Results 17,361-17,380 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Details in relation to external consultants engaged by my Department in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in the table below. Legal costs incurred by the Department, in connection with cases which are brought to court, are generally not met directly by my Department. In accordance with financial procedures in cases involving damages or compensation against the State, costs are generally charged...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government includes a commitment that the Government will take steps to ensure that all State Boards have at least 40% of each gender represented among the members. In 2012, women members represented 38% of board membership of State Boards in the Education sector. However, I aim to ensure that the Programme for Government commitment of 40% is achieved in the Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD). This includes provision for the establishment of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. Applications to establish such classes are considered by the school's assigned Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) and those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (27 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: Gaelscoileanna Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A new post-primary school is opening next September in the area to which the Deputy refers. This new school will include an all-Irish Aonad. The Patron of the new school is currently progressing the building of a new education campus through the planning process and this will provide permanent accommodation for the school and the Aonad. My Department has confirmed, that if sufficient...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government did not oppose the Private Members Down Syndrome (Equality of Access) Bill 2013, at Second Stage. This Bill has now been referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection. The NCSE report on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs recommended that under a proposed new allocation model, all children, including those with Down syndrome, should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: While this Department sets out the constitution of Boards of Management and rules of procedure it is not directly involved in the management of schools. Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school, and it is the Board of Management which employs the teachers at the school. The schools Board of Management...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Issues (27 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, established to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of some 15,000 survivors of institutional child abuse. Those former residents who received awards...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As home tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that home tutors are qualified to provide an educational programme. It is appropriate therefore that the qualification standard in the Home Tuition Scheme generally reflects that required in a school environment. The qualification requirements for tutors providing home tuition to children have not changed. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As my Department promotes a child -centred approach to the education of children with autism, it is a matter for schools to determine the approach or mix of approaches which they will use. Accordingly details on the number of early intervention classes for children with autism who use ABA are not available. The Deputy will be aware from my previous response that my Department's policy is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the following are the numbers of children between the ages of 2.5 and 4 years who are/were in receipt of a home tuition grant during the school years 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14: 2010/2011 - 422, 108 of whom turned 5 during the course of the academic year 2011/2012 - 513, 16 of whom turned 5 during the course of the academic year 2012/2013 - 641, 41...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that a response will issue shortly to the organisation in question. The Deputy may also wish to note that officials from my Department met with the Directors of the organisation and have previously addressed many of the issues raised in the correspondence to which he refers.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The reform of the Junior Cycle and the provision of a JCSA at the end of the three years will not have a significant impact on the role of the State Examinations Commission (SEC) . New subject specifications are being phased in over several years from Sept 2014 with the first examination in English in 2017. The SEC will provide final examinations in English, Irish and Maths for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a continuum of special educational provision to be made available for children with special educational needs who are enrolled in school, so that regardless of the level of need of the child, educational provision can be made for them. My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 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: Third Level Fees (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that the student services charge, often referred to as a registration charge, was replaced by the student contribution in 2011. Under the Finance Act 2013 qualifying fees in excess of €2,500, raising annually by €250 to €3,000 in 2015, are eligible for tax relief. This means that families with two or more siblings attending approved higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technology in Schools (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As Minister I do not endorse or promote any product for use in schools. Schools may decide which technology to use to support implementation of the curriculum. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (Technology in Education) is available to advise schools on how to integrate technology in teaching and learning.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I asked my Department to develop Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in schools because of my consciousness of the significant cost for parents of buying textbooks and workbooks. These Guidelines outline a number of strategies to avoid the need for workbooks or to allow workbooks to be used from year to year. However, it is a matter for the Board of Management of each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. I will arrange for the information sought by the Deputy to be forwarded directly to him.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Student Grant Scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. In order to be considered for a grant a student is required, under Section 8 (1) (b) of the Student Support Act 2011, to be in attendance on a full-time basis....