Results 3,761-3,780 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that 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 projects to meet future significant demographic demands nationally, particularly in those areas where it has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a letter on 26th April 2013 advising her that her application had been cancelled due to incomplete documentation being received. SUSI have confirmed that this applicant has not appealed the decision. Where an individual applicant considers that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on the 26th February 2013 awarding her a grant. This decision was reviewed on the basis of a change of circumstances and on 5th July 2013 a letter issued upholding the original award. Where an individual applicant considers that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application from the student in question is being reviewed and SUSI will contact the student directly in relation to the outcome shortly. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government's 2012 Action Plan for Jobs contained a commitment to "initiate a review of the Apprenticeship training model, including costs, duration and demand with a view to providing an updated model of training that delivers the necessary skilled workforce to service the needs of a rapidly changing economy and ensures appropriate balance between supply and demand." This review was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As you will be aware, the Department has no role in the employment of staff in schools or schools' day to day management and a complaint about the child's school and its staff must be made to the school itself. In this regard, the Department does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases. While many schools use...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I take it that the Deputy is referring to persons seeking to be registered as teachers on the basis of qualifications and/or experience in the field of Montessori teaching. Such persons may be eligible to be registered in accordance with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations. Regulation Three (Montessori and Other Categories) stipulates that applicants must hold qualifications at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The person to whom the Deputy refers applied, under the Freedom of Information Acts, for access to records concerning the Secondary School Teacher's Drawing Certificate. The original decision was made on 14 February 2011 and a decision on internal review was made on 24 March 2011. Access to some records was granted while access to others was refused and certain provisions of the Act were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The process and criteria to be applied in awarding patronage of all new post-primary schools were announced by me in June 2011 and details are available on the Department's website www.education.ie. The application process for patronage of the new post primary schools due to open in September 2015 and 2016 is currently under way. This includes applications for the proposed new post primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The application assessment process for the patronage of the new primary schools due to open in September 2014, including the new school proposed for Knocknacarra, Galway is currently under way. As part of this process, my Department will prepare a report for consideration by the New Schools Establishment Group who will submit a report to me for final consideration and decision. I expect to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Governance (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. The Universities Act 1997 sets out the legislative provisions for the governance of universities and defines the powers and functions of the universities' governing authorities, academic councils and chief officers. I would refer the Deputy to my answers to his previous questions on these matters: number 95 of 24 April; numbers 87 and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Rehiring (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has not retained the services of any retired civil or public servants on a short term contract or on a consultancy basis since January 2013 where normal abatement rules do not apply.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department of Education and Skills issued Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools earlier this year. While the Guidelines outline a number of strategies to avoid the need for workbooks or to allow workbooks to be re-used from year to year, it is up to the board of management of each individual school to decide on its own school policy in relation to the use of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Haddington Road Agreement Savings (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The collective agreements in the education sector are set out in Appendix 5 of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). As stated by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Haddington Road Agreement will facilitate a reduction of €1 billion in the public service pay and pensions bill by 2016. In relation to the education sector,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Issues (17 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Three formal expressions of interest were received by the HEA from groups of institutes of technology in applying for designation as technological universities. The three applications are from: 1. DIT, Institute of Technology Tallaght, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown; 2. Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology; 3. Cork Institute of Technology and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (16 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: To become an apprentice, you must be at least 16 years of age and have a minimum of grade D in any five subjects in the Junior Certificate or equivalent. Where individuals do not meet the minimum requirements they may be registered as an apprentice by an employer if: - they satisfactorily complete an approved preparatory training course and assessment interview or - they are over 18 years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (16 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 313 together. The total capital allocation available to my Department for the school sector (primary and post-primary) in 2013 is €369m. In 2014 the expected capital allocation for the school sector is €461m. The capital allocation for both 2013 and 2014 includes costs associated with the PPP Programme. The 2014 is subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (16 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The 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 resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In March 2012, the school referred to by the Deputy was allocated devolved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of two Resource Rooms. In October 2012, the school was allocated additional funding for the provision of access ramps to the front entrance and play areas at the school. In June, 2013, the school again applied for additional funding on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 316 and 317 together. The information requested by the Deputy is available on my Departments website at www.education.gov.ie by clicking on 'Schools and Colleges', then 'Building Works' and selecting the relevant headings. The Deputy will appreciate that information on the levels of funding approved are commercially sensitive and cannot be released until...