Results 3,541-3,560 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes. SENOS are a valuable source of support to parents who are actively...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 and 286 together. The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter, schools are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means. Students commencing a new course in the academic year 2013/14 are required to submit their grant application to Student Universal Support Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is in the attached table. In accordance with the provisions of the Education and Training Boards Act, 2013, every person who was a member of a VEC immediately prior to establishment of the education and training boards became a member of the relevant education and training board on the board's establishment and will remain in office until the next local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Religious education is one of the seven curricular areas of the Primary Curriculum and schools are currently required to allocate thirty minutes per day for religious instruction. However, unlike other subject areas, the content of the religious curriculum provided by schools is not set by my Department. The Education Act recognises the rights of the different church authorities to design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Course Accreditation (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291, 304, 305 and 383 together. In September 2012 Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) commenced a BSc in Audiology course despite a request from the HEA in August 2012 that it be cancelled. The course was included in the CAO handbook by AIT without prior agreement from the HSE in relation to the provision of clinical placements. The HEA's concern was that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Transition Year Issues (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides specific teaching resources and additional grant aid to schools that offer the transition year programme. Schools in the Free Education Scheme qualify for payment of a transition year grant of €95 for each pupil participating in the programme. The cost of transition year grants in 2012 was €2.7m. My Department allocated circa 1,700 whole time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Rule 58 of the Rules for National Schools, teachers are entitled to Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) days on attendance of summer courses which are approved by my Department. On completing such a course a teacher receives a Certificate of Completion which they can submit to their Board of Management and arrange to avail of their EPV days with their Board during the following year. When a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minimum School Entry Age (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department and the Department of Education, Northern Ireland take forward co-operation and joint action in education by co-ordinating and developing, within the North South Ministerial Council framework, common policies in the four designated areas of co-operation: special education needs, educational underachievement, teacher mobility and school, youth and teacher exchanges. The subject...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, I recently published a draft General Scheme for an Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, 2013 as well as draft regulations for discussion ahead of enacting legislation. I have referred the draft General Scheme and draft regulations to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, to allow a full public discussion of the proposed legislative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Issues (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has provided funding to a number of groups, including Right of Place, to provide an information and referral service, since 2001. Up to the end of 2012, the overall cost in relation to this organisation is €1.198m, which includes the cost of the associated co-ordinator. The funding is channelled through the City of Cork VEC and expenditure of these funds has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA is scheduled to begin a review of agricultural science in the last quarter of this year. The first step is the publication of a background paper for consultation which is likely to be in early 2014. When I receive the NCCA's advice on this matter, in due course, I will consider a timetable for implementation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Libraries (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As I have indicated to the Deputy in reply to previous questions and representations on this matter, the management of university libraries is entirely a matter for the universities themselves in accordance with their statutory autonomy. I would refer the Deputy to my answers to his previous questions on this matter: number 95 of 24 April; numbers 87 and 92 of 2nd May; number 250 of 14th...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Libraries (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of library costs for each University are set out in the attached table. Library Costs – Universities - 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 €' 000 UCD 8,410 10,522 10,346 11,147 10,618 9,713 9,146...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The responsibility for managing access to third level places rests with the Central Applications Office (CAO) and the third level institutions generally. The higher education institutions have delegated to the CAO the task of processing applications to their first year undergraduate courses. However, the participating institutions retain the function of making decisions on admissions. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions Issues (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The person to whom the Deputy refers is already in receipt of pension and the current application is for a revision of pension to take account of additional service given subsequent to initial retirement. Priority in the processing of applications for retirement benefits is afforded to persons retiring for the first time. As the Deputy will appreciate teachers generally retire in August...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, which was established earlier this year, is tasked with determining the range of approved services which former residents can be assisted with from the Statutory Fund. This Fund is being financed by the cash contributions of up to €110 million pledged by the religious congregations to support the needs of some 15,000 survivors of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department incurs expenditure on public advertisements in connection with a wide range of educational programmes and schemes including: staff appointments in the education sector, invitations to attend local hearings, invitations to forward submissions on education-related schemes/projects, and invitations to tender for school building projects. Every effort is made to keep advertising...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Appointments (18 Sep 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Details relating to the membership of non-commercial State agency boards under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills are included in the attached table, which includes reference to the relevant statutory provision for those bodies that are constituted on a statutory footing. Details relating to the annual fees (if any) can be downloaded from my Department's website:...