Results 17,581-17,600 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Statistics in relation to teacher numbers and pupil enrolment are published annually by my Department on its website. The most recent published statistics relate to the 2012/2013 school year. Statistics for the 2013/14 school year are due to be published before the end of August.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Pupil Teacher Ratio is compiled by dividing the total number of pupils by the total number of allocated teaching posts. For 2012/2013 the PTR at primary level was 16.4 and at second level was 14.3.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Estimated 2014 current expenditure on education as requested by the Deputy is as follows: First-Level (including Early Schools Education) €3.232 billion. Second-Level & Further Education €2.975 billion.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. The level of resources devoted to supporting children with Special Educational Needs has been maintained and increased for this school year. Approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department – some €1.3 billion – was spent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 312 together. Firstly I would like to acknowledge that the majority of schools have assessment practices that are of good quality. However for the significant minority of schools, it is important to note that there are a range of measures in place to improve assessment practices in primary and post-primary schools in tandem with the implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Chief Inspector's report highlights the fact that primary inspectors judged that the teaching of Irish was satisfactory or better in 80% of lessons observed during incidental inspections and that the quality of pupils' learning outcomes was satisfactory or better in 76% of the lessons observed. At second level, inspectors judged the quality of teaching to be satisfactory in 72% of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Chief Inspector's Report (2010-2012) highlights satisfactory or better teaching approaches of Mathematics in 83% of lessons observed during unannounced inspections at primary level. Primary inspectors also judged that pupils' learning was appropriately consolidated in 86% of Maths lessons. At second level, inspectors judged the quality of teaching in Maths to be satisfactory or better...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is important to point out to the Deputy that the Chief Inspector's Report 2010-2012 states that inspectors found that school planning processes were satisfactory or better in 74% of the primary schools inspected as part of whole school evaluations and that teachers had made satisfactory preparations for the lessons in 82% of lessons evaluating in unannounced inspections. At second level,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Public servants (including teachers) make a superannuation contribution for each day of paid employment. A teacher who has reached the age of 55 and has 35 years of reckonable service may retire voluntarily on pension with no actuarial reduction. Unpaid days where no superannuation contribution is made, including in particular the public service-wide strike days of 15 October 1985 and 24...

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

Ruairi Quinn: There are a range of languages, including foreign languages, available for the Leaving Certificate in our schools. In addition to English and Irish; French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic are available. There are also a suite of non-curricular EU languages such as Polish, Latvian and Lithuanian which students from those EU countries can present for in the Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the Further Education and Training Services Plan, the first such combined plan for the FET sector, is in the final stages of preparation by SOLAS. It is due to be considered by the Board of SOLAS at its meeting today, and subsequently forwarded to my Department for consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Article 23 of the Student Grant Scheme 2013 deals with the determination of reckonable income. In calculating reckonable income no account is taken of capital assets. Therefore no deduction is given for capital expenditure, regardless of how it is treated for income tax purposes. The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources....

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that following discussions between officials of my Department and representatives of the owners of the property to which he refers, my Department reached an agreement which provides that the owners of the property will restore the property to the satisfaction and requirements of the relevant planning authority.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Statistics (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The percentage of students awarded a grade A at Higher Level in Leaving Certificate Art in 2013 was 4.8%. It was 5.1% in 2012 and 5% in 2011. I am aware that the percentage of candidates achieving an A in Higher Level Leaving Certificate Art is low when compared to other Leaving Certificate subjects. Currently the NCCA is working with the State Examinations Commission on possible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) has confirmed that the number of Irish citizen applicants who did not meet the habitual residence condition in the 2012/13 academic year and had their applications refused, was 118.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2014/2015 school year is set out in the Staffing Schedule (Circular 0007/2014) which is available on the Department 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 30 September 2013. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The following table details the amounts paid to Donegal grant awarding authorities in respect of student grants from the 2008/09 academic year to the 2012/13 academic year inclusive and are provided on an academic year basis. The figures include amounts paid to or in respect of students from Donegal county in receipt of a student grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Expenditure (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Data relating to expenditure by my Department are not maintained on a county by county basis and it would require significant resources of staff and time to collate the information in the format sought by the Deputy. However, I would be happy to provide information on specific projects in which the Deputy has a particular interest.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Data (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 to 331, inclusive, together. Data on staffing numbers in higher education institutions is collated by the Higher Education Authority at the end of every quarter. The most recent data available is therefore in respect of the last quarter in 2013. Staff numbers are reported in two categories: academic and non-academic. At the end of Q4 2013, UCD...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Multidenominational Schools (25 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department understands that the Patron of the school in question is in ongoing discussions with the relevant stakeholders in the Ballyfermot area as part of its assessment of future school accommodation needs in the area. While my Department is aware of the Patron's discussions locally, it has not received a proposal from the Patron in this regard.