Results 16,761-16,780 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Visiting Teacher Service for children with Visual and Hearing Impairment provides assistance for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and children who are blind or visually impaired. In May 2013 the National Council for Special Education brought forward policy advice which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, an independent review of this service is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage contains a wide range of recommendations aimed at ensuring that Irish schools cater for the diversity within society. These recommendations were drawn up following a public consultation process and widespread engagement with interested parties. As part of my Action Plan in response to the Report, I recently conducted a further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is in on-going communication with the Patron of the school in question in relation to its start-up accommodation for September 2014. This is the appropriate channel of communication. It is a matter for the Patron to keep the Board of Management informed. My Department will be meeting with the school Patron again shortly in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The vast majority of schools meet the minimum requirement of 28 hours instruction time per week to second level students. In fact more than one third of schools provide more than that. However, I am aware that inspections have shown that a minority of schools are not meeting the minimum requirement.My Department is planning a detailed analysis of the instruction time at schools. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Education Programmes (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: There are a number of options open to those wishing to pursue a career in primary and post-primary teaching. These are, mainly, via Bachelor of Education Degree programmes or postgraduate initial teacher education programmes which are undertaken following the completion of an initial degree. There are a large number of higher education institutes across the State providing such programmes. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority, under the Teaching Council Act 2001, for the professional regulation of teachers. Part 5 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 makes provision for the Council to conduct inquiries into a teacher's Fitness to Teach. I intend to commence Part 5 later this year. Government approval was given on 10th December for drafting The Teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The SUSI application system facilitates students in applying for a grant before they have accepted a place in college or know the institution and course they will actually be attending. Therefore, it is not possible to give a specific indication at application stage as to course approval. As part of its communications strategy SUSI draws attention to the requirement that a student needs to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Schools should supervise and support children who are distressed or out of control until they have recovered and are able to re-engage in the classroom. Schools withdraw pupils occasionally from the main classroom for short periods of time in order to provide such support. Such rooms may not be designated and it is therefore not possible to say how many such rooms are in schools. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Child Care Education Issues (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: While the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is responsible for early years education outside the formal education system, my Department has a key role in supporting quality within the sector and works closely with the D/CYA. Working with agencies funded by the D/CYA, the NCCA produced an Aistear-in-Action toolkit which is a resource for use in early years settings showing how the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Pension entitlements are based on the salary and allowances applying to the individual at the date of retirement. Where a person had the salary increase of 2.5% payable from 1 September 2008 withheld and who retired on the lower salary rate the 2.5% increase has not been applied to the pension entitlements regardless of whether they signed up to the EFT payment system after their date of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In June last year I formally asked the NCSE to prepare evidence based policy advice on the education of children with autism which would be informed by research and consultation. I specifically asked the NCSE to consult widely with parents, professionals, other stakeholders and interested parties in the preparation of this policy advice. I understand that the work has already commenced,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Standards (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 271 together. The Enterprise Engagement Forum, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, provides for bi-annual dialogue between the Department and enterprise on education policy issues. Input from enterprise is also provided for through representation on boards and agencies across the education and training sector. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Funding has been ring-fenced for the implementation of the new Junior Cycle. The combined costs of curriculum and CPD support in a full year will be of the order of €10 million. The NCCA has prioritised the Junior Cycle in its workplan and is currently working on the subjects and short courses that will be phased in over the next number of years. A Junior Cycle for Teachers' Support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Education Review (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCSE is currently undertaking two separate pieces of work around Autism. One is a systematic literature and country review of evidence relating to Educating Persons with Autism. The second is the preparation of policy advice on the educational provision for children with Autism which is being prepared at my request. The NCSE has advised that it expects the literature review to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoileanna Issues (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The reason there is no dedicated office within my Department is that provision of funding and support for Irish medium education is a transversal responsibility involving many sections within the Department. An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) a body under the aegis of my Department which was founded under the provisions of Article 31 of the Education Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 278 together. There is no requirement that schools report incidents of bullying behaviour to my Department. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Details in relation to consultants engaged by my Department are compiled annually in respect of the previous year. While the information in respect of 2013 has not yet been compiled I attach details of the amounts paid to consultants by my Department in 2011 and 2012. Details in relation to 2013 are currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as they are available....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 265 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications are currently being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (59/2013) is available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. All Statutory Approvals have been received and the Design Team are working on the completion of stage 2(b) of Architectural Planning. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that last September, I published a draft General Scheme for an Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, 2013 as well as draft regulations for discussion ahead of enacting legislation. These are available on my Department's website. The aim of these proposals is to ensure that the way schools decide on applications for enrolment is structured, fair and transparent. ...