Results 2,061-2,080 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: In the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards are not entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Those who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is currently engaging with the organisation referred to by the Deputy in the context of a request for improved accommodation at a school. During this engagement, the organisation raised the matter of acquiring a parcel of land adjacent to the school. My Department advised that the main focus of its capital budget for the coming years is the delivery of the projects outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 48 and 56 together. The allocation of SNA resources is not a matter for this Department but is instead an independent function carried out by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), who are responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: On 22 April 2013 my Department invited applications for patronage of new primary schools to open in 2014, one of which is intended for the Galway City West (Knocknacarra) area. Applications for patronage of the proposed school in the Galway area were received from 3 patron bodies, Educate Together, Lifeways Ireland Limited and the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (formerly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that the higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and the day to day operations including the collection and administration of the Student Contribution, are matters for the Governing Authority of each institution. Therefore where a student withdraws from a course of study the issue of a possible reimbursement of the student contribution should be raised with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department currently has arrangements with two taxi firms for the provision of taxi services within the Dublin city area for Departmental officials required to attend meetings outside of its Marlborough Street campus on official business. My Department's policy for official taxi usage is to ensure the efficient and effective use of this resource and to ensure costs are kept to a minimum....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application, it would not be possible to say if the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: To satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course. Under the scheme, students who have previously attended, but...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pátrúnacht Scoileanna (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Tá mo Roinnse i gcomhairle leanúnach le Pátrún na scoile i gceist maidir le cóiríocht thosaigh di do mhí Mheán Fómhair 2014. Tionóladh an cruinniú is deireanaí aici leis an bPátrún ina leith seo ar 22ú Eanáir i mbliana. Is é seo an bealach cuí cumarsáide. Is gnó don Phátrún é...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application of the student referred to by the Deputy has been reviewed and they confirmed that the documents provided were not sufficient to prove independent residency. Passport details...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy in the first instance that there has been no change to my Department's policy on the home tuition grant and policy pertaining to the opening of early intervention classes for children with autism. My Department's policy facilitates the enrolment of pupils with autism in early intervention classes in primary schools from the age of three years. Home Tuition can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have arranged for the detail requested by the Deputy to be referred to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) for their attention and direct reply. As the Deputy is aware I requested the NCSE to prepare evidence based policy advice on the education of children with autism which would be informed by research and consultation. I specifically asked the NCSE to consult widely with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Suíomhanna Scoile (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Táthar tar éis a chur in iúl d'údaráis na scoile go mbeidh mo Roinnse i dteagmháil leo go gairid chun cruinniú ar an suíomh a shocrú leo chun na hathruithe ar an dteorainn a phlé.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I received the final report of the value for money review of small primary schools on 25 April 2013. The report contains much detailed and technical data. I have been consulting with Government colleagues on the issues raised in the report and the recommendations. These consultations are now well advanced.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am conscious that there are some schools that have a significant increase in their junior infant enrolments but are not growing rapidly enough to benefit from posts under the developing schools criteria. I want to alleviate some of the pressure on these schools by adding a bit of flexibility to the developing schools criteria. In this regard the staffing appeals process has been extended...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The acquisition of a site for permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being progressed by my Department. However, due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions, I am not in a position to give further details at this time. However, once the acquisition of a site is finalised, a design team for the project will be appointed with a view to its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced the need for the establishment of 20 new primary schools to cater for increased demographics across a number of locations up to 2017, including the Sandymount/ Ringsend area in Dublin 2/4. In this regard, a new primary school will open in the area in September 2014. In addition, a building project to facilitate the amalgamation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ombudsman for Children Remit (29 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputies information under Section 9 of the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002 the Ombudsman for Children examines and investigates complaints against schools directly with the schools' management. Accordingly, the figures requested above are not held by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Building Regulations Compliance (29 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 require that a Building Owner (a) appoint a competent person/company as an Assigned Certifier to inspect the building works during construction and to provide a Certificate of Compliance with the Building Regulations on completion and (b) appoint a competent Builder to construct in accordance with the plans, specifications and Building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (29 Jan 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application in relation to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would...