Results 2,801-2,820 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to the protection of front-line services for pupils with special educational needs. The level of resources devoted to supporting children with Special Educational Needs has been maintained at €1.3 billion this year. This includes provision for 10,575 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), over 10,700 Learning Support and Resource...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264, 271 and 272 together. Details of all school capital works that have been funded by my Department may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this is updated on a regular basis. For the Deputy's convenience, a list of the major new school and extension projects that were completed nationally between 2011 and to date in 2013 is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under my Department's 2012 Prefab Replacement Initiative, approval was given to 170 schools nationally to replace 458 prefab units with permanent accommodation. In excess of €42 million was allocated for this initiative of which €35 million has been paid to date. Of these a total of 157 projects have gone to construction and 108 of these have been completed. The total rental...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that overall the grant process has been running considerably more efficiently and SUSI has been meeting its targets in respect of processing grants on schedule in 2013-14. As at close of business on 20th November, 2013 70% of new applications and 95% of renewal applications have been processed to completion. Of these 31,249 new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Meeting the requirements of enterprise is a high priority for the higher education system and the reform programme being implemented at all levels of the education system aims to increase the responsiveness and quality of our institutions overall. The new System Performance Framework which is being implemented by the Higher Education Authority outlines national priorities and key system...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The extent of student dropout at second level is published by my Department in the reports titled Retention Rates of Pupils in Second Level Schools. Please see the link to the reports on my Department's website: . The most recently published data, for the cohort who entered the Junior Cycle in 2006, and sat the Leaving Certificate in either 2011 or 2012, shows a nationally adjusted retention...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Evaluations (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am mindful of the concerns of smaller schools and rural schools. Our overall primary school enrolment has been growing rapidly in recent years and this is going to continue. In managing the resource consequences of this, it is important that decisions on school provision and organisation are based on a rigorous evaluation of requirements and needs, not just at a local level but also at both...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that my Department allocates funding to the Artane School of Music which goes towards the general running costs of the School. The school's funding has reduced in recent years in line with general cuts to the sector and my Department has previously signalled to the School that the issue of the appropriateness of the continuation of such funding is being examined. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 the allocation of Special Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language Issues (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Chief Inspector's Report 2010-2012 highlights the need for ongoing support for the teaching and learning of Irish in post-primary schools. My Department has already put a range of support measures in place, particularly in relation to curriculum, assessment and teacher education, as part of its ongoing implementation of the 20 Year Strategy for Irish. The Teaching Council has been asked...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sick Leave Entitlements (26 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The position regarding sick leave for Registered Teachers in recognised schools is set out by my Department in Circular letter 60/2010. This Sick Leave Scheme was agreed under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council. The Council is comprised of Representatives of Teachers, School Management, Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Public Enterprise and Reform and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy for the 2013/14 academic year was refused. SUSI has confirmed that the student is undertaking a course of study at a lower level than that previously pursued. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded on the 4th October, 2013. Students get paid as soon as possible after they submit their bank accounts details and their institutions confirm their attendance. SUSI is awaiting confirmation from the applicant's college before...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school management annually and are available on the Department website.Preparation for the staffing and redeployment process for the 2014/15 school year is currently underway in my Department. The staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Numbers (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, I announced that up to 40 new schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. These consist of twenty new primary schools and twenty new post-primary schools. This announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new post-primary school in Newbridge. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that it has awarded a total of some 40,000 students grants up to end October 2013. The total number of awards to end of the same period in 2012 was just under 8,000. The next SUSI update report is due at the end of November and it is estimated that by then some 50,000 applications will have been awarded compared to 14,000 for the same...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund Issues (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Apart from the funding provided through the student grant schemes, the Department also provides funding to approved third level institutions to operate a Student Assistant Fund to assist students in exceptional financial need. Information on the fund is available from the Student Access Officer at the student's college.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the grant award letter that issued on the 6th September 2013 to the student referred to by the Deputy was sent in error. The Deputy will appreciate that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe. SUSI has confirmed that on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (21 Nov 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department takes careful account of research into the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Research literature from other countries does not provide definitive conclusions regarding the effects of school size and there is no comprehensive research on this matter in the Irish context. However, there is a strong consensus in research literature that one of the most important influences on...