Results 2,021-2,040 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications are currently being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (59/2013) is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to publish a list of successful applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school in question recently submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme for a complete refurbishment of the Technical Graphics Room and the Art Room. This application is currently being assessed and the school authorities will be notified of the outcome once this assessment has been completed.

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

Ruairi Quinn: As a matter of policy, my Department liaises with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in relation to special education needs provision in all new post primary schools. Accordingly, my Department will be liaising with both the NCSE and the Patron of the school in question in relation to this matter prior to finalising the schedule of accommodation for the school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together. My Department has not sought external professional advice on the appointment of persons to State boards. In accordance with Government policy, expressions of interest have been sought through the Public Appointments Service (PAS) from suitably qualified and experienced persons for consideration for appointment to the boards of Bodies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Professional Qualifications Recognition (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Where immigrants wish to take up employment in a profession which is regulated in the State, and where a particular qualification requirement applies to that profession, it would, in the first instance, be the responsibility of the regulatory body concerned to identify any shortfall in qualifications. Under Directive 2005/36, which governs the recognition of professional qualifications in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Interpretation Services (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no plans to regulate the profession of interpreters.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Foreign Language Assistant Scheme (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration maintains a comprehensive resource of services across a range of Government Departments and agencies, including education. My Department also maintains a resource in relation to the Irish education system which is available on the Department's website. This resource is currently being updated to incorporate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The programme for Government contains a commitment that "People of non-faith or minority religious backgrounds and publicly identified LGBT people should not be deterred from training or taking up employment as teachers in the state." In this regard the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) designate has been asked to consider and provide advice in relation to amending Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: In-service Training (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), funded by my Department, is responsible for supporting schools in the implementation of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum. A core element of the SPHE Curriculum at primary level is the fostering and development of the positive attitudes towards diversity and celebrating difference through the strand unit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Promotion of interculturalism is integral to all aspects of Irish school life. It should not be confined to one module and therefore the introduction of such a module would not be considered advisable. The primary SPHE programme teaches children to recognise and appreciate ethnic, social and cultural diversity, fostering genuine inclusiveness. At post-primary, aspects of subjects like...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Foreign Language Assistant Scheme (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Since September 2012 the combined resources available for learning support (General Allocation Model at Primary) and language support at both primary and second level have been merged into a single simplified allocation process. There are currently over 4,600 such posts allocated to schools at primary level and 780 posts at post primary level. This includes the standard learning/language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: After-School Support Services (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department through the teacher support services engages teachers on a full time basis for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. In order to be eligible for secondment teachers must be registered with the Teaching Council and be in a recognised post in a recognised school.If there is not sufficient capacity in the full time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has requested clarification from Deputy O'Brien on this question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. My Department recognises that specialised training and continued professional development (CPD) is important for all teachers, including EAL teachers. The Professional Development Service for teachers, funded by Teacher Education Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision to end the Modern Languages Primary School Initiative was made in the context of a very challenging budgetary environment where difficult decisions had to be taken. It was also taken in the context of the need to concentrate on the development and enhancement of the literacy and numeracy skills of our primary pupils. There are no plans to revisit this decision or conduct a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department does not fund English Language Schools and therefore there are no plans to introduce a standard curriculum or recommendations. However, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), through its ACELS function, does provide recognition to ELTOs (English Language Training Organisations) which comply with its standards. Those ELTOs are subject to ongoing monitoring and review by QQI...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 to 222, inclusive, together. Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing their first undergraduate course of study which is full-time and a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main criteria of the Free Fees...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. The underlying criteria for participation in DEIS is a school's relative level of disadvantage against all other schools therefore those schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage were selected for participation in the DEIS programme. In the primary sector the identification of primary schools, for participation in DEIS,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Guidance Counsellors (4 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: An email response issued on 13 November 2013 to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy. Since September 2012 guidance provision is organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. In this way principals have discretion to balance guidance needs with the pressures to provide subject choice. I acknowledge that bringing guidance within quota is challenging for...

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

Ruairi Quinn: For student grants purposes, a student may be assessed as an independent student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course, or of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her...