Results 2,541-2,560 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I welcome the fact that this matter has been raised again. Several Deputies have raised it on different occasions. We have a degree of clarity now about the choice between the two sites. Without prejudice to any final decision there should be a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis in the totality of the terms outlined by both Deputies. This should be done as quickly as possible in order...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Issues (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) does not have a role in setting the contractual hours of work of SNAs. The contractual position in respect of SNAs is outlined in their contract of employment. Links to the SNA Contracts of Employment are as follows: Department of Education and Skills Circular SNA 12/05 (Post-Primary) - ; and Department of Education and Skills Circular SNA...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The independent Student Grants Appeals Board has received an appeal from the student referred to by the Deputy. The Appeals Board aims to issue appeal determinations as promptly as possible and within the timeframe specified in the Student Support Act, 2011. The student will be notified directly of the outcome by the Appeals Board.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applications referred to by the Deputy are being reviewed as a result of a change in circumstances and the students will be notified of the outcome shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Book Rental Scheme (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware I launched new "Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools" on the 28th January last. These Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the Guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes. The publication of these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware, that the school to which he refers was invited to participate in the Prefab Replacement Scheme II and I understand that the school authorities accepted this offer. This acceptance, involving the construction of a number of classrooms, including the replacement of some prefabs, represents the first Phase of development works at the school. In that regard, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Directives (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: One Directive related to my Department falls into the category to which the Deputy refers. The transposition of this Directive (Council Directive 2013/25/EU of 13 May 2013, adapting certain directives in the field of right of establishment and freedom to provide services, by reason of the accession of the Republic of Croatia) requires the amendment of at least 8 pieces of legislation, only...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (11 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department of Education and Skills has not incurred any costs as a result of Oireachtas members initiating legal challenges in the Courts during the past five years.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The feeder area for the school to which the Deputy refers remains the same. There is an Irish language school already located in the area. The question of location for the school in question was considered in the context of providing access to both Irish language schools to the greatest number of pupils across the area.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland Accreditation (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, FETAC was dissolved in November 2012 and its functions were assumed by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance body covering both further and higher education and training. Since its establishment, QQI has been undertaking a comprehensive policy development programme, involving structured consultation with a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, the documents have been received. The student applied under a change of circumstances and further supporting documentation is required. The applicant will be contacted directly by SUSI and advised of the outstanding documents. When this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The legal arrangements associated with the donation of the building referred to by the Deputy for school purposes have now been concluded. The matter of progressing with a refurbishment project at the school in question is now being considered and my Department expects to be in a position to make contact with the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The process of assessing eligibility for student grants between 2003 and 2012 was carried out by 66 grant awarding authorities. The reporting systems in the grant awarding authorities do not collate the information in the format requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that payments are made on a regular monthly basis in arrears with students in higher education being paid on the third Friday of each month and student in further education receiving payment on the fourth Friday. The full payments schedule is published on www.susi.ie. At the start of the academic year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Rules for National Schools were published in 1965 and over the course of the intervening period they have been updated, amended and supplemented mainly by circular letters but also by certain provisions of both primary and secondary legislation that have since been enacted. Given the many other more pressing work priorities and also the on-going changes in the primary education sector, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2013)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy applied as an independent student and has been requested to provide documentation in support of her claim. When this information is received and considered, the student will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A grant is payable for the normal duration of an approved course and is renewed annually subject to ongoing compliance with the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme including the income thresholds. There was no policy change in Budget 2013 to the Student Grant Scheme or to any of the student grant rates including the non-adjacent or adjacent rates of grant, or the higher special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The patronage of the new post-primary school for Maynooth was decided in accordance with the criteria for patronage determination for new schools, which I announced and published in June 2011. All of the documents relating to my decision on the patronage for this school are also published on my Department's website. In accordance with this decision, the school will be commencing operation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that further to Parliamentary Question 65, details of the 14 schools in question were furnished directly to the Deputy on 28 November last. There were a number of reasons why these schools were unsuccessful in securing funding. Due to the scale of demand for funding, it was not possible to grant aid all applications received. Accordingly, commensurate with the...