Results 17,181-17,200 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 to 103, 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: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has now received a proposal from the school referred to by him in his question to establish an early intervention class in the school for pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing. My Department will consider this proposal, in conjunction with the National Council for Special Education, the Visiting Teacher for the Hearing Impaired, and my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy was included in the list of school building projects announced to go to construction in 2014/15 and I can confirm that this project is among those budgeted for in the 5 year capital programme. The acquisition of a site for permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being progressed by my Department. However, due to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Representations (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The service referred to by the Deputy is one element of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) and meets an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications. In some cases, applicants may opt not to use the established...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The two schools referred to by the Deputy have agreed to amalgamate and submitted an application for a major capital project. As the Deputy is aware, this school project is scheduled on the Five Year Plan to proceed to construction in 2015/2016. Further to a technical site visit by Department officials, the girls school was deemed to be the most suitable location, subject to additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Rulings (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: With the assistance of the Attorney General, I have sought further legal advice on the implications of the European Court of Human Rights judgment for outstanding school child abuse cases. The State Claims Agency has informed my Department that there are 45 current day school abuse claims on hands. I have asked my Department, with the Attorney General's Office and State Claims Agency, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published comprehensive policy advice on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools last year. This policy advice is available at www.ncse.ie. Table 5 of Appendix 1 of this publication details the approximate number of students for whom resource teaching hours (RTHs) were allocated to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has a designated Data Protection/Freedom of Information Officer who is responsible for implementing data protection legislation in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. The DES has published a 'Data Protection Code of Practice' which outlines the steps taken when processing personal data and the manner in which my Department responds to requests for access to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's 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 enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (20 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 and I am aware of the difficulties faced by schools in relation to these schemes. Their efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that an extension to the deadline for the drawdown of funding will be considered on receipt of a request from the school management authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is aware of the rising enrolments in schools both at Primary and Post Primary level and is forecasting an increase of more than 45,000 primary pupils and 25,000 post primary pupils by the start of the 2017 school year. I have already announced that 20 new primary and 20 post primary schools are to be built to meet those rising enrolments. Alongside the building of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Contributions to pension schemes and pension or retirement products, within the limits allowed by the Revenue Commissioners, are deducted in determining the reckonable income of an applicant as set out in the Student Grant Scheme 2013. However, 'unrelieved' contributions carried forward from previous years are excluded for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme even though they may qualify...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for his question. The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the national school annual census. Results from the census for the current school year, 2013-14, are being finalised at present. Publication of all data at first level and a final list of schools and their enrolments will be on the Department's website by the end of the school year....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I apologise to the Deputy. The system, which has been in place for a long time, used to take a whole year to return the data he is requesting, which means we would not have the final figures until next September. However, I am told by my Department's statistical section that the latest information will be published at the end of June, which is an improvement on the end of the year.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Yes, but we are talking about a system that is very old. I am making special efforts to facilitate the Deputy. I hoped to have the information for him today but that was not possible in the time available to me. As soon as I can obtain it, I will convey the information to him directly and it will be available to any Member who wants it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I assure the Deputy that having been a Member of this House for many more years than I was ever a Minister in any Department, I recognise the untrammelled right of Deputies from either side of the House to obtain information that is available. Regrettably, the information the Deputy is seeking is not readily available today, but I will get it for him or any other Deputy who requests such...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the Deputy is referring to how students are categorised for student grant purposes. For such purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances - as students dependent on their parents or legal guardians, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on 1 January of the year...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the Deputy is talking about people under the age of 23 who are still deemed to be dependent on their guardian or parental home. I presume that in the cases of manifest estrangement which have been brought to the Deputy's attention by his constituents or by others, the evidence that was produced was not deemed to be satisfactory to SUSI. Is that correct?