Results 16,781-16,800 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 239, 242, 253, 264 and 283 together. First let me clarify that the Department will continue to provide a book grant as usual to all primary schools. This grant, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme. I want to commend all schools that have used it to help build up book rental schemes over the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos 240 and 252 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 Guidance Counsellors (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 students. This operates at local school level. The representative organisations for School Principals and school management developed a framework that assists schools on how...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy has been refused a grant as the course she is attending is not an approved course as defined under Article 4 (c) of the Student Support Regulations 2013 and Section 8 of the Student Support Act 2011. Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department of Education & Skills does not have an ongoing contract with the detailed firms in relation to consultancy. Payments to the two specified firms over the past two years is set out as follows. There were no payments to Accenture in 2012. In 2013, the consultancy services of Accenture were engaged by the Department in the context of the provision of professional advice...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Book Rental Scheme (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware from Budget 2014 that additional funding has been provided which will involve an investment of €15m to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that do not currently operate them. The Department will provide €5m in seed capital per annum over a three year period to such schools. The Department is contacting primary schools...

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: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The total monies spent on the School Building Programme in 2012 and 2013 was as follows: YEAR AMOUNT 2012 €346.8m 2013 €361.3m Savings carried forward from 2012 to 2013 amounting to €10m were full spent in 2013. The 2013 outcome represents a saving of €5.6m or less than 2% of the overall sum allocated for schools. This sum was spent on higher education...

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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 Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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 Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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 Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the well-being and safety of children should be at the centre of all policy and practices in schools. Many schools withdraw pupils occasionally from the main classroom for short periods of time in order to manage pupil behaviour or to provide care support and assistance with issues such as dressing, cleaning or medical supervision. Schools should supervise...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a 50% student contribution fee for the academic year 2013/14. The income thresholds for student grants were reduced by 3% for the 2013/14 academic year. The student in question is classed as a dependent student and the reckonable income for...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the application referred to by the Deputy has been assessed by my officials and a response will issue to the relevant parties shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (21 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Caranua is the service name of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board established to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. Caranua commenced accepting applications earlier this month. Those eligible can apply for approved services across a range...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department did not attend a meeting in respect of the proposed amalgamation of the two schools, in question, in January 2013. My Department is not therefore in a position to provide the information sought by the Deputy.

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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 Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have informed me that the student referred to by the Deputy appealed the decision on her grant application to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The appeal was received on 4th December 2013 and will be dealt with as soon as possible and the student will be informed directly of the outcome.

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

Ruairi Quinn: Teachers and psychologists use a variety of test instruments to assess the cognitive ability of pupils in primary schools. These instruments are based on the statistical premise of the bell-curve representation of the distribution of cognitive ability across a representative sample. IQ testing is not used to assess teaching in primary schools. While the quality of teaching might affect...