Results 18,681-18,700 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A substantial programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Mathematics is funded by my Department. The Mathematics CPD programme is provided through a combination of learning opportunities. Since 2008, 10 workshops have been provided for post-primary mathematics teachers and a series of modular evening courses, hundreds of school visits and a national conference have taken...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has recently advertised for posts in both the Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) and National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT). Applicants are required to have a broad range of knowledge, experience and skills therefore ensuring that a high level of expertise will be in place for these positions. The competencies necessary for these posts are commensurate with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that a new post-primary school, Kishogue Community College, Clonburris, Lucan will open in temporary accommodation in September 2014. The construction of a permanent building for Kishogue Community College, a 1,000 pupil school, commenced on site last March. There are no new primary or post-primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has no plans to undertake a cost benefit analysis of the type suggested by the Deputy. The Constitution does not allow either the positive or negative discrimination of schools based on their religious ethos. Second level schools such as Kilkenny College, and previously Wilson's Hospital, have demonstrated that they believe they can maintain and promote their Church of Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with Section 30(1) of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 (the Act), each education and training board will consist of 21 members as follows: 12 members elected by the relevant local authority; 2 members elected by ETB staff; 2 members appointed by the ETB from nominees of the National Parents Council; 5 members appointed by the ETB from bodies specified by the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The 20 year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 -2030 contains a number of actions relating to improving the quality of Irish Teaching which need further consideration including the introduction of a Gaeltacht scholarship scheme for primary school teachers to attend intensive Gaeilge courses in the Gaeltacht. This Government is committed to supporting the overall thrust of 20 Year Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy seems to be referring to the redeployment arrangements at primary level. These arrangements are set out in a detailed FAQ document that is published on my Department's website. The redeployment process at primary level is a huge logistical operation. Its focus is on facilitating the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools in that area that have vacancies....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware 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 to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs including autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that a total of 18 primary schools closed between 2011 and 2013. Four primary schools closed in 2011, eight closed in 2012 and six closed in 2013. The initiative for closing a school may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Board of Management, Patron and my Department. Any proposal to close a school must involve consultation with all of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities, in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream national school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for a pupil or pupils with special care needs arising from a disability. The first priority is that the care needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Panel Rights (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Teaching Council is responsible for procedures and criteria for the probation of teachers. In accordance with the Council's current arrangements, where a primary teacher is employed and probated in a restricted setting such as a special class, the probationary process is considered to be partially carried out and the teacher's registration will remain subject to the condition of...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the contract has been signed for the school building project to which she refers. Construction on site is due to commence shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that differing teacher allocation ratios are applied under the General Allocation Model (GAM) in relation to boys, girls and mixed schools in order to account for differentials of prevalence of learning difficulty between boys and girls. The objective of this differentiation is to ensure that resources provided to schools to support children who have additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together. The specific information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, the Deputy can be assured that my Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve PE facilities for all pupils attending schools within the constraints of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the July Education Programme 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 for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced details of the schools that will receive Summer Works Scheme funding in 2014 in respect of applications submitted for Categories 1 to 6 i.e. Gas, Electrical, Mechanical, Toilet Facilities and Roof Works projects. In total, I have approved the spending of more than €70 million on the Summer Works Scheme to allow over 770 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Application Numbers (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 495 grants were approved under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme in 2013. A breakdown of these approvals is attached as requested by the Deputy. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is solely for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for special needs pupils. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Information in respect of all school projects where funding has been approved under various schemes, including the Additional Accommodation and Emergency Works Schemes is available on my Department's website, broken down geographically, at www.education.ie, and this is updated regularly. The level of grant awarded is confidential to the Board of Management at the time of approval. School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A key priority for my Department is to prioritise and target resources in schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. To this end, resources in DEIS schools have been protected under Budget 2014, with no overall changes to DEIS-related staffing levels or DEIS funding in 2014. I do not intend to give any specific commitment on future budgetary decisions. This is a...