Results 3,041-3,060 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support that the student referred to by the Deputy initially applied in error as an independent mature student. The original application was cancelled at the request of the student and he then reapplied as a dependent student. The second application was received on 15th September and is currently awaiting assessment.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (23 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is continuing to work closely with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school, and I can advise that options are currently under consideration in that regard. However, given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to firstly advise the Deputy that the level of resources being 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) for allocation in the 2013/14 school year. The Deputy will be aware that the previous Government, as part of the Programme for National...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Recognition (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, a process is in place under which the issue of permanent recognition for the school referred to is being assessed. This process is based on the school's progress in fulfilling the undertakings supplied by the school patrons to meet permanent recognition criteria in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1998 and the Rules for National Schools. All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 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. It is not possible to progress all projects within the Department's building programme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The first two school projects referred to by the Deputy are scheduled for delivery during 2014/2015 as announced under the Five Year Plan and have been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery. The NDFA and its Design Team have secured planning permission for both of these schools and have recently advanced both projects to tender stage. The third project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning, stage 2a, detailed design. On the satisfactory completion of stage 2a, and subject to no other issues arising, the project will progress to Stage 2(b) which includes applications for Planning Permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability Access Certification and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Teaching Council's financial statements for each year end (31 December) are audited by Anne Brady McQuillans DFK Chartered Accountants. The auditor is appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills under Section 18 of the Teaching Council Act 2012. Once approved, the financial statements are published on www.teachingcouncil.ie and in the Council's annual report which covers the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I was very pleased to recently publish new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. They include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 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: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The child referred to by the Deputy is currently enrolled in a special school and it is understood that the child is due to transition at the end of the current school year. The Deputy will be aware that one of the functions of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is to provide support to schools, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Loan Scheme (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The question of introducing fees allied to an income contingent loan scheme has been identified previously, including in the Hunt report, as a means of addressing future funding issues in the sector while retaining free access at the point of entry. A technical report on options for the development of such a scheme was developed by my Department in 2009 and is published on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the question refers to the Minor Works Grant. When the Minor Works Grant last issued in November 2011 for the school year 2011/2012, I stated that given the need to focus on meeting the demand for additional school places, it was unlikely that funding would be available for the Minor Works Grant in the coming years. This is borne out by the fact that in 2012, 85% of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 183 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Policy (22 Oct 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. SNAs are allocated to schools in order to provide for the care...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Education (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is currently a compulsory subject in primary schools and at Junior Cycle in post primary schools. The SPHE curricula aim to foster self-worth, self -confidence and respectful relationships and place a particular emphasis on developing a sense of personal responsibility for one's own behaviour, feelings and actions. The issue of smoking is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (22 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 payment of €2,000 postgraduate fee contribution will be made to the student's institution on 25th October 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that a letter issued to the student referred to by the Deputy on 10th October 2013 requesting further documentation in support of his application. The application will be reviewed on receipt of this documentation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 Oct 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning, stage 2(a) - detailed design. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to...