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland that they have no record of having received an application from a student with the details supplied by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (5 Nov 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: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The planned school project at Navan Educate Together National School has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). It is scheduled for delivery during 2014/2015 as announced under the Five Year Plan. The NDFA and its Design Team have secured planning permission for this school. The project is currently at tender stage.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 340 together. The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning. It forms part of a campus development with phase 2 of Colaiste na Mi. Both schools are being progressed as a single project under the same design team. The design team are currently working on the completion of Stage 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (5 Nov 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: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy in the first instance that my Department is primarily concerned with the provision of educational services to children with special educational needs. The provision of other supports, for example, therapeutic, speech and language support, occupational therapy, etc. is a matter for the Health Services Executive. It would be important from the outset to highlight...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together. The Deputy will be aware that the previous Government, as part of the Programme for National Recovery, introduced a cap on the number of Special Needs Assistants. This figure was set at 10,575 posts and has remained in place since the 2011/12 school year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Reform (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Universities and institutes of technology are autonomous statutory bodies and the recruitment of students and the establishment of admissions criteria are matters for the individual institutions concerned. My Department has no function in relation to such matters. I understand that the list of A Level subjects recognised for NUI matriculation purposes is available on the NUI website:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Appointments (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The tabular statement contains the name, grade, term of service and the salary in relation to political appointees at my Department. The appointments were made in accordance with the guidelines on Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Finance on the 24th, March 2011. Copies of the post holders contracts of employment were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced that 20 new post-primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. This announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new post-primary school in Carlow. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to analyse demographic trends to determine the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (5 Nov 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: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the purpose of my Department's Home Tuition scheme is to provide a compensatory education to 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: School Curriculum (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently working on the Leaving Certificate Science syllabuses and is about to commence work on a new Junior Cycle Science specification. The question raised by the Deputy will be brought to the attention of the NCCA.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Relationships and Sexuality Education (5 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Shout Out is a volunteer organisation, consisting mainly of undergraduates or recent graduates, which offers free workshops to address homophobia and transphobia in schools. My Department is not sponsoring or supporting this work although any initiative by young people to support the development and maintenance of the well being of students is our schools deserves to be acknowledged and...