Results 16,501-16,520 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The terms of the sick leave scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools is set out by my Department in circular letter 0060/2010. This circular were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is composed of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Child Care Education Issues (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Early Intervention Classes for Autism are established in primary schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The classes are part of the schools and pupils enrolled in these classes are included on the school roll. My Department's policy is to facilitate the enrolment of pupils with autism in Early Intervention classes in primary schools from the age of three years. While...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of gross salary paid to teachers, Special Needs Assistants and Clerical Officers in fee paying schools is set out in the attached table. The information in respect of capital expenditure is being assimilated and will be forwarded to the Deputy. The table is available as attachment Q75.xls at the top of the web page.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy, is under review and the student will be notified shortly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Preschool Services (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is working closely with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to deliver on the Government's pre-school quality agenda. This agenda includes the establishment of a national support service for the early years sector. At the moment, the supports in place for the early years sector include D/CYA funded organisations (whether wholly or partly) such as the Voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Years Strategy Implementation (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Early Years Education Policy Unit is co-located with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to ensure that policies relating to early years care and education are aligned. My Department has agreed with the D/CYA that the Early Years Education Policy Unit will contribute as appropriate on all aspects of the Early Years Strategy relating to the Education remit. My Department will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In developing policies, my Department looks at the continuum of education from a child's earliest years through to pre-school, the formal education system and further/higher education/self directed learning as part of a life-long learning agenda. Policies relating to early years and pre-school are interwoven into policies and not developed in isolation. This can be seen in the Literacy and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (12 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 arrangements for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Protection Guidelines (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: While the English language school sector is not formally regulated, English Language Teaching Organisations (ELTOs) may seek recognition from ACELS, which is operated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). The ACELS recognition standards specify that all English Language Teaching junior centres, that is centres which cater for minors, should seek Garda clearance for all staff and host...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172, 215 and 226 together. My Department and the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation are jointly leading the process to develop a new ICT Skills Action Plan to be launched in tandem with the Action Plan for Jobs 2014. A study was undertaken for the European Commission in April 2013 which projected that there may be up to 900,000 ICT job vacancies in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Visas Applications (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173, 174, 232 and 233 together. The Government is strongly committed to promoting Ireland as a centre for international education and to developing relationships with partner countries. We currently attract very few Libyan students to Ireland, and we are interested in growing that number in order to support the human capacity needs of Libyan society. As...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190, 249 and 175 together. The Annual Student Contribution is levied on students attending Institutes of Technology. The amount due in respect of full time students for the academic year 2013 / 2014 is €2,500. The contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in the Workplace (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I recently published 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 to school authorities and school personnel in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Community (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 to 179, inclusive, together. Current policy in relation to Traveller education is underpinned by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with relevant stakeholders including Traveller representative groups. The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 182, inclusive, together. There are fundamental educational reasons for not allowing a junior/senior post-post primary school configuration in Maynooth. These include: - The introduction of a third major transfer point for students between primary level and third level - The question of which school the Transition Year should be placed in - The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together. My Department's policy is to provide for children with special educational needs, including autism, to be included in mainstream schools unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated. Some children may be supported in a special class attached to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that one of the functions of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is to provide support to schools, and parents/guardians of children with special educational needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The staffing schedule is the mechanism used for allocating mainstream teaching posts to all schools. It operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools. As part of the Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The person to whom the Deputy refers applied, under the Freedom of Information Acts, for access to records referred to by the Deputy. My Department's decision was subsequently appealed to the Office of the Information Commissioner who affirmed the decision of my Department on the 4th March 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question were approved a devolved grant for additional teaching space and ancillary accommodation at their school. The Department has since received a request to increase the scope of works for the schools building project. Additional information and clarifications were sought by my Department from the school authority and a response has...