Results 16,821-16,840 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil Data Collection (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department does not collect information on the race of pupils in education. The following is a link to the historical Annual Statistical Reports which show the number of pupils in Irish primary, secondary, reform and industrial schools in the 1900's

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department issued circulars to all primary and post-primary schools in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem. The circulars referred to the recommendations of the previously published report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags. This report...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Issues (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Universities and institutes of technology are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own academic affairs. My Department has no role in relation to the development or amendment of programmes or in relation to recognition of particular qualifications.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Local Training Initiative (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Local Training Initiative is funded and co-ordinated by SOLAS. I have asked an official in SOLAS to provide the information directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Inclusion Issues (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not collect information in the format requested.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that pupils with Down Syndrome attending mainstream schools may receive additional teaching support in primary schools, either under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, if the pupil's educational psychological assessment places the pupil in the mild general learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Outsourcing of Public Services (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The work of my Department and of the wider Education and Training sector already includes the use of a diverse range of outsourcing arrangements relating to such areas as the school building programme, education and training courses at various levels, services provided for teachers and special needs assistants and a range of corporate functions for education providers such as ICT support,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Establishment (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputy's information under the Public Service Reform plan the following were identified for rationalisation or merger and since March 2011 the following actions have taken place. The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology and Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences were merged in March 2012 to form the Irish Research Council (IRC). The IRC...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: There are no semi State companies under the remit of my Department. In respect of non-commercial state agencies under the remit of my Department (list follows) I can confirm that no bonuses have been paid to any employee for the years 2011, 2012 or 2013. List of state agencies under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills as at November, 2013 Agency Website An Chomhairle um...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A copy of my opening statement, if not already circulated, will be circulated soon. I thank the committee for the opportunity to present to it the 2014 Estimate for the Department of Education and Skills. I propose to make a short opening statement and I am happy to provide further detail, as required, as we work through the Estimate. I also make the observation that we are having this...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A number of questions have been asked and I will answer them as best as I can. If I do not give a complete reply, we can return to them, subject to the rulings of the Chair. Junior cycle reform was raised by Deputies McConalogue and O'Brien. The first meeting of the national working group on junior cycle reform, as I said yesterday, took place last Friday. I would have preferred it to...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: We took the decision that the union had taken itself offside and was not in a position to discuss it with us and we did not want to prejudice the outcome, frankly. It was decided that we could not have that meeting while the ASTI was in that place.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It was, in effect. It had an effect on getting clarity. One of the two unions, the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, had voted for the acceptance of the Haddington Road agreement, but the advice I received, which I accepted, was that to try to attempt to do something in the context of the ASTI standing back and not balloting its members until September was likely to jeopardise constructive...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Subject to the direction of the Chairman, there are some outstanding questions. Deputy McConalogue referred to the replacement of prefabs. In 2012, under the prefab replacement initiative, approval was given to 170 schools nationally to replace 458 prefab units with permanent accommodation. In excess of €42 million was allocated for the initiative, of which €35 million has...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: We do not have the information to hand and I would prefer to reflect on the question, which we have recorded, and to write a comprehensive note.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy does not need to if he does not want to. I will write to him based on his question at this meeting. A parliamentary question is not necessary.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the calendar year.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is not smoke and mirrors. There is a five-year building programme. Building projects, which are estimated and deemed to be considered to go on site, may run into different difficulties. There may be a planning appeal process, there may be difficulties with the site or otherwise. There is a capital underspend for planned expenditure. It fell short last year and there were savings...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The response I have here, on which I can elaborate if it is insufficient, is that 2012 provided for an overall reduction in capitation to primary and post-primary schools over a phased basis. It was a reduction of 2% in 2012 and 2013 and a further reduction of 1% in 2014 and in 2015. We have factored that into our savings over the next number of years, as has the Department of Public...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It has. I have just got a note to that effect. In the area of electricity, a schools electricity competition is currently under way with the support of the National Procurement Service. This is the service run by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which is assisting large spending Departments like the Department of Education and Skills. More than 1,700 schools are included in...