Results 17,141-17,160 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application in relation to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 years. Their efforts mean that the high costs of school books is being significantly reduced for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Establishment (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputies information no new agencies were established by my Department since March 2011, however 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parent and Student Charter (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, I am committed to providing for a Parent and Student Charter. My Department is currently examining the legislative changes that could provide the statutory underpinning of such a charter and enable the detailed development of the charter in discussion with the relevant stakeholders, including parents and students. It remains my intention to publish my plans during the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I refer the Deputy to my announcement on 7th November last relating to the allocation of almost €70 million for school improvements. Over €28 million is being made available as a once-off payment to primary schools as part of the Minor Works Grant scheme and this grant was furnished to the schools in November 2013. Another €40 million will be allocated under the Summer...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 278 together. The Deputy raises two matters in her questions and I would like to deal with each in turn. Firstly, the allocation of SNA resources to schools is not a matter for this Department but is instead an independent function carried out by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. For student grants purposes, a student may be assessed as an independent student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course or of re-entry to an approved...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The project to which the Deputy refers is advancing through the tender process. It is anticipated that the tender process will be completed and a contractor appointed in the second quarter of 2014.

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

Ruairi Quinn: When the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these posts continue to be replaced in the normal manner. Limited alleviation was introduced for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level. The alleviation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parliamentary Questions Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy issued on Monday 17 February.

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

Ruairi Quinn: While my Department is aware of the Patron's proposals to merge three schools including the school to which he refers, I have not received any proposal from the Patron in the matter. The initiative for any amalgamation or re-organisation may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Boards of Management and Patron. Any such proposal to amalgamate schools must involve...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: While my Department is aware of the Patron's proposals to merge the schools concerned, I have not received any proposal from the Patron in the matter. My Department understands that the Patron is in ongoing discussions with the relevant stakeholders in the Ballyfermot area as part of its assessment as to future school accommodation needs in that regard. The decision making authority for any...

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

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 2014/15...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home-School Liaison Scheme (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for educational inclusion, is my Department's policy instrument to address educational disadvantage which focuses on addressing and prioritising the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from preschool through second-level education. All DEIS Urban primary and DEIS post primary...

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

Ruairi Quinn: In view of the funding constraints on my Department's capital budget and the anticipated level of demand for funding under the Summer Works 2014 scheme, it was necessary to prioritise applications from eligible primary and second-level schools under the scheme. However, in an emergency situation, it is open to Education and Training Boards to submit applications for funding for minor works...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The 2012/13 enrolment in schools in the feeder areas to which the Deputy refers is contained in the attached table. 2013/14 enrolments are not yet available. The Deputy will be aware that the Five Year Construction Plan, that I announced on 9 March 2012, outlines the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of the Plan. The primary aim at the core of the Five...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that a letter issued to the student referred to by the Deputy on 17th February 2014 advising that he must complete an equivalent period of study before being eligible to be considered for funding under the Student Grant Scheme. I understand that the student completed previous periods of study without...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together. An extended and reconceptualised Gaeltacht residency programme is now part of the overall ITE primary programme. The Gaeltacht residency programme has been lengthened to two periods of two weeks for all students who commenced the Bachelor of Education from 2012. Initial teacher education providers have responsibility for quality...

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

Ruairi Quinn: It is open to the management authority of the school in question to apply for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to have repair works carried out at their school and any application received will be considered. I understand that the school's insurers are funding to cost of repairs to the roof of the prefabs damaged in the recent storms. All school buildings that are not...

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

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 40 major projects (new schools and large scale extensions) were under construction at the start of 2014. It is expected that the majority of these will reach completion throughout 2014 while under my Department's Prefab Replacement Initiatives 2012 and 2013, approval was given to 216 schools nationally to replace 573 prefab units with permanent accommodation. A total of 159...