Results 17,961-17,980 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have employed no additional curriculum advisors. There are a significant number of officials within my Department who advise me on the many and varied aspects of policy development, including curriculum. In addition, my Inspectorate also provides advice on a range of educational issues. The NCCA, as set out in section 41 (1) (a) and (b) of the Education Act 1998, advises me "on matters...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, there is a range of statutory bodies that provide advice to me on relevant issues regarding education reform and changes. For example, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment advises on an ongoing basis on matters in relation to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools and the assessment procedures employed in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As I have advised the Deputy in recent responses, the previous Government capped the number of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts at 10,575 in December 2010. That cap remained in place until December 2013. In December 2013, this Government agreed to increase the cap on the number of SNA posts by 390 posts to 10,965 at the end of 2014. The total number of Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) SNA posts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Section 15(4) of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 sets out the procedures to be followed by the Review Committee when dealing with reviews of decisions referred to it under section 13(9), i.e. decisions where the Redress Board decides that a person is not entitled to an award as they have not established all the matters specified in section 7(1) to its satisfaction.I understand...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The total legal costs incurred by my Department for legal services procured by it during the years in question are as follows: 2011 - €21,039.83 2012 - €1,414.50 2013 - €25,009.14 2014 - €475.00 (up to end of March 2014)

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department did not incur any expenditure on external public relations in 2011, 2012 or 2013. It is not possible to estimate future public relations expenditure as the need for PR services can arise at any time in the context of initiatives and policy decisions relating to education and skills programmes.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie. The student grant scheme does not extend...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Enrolments at post-primary level in the area referred to by the Deputy have been increasing in recent years and it is in that context that my Department established a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school for the area in 2009. There are now four post-primary schools in the feeder area. These schools can, between them, cater for over 600 first year pupils each year. The four schools enrolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228, 236 and 267 together. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) operates a Scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE scheme). The scheme is designed to assist candidates with special needs at the certificate examinations. Within the context of the RACE scheme the term 'special need' applies to candidates who have a physical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The upskilling of the labour force has been and continues to be a key priority for this Government. The proportion of those in the labour force with low skills has been reducing in recent years. Funding for further education and training including adult education is now being administered by SOLAS and programmes are being delivered through the Education and Training Boards. SOLAS has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The major school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning and the Design Team are currently working on the completion of the Stage 2b submission. The project was included in the announcement of the 2014 specific school building programme. However, my Department was recently notified that the decision of An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project at the location referred to by the Deputy is being progressed. Officials in my Department are in ongoing contact with officials in Cork City Council in relation to the formal transfer of ownership of the relevant land to my Department.A compulsory purchase process has been initiated by Cork City Council in relation to a portion of the land necessary for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, CAO points are a matter for third level institutions. There have been concerns that students are not confident enough to study for higher level mathematics in the Leaving Certificate. To encourage more students to study and to then present for certification at the higher level, the third level institutions collectively decided to operate a bonus points scheme for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that July Provision is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides July Provision for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department allocates significant resources to ensure that pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Down syndrome, can participate fully in education. The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am please to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers, has been approved devolved funding for the provision of an autism unit. A further request for capital funding to provide additional car parking spaces on the school site in question has also been submitted. Further information requested by my Department has been received and this is currently being assessed. A decision will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that there are currently two schools in the area, referred to by the Deputy, that have either lost or are due to lose mainstream teaching posts. These schools therefore have spare capacity within their buildings and have expressed a willingness to accept an additional stream of Junior Infants each, to alleviate any pressure on places in the area which my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Qualifications Recognition (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Act 2006 respectively. The management of their academic affairs, including such matters as the parchments issued to graduates, are matters for the individual institutions concerned. Neither I nor my Department have any involvement in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has requested the assistance of Meath County Council, under the Memorandum of Understanding, in relation to identifying and securing a suitable site for new school accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers. Due to the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to provide further information at this time.