Results 17,121-17,140 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received and processed an application for Home Tuition in respect of the child to whom the Deputy is referring. In accordance with the terms of the scheme, my Department has sanctioned 10 hours tuition up to the 30th March 2014, increasing to 20 hours on 31st March 2014, the date on which the child reaches her 3rd Birthday. The tuition...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that a total of 44 large-scale projects were completed in 2013. My Department's 2013 net capital expenditure of over €436m was almost €5m ahead of the original allocation for 2013. The Major Building Project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b Detailed Design, which includes planning and other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy was refused as the reckonable income exceeded the prescribed thresholds for the award of grant assistance. The Deputy will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded the full non adjacent maintenance grant. She is not eligible for a fee grant. The Student Support Act 2011 provides that the payment of tuition fees be limited to approved courses of higher education at an approved institution in the State,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Places (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware that some qualified teachers may experience difficulty in accessing teaching hours to complete their probation for registration purposes because they do not yet hold a teaching position in a school. Measures have been taken by my Department and the Teaching Council to alleviate difficulties faced by teachers in this regard. One measure relates to the minimum service requirement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249, 250 and 253 together. My Department, through the teacher support services, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the needs and priorities of the service are met. Given the importance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Career Breaks (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is set out on the table. Department of Education and Skills - Career Breaks 0-6 months 6-12 months 1-2 years 2-3 years 4-5 years 5 years plus - 3 6 3 6 2

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Sick Leave (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested was provided in a response to a similar parliamentary question tabled by the Deputy on the 18th, June 2013 (Reference Number:150).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Education Review (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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 (NCSE) brought forward policy advice which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 295 together. The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 14/15 school year is set out in Primary Circular 0007/2014 which is available on the Department website. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the standard maximum period of second-level education is six years. The circumstances in which an individual pupil may repeat a year at post-primary level, and the arrangements that apply in this regard, are set out in my Departments Circular M02/95, which is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. The terms of the Circular apply to all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Value for Money Reviews (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The value for money review of small primary schools was conducted by a Steering Committee, comprising civil servants from relevant Government Departments and was led by an independent external chairperson. The chairperson was paid the standard fee for chairing a Value for Money Review, namely €1,800 gross. The other committee members undertook the review work as part of their range...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing schedule at primary level operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 28 pupils. Teachers are allocated at post-primary level on the basis of 1 teacher for every 19 pupils (23 pupils in the case of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy was refused on 31 January, 2014. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all the relevant details that would be contained...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school, to which the Deputy refers, has not submitted an application for summer works, but has recently submitted an application for funding for additional accommodation. The application concerned is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities when this process has been finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that funding towards the provision of one mainstream classroom and one resource room was approved by my Department for the school, in question, in December last.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 to 268, inclusive, 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: Bullying of Children (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that I am aware of the findings of the Net Children Go Mobile Report in relation to online bullying. The Report provides the initial findings from Ireland and is part of the Net Children Go Mobile European two-year research project under the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme. It builds on previous research by the EU Kids Online network into...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Security Checks (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has not engaged any external contractors or other experts to conduct any surveillance/bugging checks of Ministerial and/or departmental offices in the period referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The longer term options in respect of the provision of permanent accommodation for the school, referred to by the Deputy, are currently being considered in the context of other school developments in the area and the reorganisation of existing accommodation. More recently, my Department received correspondence from the school, in question, in relation to issues arising in respect of...