Results 18,481-18,500 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In Budget 2013 funding of €5million for three years was provided to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that did not operate such schemes. DEIS schools will receive €150 per child and non-DEIS schools will receive €100 per child in seed capital over the next two years to establish book rental schemes. This will cost approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Private Schools (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The English language school sector is not subject to mandatory regulation in the State. However, English Language Teaching Organisations (ELTOs) may seek recognition from Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services (ACELS), which is operated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). In order to gain ACELS recognition, ELTOs must demonstrate their compliance with ACELS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 64 together. All Hallows College is a private college and is not an approved institution under the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It does not receive core funding, however, my Department provides a grant in lieu of tuition fee funding to the College in respect of three approved undergraduate courses. Whilst there is a cap on the number of students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Review (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A review of the configuration and development of post-primary provision for Limerick city and part of its environs over the period 2014 to 2024 for the Department is currently underway by Mr. George O'Callaghan. It is anticipated that the report concerned will be made available, when completed, in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: School planning is not carried out on a postal district basis. Each of the areas to which the Deputy refers form part of different school feeder areas for school planning purposes. Provisional projections for the relevant feeder areas are provided in the following table. The Deputy should be aware that a number of factors will influence the projections such as mobility of students in large...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The delivery of the new school building referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the Office of Public Works (OPW). I understand from the OPW that the contractor who had been selected to construct the school withdrew prior to work commencing on site. The OPW engaged immediately with the second placed contractor and unfortunately this contractor was unable to meet the conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is working in conjunction with Cork County Council towards securing a permanent site to meet the needs of the school referred to by the Deputy. I can advise the Deputy that options are currently under consideration, but due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions, I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. Once the acquisition of a site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed by SOLAS that the Department of Social Protection refers eligible unemployed candidates to its Java Programming courses on the understanding that the applicant has the capacity to undertake and complete the course. Research indicates there is little evidence to suggest that longer duration programmes are more effective than shorter duration programmes providing applicants have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Students who are attending undergraduate courses in an EU Member State can apply for a maintenance grant in respect of an approved course which is being pursued in an approved institution. The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland. Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As previously outlined, my Department has been working in conjunction with Cork County Council towards securing a permanent site to meet the needs of the school referred to by the Deputy. I can confirm that potential options have been identified and the Department is progressing the current preferred option. However the acquisition of the preferred site option is subject to the completion of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In Budget 2013 funding of €5 million for three years was provided to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that did not operate such schemes. DEIS schools will receive €150 per child and non-DEIS schools will receive €100 per child in seed capital over the next two years to establish book rental schemes. This will cost approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions: a. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. b. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term social welfare payment prescribed under the scheme. In the case of a student whose parents are divorced, legally separated or it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The broad tenets of higher education policy in Ireland were set out in the National Strategy for Higher Education published in January 2011. I am implementing a wide ranging reform programme in higher education to include increased flexible learning opportunities, part-time provision, work based learning and short intensive skills programmes. I have published my instructions for higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (4 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The purpose of Circular 0030/2014, which issued to schools on 10th April 2014, is not to reduce the number of SNA posts in schools, but clarifies and restates the purpose of the SNA scheme which is to provide schools with additional support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. My officials have already consulted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Administration (5 Jun 2014)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including those for County Kildare, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie which is updated regularly throughout the year. The Deputy will be aware that the 5 Year Construction Plan, that I announced in March 2012, lists the individual school projects that are planned to proceed to construction over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (5 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand from my officials a Section 29 appeal will be heard on behalf of the pupil in question on the 6th June. My officials will issue the outcome of the appeal as soon as possible when it is received from the hearing committee.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (5 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's design guidelines for schools include guidance in the provision of P.E. Halls, general purpose rooms and outdoor hard play areas such as basketball courts. Other P.E. facilities, e.g. pitches are provided, where appropriate, and in the context of available resources, as part of the Department's school building programme. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Physical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (5 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing Appeals Mechanism (5 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually. 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 school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is...