Results 2,561-2,580 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for major capital funding. In considering the application, my Department carried out a technical inspection at the school. Following the inspection, my Department sought further information from the school and this is awaited.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 183 together. The payment of an ex gratia amount in addition to statutory redundancy is not an automatic entitlement and while institutions are precluded from exceeding the terms of the collective agreement on enhanced redundancy, it is entirely a matter for an individual employer to decide whether to seek the sanction of the Department to make an...

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

Ruairi Quinn: As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 221 of 26 November 2013 I will not be intervening in the dress codes that schools have put in place. It is a matter for the parents in conjunction with the relevant school authorities to decide on the dress code for each school. You may wish to refer the matter of the wearing of skirts to the Equality Authority; that body holds a remit...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that 3,217 applicants were awarded a grant but not yet in payment as at 1 December 2013. Over 600 of these applicants are not in payment due to lack of bank details or incorrect bank details entered by the applicant. The balance of students awaiting payment are recently awarded applicants for whom the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the Educate Together Patron Body in relation to operating a school from the former school premises in Basin Street. It is intended that the community will continue to have access to the facilities.

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

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application in recent weeks for a major capital project to provide additional accommodation and refurbishment of the existing building. The application is currently being assessed and as part of that process my Department will liaise with the school shortly in respect of the accommodation issues arising.

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together. Apart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary or post-primary schools are not permitted to charge school fees. Voluntary contributions by parents are however permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay. The manner in which contributions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The capital expenditure incurred by my Department in each of the years 2009 to 2013 is as follows: Year Expenditure 2009 €765.794m 2010 €786.615m 2011 €556.295m 2012 €409.972m 2013 (to date) €381.775m I wish to advise the Deputy that certain elements of capital expenditure do not lend themselves to a county breakdown and are categorised as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Statistics (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There are currently 55 fee charging second level schools. Returns submitted by these schools to the Department show that they have no students enrolled on the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme in the 2013/14 school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Statistics (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy for the school year 2013/14 is that there are 668 non fee paying post-primary schools. The number of these schools which offer the Leaving Certificate Applied is 270.

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

Ruairi Quinn: The right of Appeal and the Appeals process are set out in Sections 20, 21 and 25 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Articles 40 and 41 of the Student Grant Scheme 2013. There are two steps in the appeals mechanism. 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 appeal, in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: 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) Department of Education and Skills Circular SNA 15/05 (Primary) . This contract of employment is augmented by all of the relevant Departmental Circulars governing Special Needs...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department are in receipt of an application from the school, to which the Deputy refers, for additional accommodation to provide an ASD Unit. The application is currently being assessed and as part of that process my Department is in contact with the NCSE (National Council for Special Education) in the matter. When a final decision has been reached, my Department will be in direct...

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

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a board of management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or, occasionally, on the basis of some other criterion. This selection process and the enrolment policy on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is awaiting bank account details from a total of 5 people so that their salary/pension can issue to them. Bank details are awaited from 1 serving teacher, 3 personnel paid on the payroll for retired teachers and non teaching staff of Primary, Voluntary Secondary / Community and Comprehensive schools and their spouses and children and 1 serving staff member of my Department. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has a capital allocation of almost €433m for 2013 and at the beginning of the year profiled that allocation on the basis of expected expenditure likely to be incurred during each month of 2013. Due to a myriad of factors expenditure on a monthly basis is usually most unlikely to correspond exactly with the profiled amounts as positioned last January. The capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Safety (10 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There is a rigorous and comprehensive system of reporting concerning incidents impinging on the health and well-being of children. While the primary statutory responsibility for child protection lies with the Health Service Executive, my Department's role is to provide guidance and support to schools in implementing child protection policy and to refer any allegations the Department receives...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I am satisfied that robust external inspection arrangements are in place that predominantly focus on evaluating the quality of learning and teaching in schools. During all whole school evaluations, inspectors provide individual teacher feedback and whole-school feedback highlighting good practice and aspects of practice that require improvement. The reports arising from whole school...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The inspectorate conducted a total of 2,146 inspection or advisory visits to primary and post-primary schools in 2012 (probationary teacher inspections not included). Details of the breakdown of these visits, by county, are provided in the table below. Details of inspections conducted at the request of the planning and building unit in the period are not readily to hand but will be...