Results 17,321-17,340 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (25 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: Student Support Schemes Issues (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In order to meet the eligibility criteria for a grant a student must be attending an approved course as defined under Article 4 (c) of the Student Support Regulations 2013 and Section 7 (1) (e) of the Student Support Act 2011. Regulation 4 (c) of the Student Support Regulations 2013 defines an approved undergraduate course as one which must be full-time, at least two years in duration, lead...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not set out minimum or maximum school capacities. At post-primary level, the Pupil Teacher Ratio is 19:1. However, post-primary schools generally have an extensive range of specialist rooms which, with time tabling, can positively impact capacity. As part of my Department's Five Year School Building programme over 20 new post-primary schools are being established across...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 (2013/2014) are being finalised at present. Publication of all data at first level and a final list of schools and their enrolments will be on my Department's website by the end of the school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department are in the process of arranging a meeting with the school authority in question. It is expected that this meeting will take place shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that a building project for one of the schools is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. However, this is now subject to a third party appeal to An Bord Pleanala and the Department awaits the outcome. My Department continues to work closely with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to identifying and acquiring suitable sites for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (25 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 30th September. The staffing arrangements for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Teaching resources are allocated to schools on a school year basis. Unlike most other areas of the public service teaching vacancies are being filled in accordance with published Department criteria. The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. For example, schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Accommodation arrangements for the school in question are currently being finalised and the Department expects to be in a position to provide the Patron with details shortly. Pending finalisation of this matter, I can confirm to the Deputy that the intended location is not as suggested in the details supplied.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: There are a range of languages available for the Leaving Certificate in our schools. In addition to English and Irish there is French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Arabic and Latin. In addition there are also a suite of non-curricular languages such as Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian. There is a Chinese module available as an option for the transition year programme. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: At Senior Cycle, the NCCA is currently working on the revision of a significant number of Leaving Certificate subjects. The development of ICT skills across all subjects and aspects of teaching and learning is critical. Such skills are not just confined to particular Leaving Certificate subjects such as in the study of Design Communication and Graphics where it is a core component of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 to 312, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: This is a day to day operational matter for SOLAS. I have asked SOLAS to contact the deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was issued an award letter on the 19th December 2013. In order to commence payment of the maintenance portion of his grant the applicant needs to upload his bank details on line in order for payments to commence. SUSI have confirmed that they issued a letter...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Establishment (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund, which uses the service name Caranua, is an independent statutory body under the aegis of my Department. I understand from enquiries made by my officials that Caranua will begin to issue Part 2 of the Application Form to those applicants who have been verified as eligible, in March. Caranua has received over 1,500 applications since it opened for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations, including an appeals process. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Courses Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Authority have advised my Department that they cannot identify the percentage of those with FETAC qualifications progressing into second year with the data currently available. There is data available however from the CAO relating to CAO acceptances by those entering with a FETAC qualification and of those, students whose admission into their chosen programme is based on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Eligibility for the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and associated payments is determined and administered by the Department of Social Protection. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was issued an award letter on the 20th September 2013. Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme allows for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (25 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Enterprise Engagement Forum, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, provides for bi-annual dialogue between the Department and enterprise on education policy issues. Input from enterprise is also provided for through representation on boards and agencies across the education and training sector. The development and delivery of targeted skills initiatives such as the...