Results 18,741-18,760 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (26 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy was initially refused due to late return of documents. The student appealed to the Appeals Officer in SUSI and following a review of the case a letter issued to the student on the 23 June 2014, requesting documentation in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (26 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The reform of the further education and training (FET) sector envisages a key role for education and training boards (ETBs) in relation to the future delivery of FET in an integrated manner. Part of this involves the transfer of training centres from SOLAS to ETBs. 7 training centres and their staff transferred to ETBs on 1 January 2014. A further 12 training centres will transfer to 7...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: SOLAS have a role in approving companies for the purposes of taking on apprentices. I am informed by SOLAS that a company wishing to register an apprentice is assessed to ensure its suitability to train apprentices in the specified craft. To be deemed suitable, an employer must hold a qualification in the relevant trade or have in their employment a qualified craftsperson. The employer must...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Staffing (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The arrangements for delivering instructor training for the safe pass programmes are an operational matter for SOLAS. SOLAS will respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language Issues (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review carried out in 2011, a decision was made to abolish payments by this Department towards the cost of attendance at Gaeltacht courses by initial teacher education students with effect from September 2012. The decision to abolish the grants was not taken lightly, and it has to be viewed in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language Issues (1 Jul 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: Education and Training Boards Staff (1 Jul 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: Minor Works Scheme Suspension (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Details in respect of the Grant Scheme for Minor Works to National School Properties (the Minor Works Grant) are available under Circular Letter 0062/2013 dated November 2013. The circular states that each primary school with full recognition will receive a €5,500 basic grant plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil on the rolls on the 30th...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) approves special classes for schools. Such a special class was approved for St. Peter's NS, Mountcharles in 2011. The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school, which are enrolment related, are set out in Appendix B of Circular, 0007/2014 Staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: This is a day to day operational matter for City of Dublin Education and Training Board (ETB) and I have asked the ETB to contact the Deputy directly to clarify the position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: For school planning purposes Dublin City and County is divided into 40 school feeder areas. These areas are based on the areas used in the Census for Small Area Population Statistics purposes. Balbriggan Ballinteer/Stepaside Ballybrack/Shankill Ballyfermot/D10 Beaumont/Coolock D5 Blanchardstown West D15 Blanchardstown Village D15 Booterstown/Blackrock Cabra/Phibsboro D7 Carpenterstown D15...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department continues to analyse demographic data to identify where new primary and post-primary schools will be required. It is open to all patron bodies, including Educate Together, to apply for patronage of any such schools in line with the established patronage determination process. Following the process for determining patronage of new schools, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together. A Clerk Typist Scheme for the employment of secretaries in primary and secondary schools was initiated in 1978 as part of the then Government's job-creation programme. While a small number of such secretaries remain in schools, the scheme has been superseded by a more extensive grant arrangement. The majority of primary and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The staffing appeal process at primary level includes the provision whereby schools with a high concentration of pupils requiring English as an additional language (EAL) can apply for further additional temporary language support posts. The appeal criteria are set out in Circular 0007/2014. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal under the EAL criterion to the Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The staffing appeal process at primary level includes the provision whereby schools with a high concentration of pupils requiring English as an additional language (EAL) can apply for further additional temporary language support posts. The appeal criteria are set out in Circular 0007/2014. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal under the EAL criterion to the Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My officials have replied to a representation made by a concerned parent to my office recently regarding the matter at the school in question. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Suspension (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As I outlined previously the focus in the education sector is on meeting the demand for additional school places. Consequently, there is no funding provided at this time in the 2014 capital allocation for the payment of a Minor Works Grant to primary schools. I would point out that the Minor Works Grant was issued last November to all primary schools with full recognition in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has examined the level of demand for junior infant places in the Swords area and in that regard has also been in contact with the schools concerned. The Deputy will appreciate that in view of constraints on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to meet demographic demand, it is important that school size is monitored and that a balance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy made an application for the 2014/15 academic year and subsequently appealed the initial decision. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (1 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The guidelines referred to by the Deputy were published in 2005 at a time when a separate additional allocation was given to schools for guidance provision. My Department published Circular 0009/2012 – Staffing Arrangements in post-primary schools for the 2012/13 school year in February, 2012 to inform all post primary school management of the staffing arrangements for the 2012/13...