Results 17,161-17,180 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department applies the appropriate Department of Finance and/or Department of Public Expenditure and Reform policies in relation to the payment of increments for all staff. Most civil servants were historically placed on a pay scale with annual increments up to a maximum level and after that, 2 Long Service Increments (LSI's) after 3 and 6 years respectively. The annual increment was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputy's information, I can confirm that no official bodies under the aegis of my Department subscribe to the daily inflation data for Ireland collected by the company mentioned.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Student Support Act 2011 provides for the recovery of debt where a person has received monies from an awarding authority in respect of a grant that the person is not entitled to receive. Such a person is liable to repay to the awarding authority on demand a sum not exceeding the money improperly received.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am very pleased to give the Deputy an update on Politics and Society. I have decided to include Politics and Society within the suite of subjects available to schools in the Leaving Certificate. My Department recently wrote to the NCCA about this and has sought their advice on a number of issues which need to be addressed before the subject can be made available. The new CSPE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the residency requirement of the Student Grant Scheme, a student must have been resident in Ireland for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately prior to an approved course commencing in an approved institution in order to qualify for a grant. However, a student may qualify for a grant, having met the residency requirement during the course of their studies. The main criteria of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Planning (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The lead agencies in relation to determining the appropriate emergency response in any region where there is an extreme weather event or other critical incident are the Local Authorities and blue light services. In that context my Department has brought to the attention of all schools, via departmental circular PBU 04/04 – Contingency Planning in the context of a national emergency....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I refer the Deputy to my announcement on 7th November 2013 of an additional €68 million for school improvement works. This comprises a once-off payment of over €28 million to primary schools as part of the Minor Works Scheme and a further €40 million to facilitate the re-introduction of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) for 2014. The Minor Works Grant has since issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The total expenditure on the provision of accommodation, both rental and permanent for the school referred to by the Deputy since 1999 is €830,000.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (19 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: School Enrolments (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy was refused. The student appealed to the Appeals Officer in SUSI and a letter issued dated 17th February 2014, upholding the original decision. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains...

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Seanad for the opportunity to discuss the Teaching Council. I am aware that many Senators are teachers. We know from several international studies that teacher quality is the critical factor in improving educational outcomes. The role of a regulatory body in enhancing teacher quality is, therefore, a valuable area for public discussion. In light of the recent enactment of...

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: We call them elections.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: That is a very small problem now. The council has effectively closed the door on untrained or unqualified teachers.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can assure the Senator that does not apply to teachers.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: One was on one's own.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: To what are the costs related?

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: None of those relationships has changed.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank all Senators for the welcome they have given the proposal and for their generally supportive comments. I will try to respond as comprehensively as possible to everything that has been said but if I fail to do so, I will communicate with Members later. Senator Power raised the issue of facilitating principals. We are recognising the leadership role of principals, to which Senator...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by the Pope: Motion (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I will leave it in the Senator’s capable hands.