Results 3,481-3,500 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department issues per capita grants to all primary and non-fee charging post primary schools to assist them in providing textbooks to pupils. The school referred to by the Deputy received a book grant of €1,749 in May 2013. The Department has no role at individual school level in the allocation of school book grants. The current arrangements for the distribution of the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Eligibility (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that home tuition has been approved for the children in question. Their parents have been notified accordingly in a letter dated 6th September 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher qualifications, including those relating to Irish, are designed to equip teachers to teach in all publicly funded schools. The detailed staffing and redeployment arrangements for all primary schools are set out in the Department's staffing circular 0013/2013 and associated FAQ documentation which is available on the Department's website. Flexible redeployment arrangements are...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that in April 2013, in 21 processing days, a total of 720 final decisions were made on grant appeals, an average of 34 decisions a day.

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

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the school in question is currently based in temporary accommodation which my Department provided in 2009. My Department's over-riding objective is to ensure that every child has access to a physical school place and that our school system is in a position to cope with increasing pupil numbers. To ensure that this is achieved, the delivery of major school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The charging of fees by a school is permissible only in the case of recognised fee-charging second level schools. All other recognised schools are precluded from charging school fees. Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils in such recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 267 together. The context for any discussion about class sizes is that my Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. My focus is on ensuring we have school places and teachers for all the additional pupils entering our...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all the details that would be contained in an individual application it would not be possible to say whether a student would be eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme. In order to be assessed under the Student Grant Scheme the student referred to by the Deputy should complete an online application form and submit to SUSI, who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (24 Sep 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: Student Grants Statistics (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Provisional figures provided by the Higher Education Authority to my Department indicate that some 42,000 students entered higher education institutes for the first time in the 2012/13 academic year. I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland that, as at 15th September 2012, some 69,705 new applications had been received for the 2012/13 academic year. In addition, information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Remuneration (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of Departmental Circular 37/2013 ( ), with effect from 1 May 2013 once an SNA with a minimum of one year's service (Service in a substitute capacity i.e. covering for maternity leave, sick leave, career breaks etc. does not count) is notified by his/her employer that he/she is to be made redundant then he/she shall be deemed to be a member of a Supplementary Assignment Panel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Statistics (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Newly Qualified Teachers apply for inspection visits for the purpose of verifying professional competence in order to gain full registration with the Teaching Council. Primary teachers are required to complete a minimum of 50 days in one school setting, either mainstream or special education (restricted), to be eligible for these inspection visits. Following completion of the inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that a project to deliver a new school building for the school to which he has referred is included in the 5 year Building Programme which I announced in 2012. My officials have been working closely with officials from Kildare County Council in relation to acquiring a suitable site for the proposed new school building. Agreement in principle, subject to contract,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The level of student intake to the 5 state-funded primary Colleges of Education is determined annually by my Department. The level of intake to these Colleges has decreased in recent years in light of available resources and factors impacting on demand. The funding provided to primary providers is set out in the attached tables. The figures shown for the HEA funded Colleges include amounts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the forthcoming budget. The decisions in relation to such matters will be announced at budget time.The Government will endeavour to protect frontline education services as best as possible. However, this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (19 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that in preparation for the 2013/2014 Academic year the application assessment process was further developed to enhance effectiveness and efficiency and respond to experiences from year 1. In addition, a number of new initiatives have been implemented as recommended by the independent review by Accenture. The initiatives include...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Remedial Building Works (19 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that some remedial works have been carried out on the premises to which he refers, following recent fire damage. My Department holds the premises on a leasehold basis and is currently in discussion with representatives of the owners of the freehold in relation to a full refurbishment/restoration of the premises.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 76 together. The issues raised in each of these questions relate to budgetary matters. The budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the forthcoming budget. The decisions in relation to such matters will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (19 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together. The Deputy will be aware from my previous reply of the role of the Ombudsman for Children where appropriate on such matters. In addition, I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the issue of quality of teaching within a school falls within the remit of the board of management and principal of that school. It is the duty of the board to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Administration (19 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the pedestrian crossing will be completed under the contract for the building project to which he refers. The road has now been taken in charge by the Local Authority. The cost of installing the pedestrian crossing will be covered as part of the overall cost of the project. However, owing to commercial sensitivities the cost cannot be disclosed at this...