Results 3,021-3,040 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In line with the Department's Design Team Procedures, standard template letters developed in conjunction with the Capital Works Management Framework and which are available on the Departments web-site, are generally used by schools and their design teams in providing feedback to unsuccessful tenderers. Details in relation to the lowest tender is supplied to all unsuccessful tenderers on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy a letter issued on 22nd October requesting return of the Final Course Acceptance Form. The application will be reviewed on receipt of the requested documentation and a decision will issue to the applicant.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A reply will issue this week. I regret the delay in replying to the Deputy's correspondence in relation to post-qualification experience for newly qualified teachers. I am aware that there are newly qualified teachers not yet holding teaching positions in schools and I will continue to keep the matter under review. An increase in the level of supervision and substitution hours to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Completion Rates (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have been informed by the Higher Education Authority that in 2007/08 there were 2376 new entrants to Science Honours Bachelor Degree courses in the 7 Universities. 11% of these new entrants did not progress from 1st year in 2007 to second year in 2008. The data for completion is not yet available but the completion rate for Honours Bachelor Degree science courses in the 7 Universities for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland that all 59,000 applications received by the 5 August closing date have been processed and that 4,000 new applications received following the closing date and up to early September have also been processed. 3,600 new applications received since early September are currently being processed but priority is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development Funding (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, competitive research funding made available from my Department is managed by one body, the Irish Research Council. The Council uses an online grant management system for all its research programmes which provides an efficient and user-friendly service to applicants. This system was first procured by its predecessor, the Irish Research Council for Science...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (24 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In Budget 2014 my Department was required to secure savings of €44 million to meet the ceiling set in the Comprehensive Expenditure Review 2012-14. The Department has been able to identify sufficient expenditure savings to allow me protect frontline education services in 2014, including protecting class sizes. Savings that have recently crystallised, particularly in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The additional funding referred to by the Deputy will involve an investment of €15 million to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that do not currently operate them. The Department will provide €5 million per annum over a three year period to such schools. This will allow schools to reduce the cost burden on parents with young children. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has been in ongoing liaison with the school, referred to by the Deputy, in relation to its accommodation issues. In that regard, my Department recently met with the school authority concerned to consider further the proposal being developed by the school to meet its accommodation needs. Arising from this meeting, the school concerned agreed to supply the technical reports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that demographic projections which are based on child benefit data for the Dublin 7 area indicates a requirement for up to 38 additional primary school classrooms in the general area in the coming years. While most of that demand will be catered for by using current capacity in the existing primary schools in the area and also through the proposed expansion of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b - Detailed Design. This stage includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certificate, Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of tender documents. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b - Detailed Design. A decision to grant planning permission for the project was made by the County Council on 23rd September 2013. The Design Team for the project has submitted an application for a fire certificate and disability access certificate to the County...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's policy is focused on ensuring that all children, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. The policy is to provide for children with special educational needs, including autism, to be included in mainstream schools unless such a placement would...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Uniforms (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have already expressed my concern in relation to costs incurred by parents on school uniforms. This is a matter on which I believe schools must take account of the wishes of parents. During the course of this school year I will be publishing my plans for a Parent Charter that will strengthen the position of parents generally within our school system. I believe that changes to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that due to a change of circumstances the student referred to by the Deputy applied to have his case reviewed. SUSI are currently awaiting documents from the student and the case will be fully reviewed on receipt of outstanding documentation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The query to which the Deputy refers in being addressed in the Pension Unit of my Department. All email queries are acknowledged and directed to general information on the website as many queries relate to general pension information. When the query relates to a specific matter, the response is provided when the matter is investigated and this is the position in respect of the query to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Chairpersons of the Governing Body of Institutes of Technology are appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills in line with the provisions of the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. Section 2 (2) of the Second Schedule to the Act provides that the "chairman shall be appointed by the Minister and may be removed from office by the Minister". Section 2 (4) provides that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Overseas Students Data (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: With close on 5,000 Chinese students registered in Irish higher education institutions, China is the second source market for international students coming to Ireland. Figures provided by Enterprise Ireland on the number of Chinese students coming here since 2006 are as follows:- 2006/07 - 3,573; 2009/10 - 3,355; 2010/11 - 5,105; 2011/12 - 4,554. Figures are not available for 2008/09. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There are a range of foreign languages available on the curriculum in schools - French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic. Mandarin Chinese is not currently on the curriculum. It is not possible in the current budgetary situation to expand the range of languages available in the post primary curriculum. However there is a Chinese module for transition year which has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers submitted an application for additional accommodation to my Department last week. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.