Results 2,641-2,660 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (4 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I would point out that 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 for special educational needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (4 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, my officials are working closely with officials from Galway City Council in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for new school accommodation for the school to which he refers. A suitable site has been identified. However, given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments (4 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Staff entitlements on the closure of a school will depend on the status of the employees concerned. If the staff are public servants and are covered by the Haddington Road Agreement protection against compulsory redundancy, then on the closure of the school the staff may be offered the option of redeploying to another public service post or voluntary redundancy, depending on the circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoileanna Issues (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There are no catchment areas specifically for Irish-medium schools. However for planning purposes the country is divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. These defined districts facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. The schools in the areas...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department are aware of the situation at the school to which the Deputy refers in Dublin 16 and will be meeting with school authorities shortly to discuss same. However, my Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The primary school in question has been established to provide additional capacity in the wider Ballinteer/ Stepaside area. There is an Irish language school already located in the area. The question of location for the new Irish language school therefore 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: Departmental Expenditure (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Approximately 150 officials at my Department receive recoupment of affiliation fees to professional bodies where it is essential in order for them to carry out their professional functions, or it is desirable in order that they can keep abreast of domestic and international developments in their particular field. The cost in 2012 was approximately €38,000. No officials at my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Civil Servants are encouraged to pursue second and third level education during their own time in order to build and develop workplace skills, expertise and support officials in self development and life long learning. In order to foster this in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform's circular notice E109/82/97, Government Departments are permitted to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and in this case for reasonable accommodation . In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not normally develop and distribute educational resources of the kind described by the Deputy directly to schools. Agencies under the remit of the Department may do so from time to time. A wide range of materials and resources, which may include posters, is produced for teachers by the professional development support services. It is general policy and practice that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Further to my announcement on 28th November, 2013 in relation to my decisions regarding the patronage of the new post-primary schools set to open in 2015 and 2016, I can confirm that two 600 pupil post-primary schools are scheduled to open in 2016 to serve the Cork City South Suburbs/Carrigaline area. One school will be under the patronage of Educate Together and the other school under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a postgraduate fee contribution of €2,000 and is ineligible to have his fees paid up to the maximum fee limit. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme 2013 postgraduate students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. However, due the withdrawal of the Consultant Architect working on the project, a tender exercise to appoint a replacement Consultant Architect is required. This will commence shortly. Officials from my Department will keep the school informed of the steps involved in this process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded the full non adjacent maintenance grant. She is not eligible for a fee grant as she is studying in a college outside the state. It appears that the original grant award letter was sent in error. The Deputy will appreciate that some errors may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and in this case in relation to reasonable accommodation. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland Accreditation (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) was established through the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), HETAC and FETAC in November 2012. QQI assumed responsibility for the functions undertaken by those bodies including those functions, such as ACELS, which are carried out on an administrative basis. Since its establishment,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials from my Department are in regular contact with the schools in the area referred to by the Deputy, and are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that schools in the area can between them cater for all pupils seeking school places.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (3 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. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 115, inclusive, together. As the project in the case of the school, referred to by Deputy, was not a large scale capital project and was devolved to the school authority, my Department does not seek copies of the tender documentation, only confirmation that the lowest tender was successful. It is a matter for the school authority to ensure that best...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language Issues (3 Dec 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department will consider applications from an English medium primary school wishing to establish an Irish language stream or sruth where the patron of the school has given consent to the establishment of such. Approval for the establishment of a sruth will be contingent on the availability of Irish medium education in the area, the impact that it might have on the enrolment of an existing...