Results 4,001-4,020 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department wrote to the NCSE on 30 May 2013 to confirm that the NCSE should allocate resource teaching hours at an allocation rate 10% below the allocation made for the 2012-13 school year. This was because the demand for low incidence resource teaching had again risen, to remain within the Employment Control Framework agreement and to ensure there would be sufficient resource teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: This year the online application system, which included a new online renewal system, opened on 20 May 2013, three weeks earlier than last year. This earlier opening date provided first-time applicants and renewal students with the opportunity to apply earlier than in previous years. Student Universal Support Ireland aims to build on this progress and move towards opening the system...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to 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) and nearly 10,000 Learning Support and Resource Teachers. These resources have been protected despite the ongoing severe financial position and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that third level institutions are autonomous bodies and I have no role in their day to day operational affairs. Those matters are the responsibility of the management authority and governing body. In relation to the specific issue of debt collectors, as referred to by the Deputy I understand that the debt that some institutions are trying to collect are those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published its Policy Advice on Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs on 17th May, 2013. This is a very significant report which is based on a review of best practice in both national and international research and follows a wide process of consultation with children with Special Educational Needs, parents, representative groups,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Community Issues (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The statistics section of my Department recently contacted schools to remind them (as was always the case) that parental consent is required in the identification of a pupil as a member of the Traveller community. The statistics section also recommend to schools that they collect this information using a consent form. The current policy, in relation to Traveller education, is underpinned by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that, following agreement in principle by the Government to broaden the current means testing arrangements for student grants by way of inclusion of the value of capital assets, I set up a dedicated implementation group to bring forward detailed proposals. I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently under consideration and I will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Guidelines (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Síolta and Aistear Frameworks represent a comprehensive set of national practice guidelines which support the development of quality early childhood care and education in Ireland. Both Frameworks are based upon extensive research evidence on best practice in early childhood education and care and also have been developed through extensive consultation with all interested parties...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy may be aware that, mindful that greater clarity on my Department's policy on the education of children with autism would be useful for schools and parents, my Department is currently in the process of preparing a comprehensive statement of existing policy within the boundaries of one document. While this policy document is in preparation, the Deputy is assured that national policy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: INSTITUTE 2010 2011 2012 TOTAL Athlone Institute of Technology 5,659,071.39 4,621,199.08 4,343,807.38 14,624,077.85 Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown 616,807.40 338,759.25 0.00 955,566.65 Institute of Technology, Carlow 5,392,533.53 541,529.24 13,566.85 5,947,629.62 Cork Institute of Technology 2,937,236.31 2,966,694.03...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Encouraging the deployment of high-quality curriculum-relevant digital resources is a clear priority for the ICT in Schools programme. In this context, I am fully aware of developments in the digital textbook publishing industry and I believe that the digital format can complement other formats and modes of learning to greatly enhance teaching and learning. It is important for schools, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Tours (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware of the media reports in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy. The issues raised by the Deputy are matters to be dealt with at local school level rather than centrally by my Department. The general position from my Department's perspective is that an educational tour should provide a significant benefit in the educational, intellectual, cultural and social development of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) in relation to the student referred to by the Deputy that on 25th June, 2013 they contacted the college by e-mail confirming that the student registration fee would be paid and further requested that the student examination results be released.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Completion Programme (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has received a request from the School Completion Programme (SCP) Coordinator of the Dominican Campus School Completion Programme for funding to create a new post of Traveller Education Support Worker to serve those schools. The Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy published in 2006 recommends that the development of community initiatives aimed at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Issues (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, the Government decided to reduce the overall number of vocational education committees (VECs) from 33 to 16, to merge particular VECs, including the VECs covering County Dublin and Dun Laoghaire, and to approve in principle the preparation of a new Bill to replace the existing VEC legislation. The VECs were dissolved on 1 July last and were replaced with Education and Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. Since becoming Minister for Education and Skills, I have attempted to take steps to reduce the burden on families. Shortly after coming into office I met with members of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks. I have also stressed to them...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (3 Jul 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 resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the level of resources 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) and nearly 10,000 Learning Support and Resource Teachers. These resources have been protected despite the ongoing severe financial position. The ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Participation (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Undergraduate programmes in the universities and institutes of technology are open to students from Northern Ireland, who can apply for a place through the CAO system and who are entitled to access the free fees scheme on the same basis as Irish nationals. Universities and institutes of technology are autonomous statutory bodies and the recruitment of students is a matter for the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (3 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 55 together. Success in learning in the new junior cycle will focus on making greater connections between learning and the development of key skills. Such quality learning will be described through 24 statements of learning. Schools will design their programmes to reflect teacher qualifications and students' identified needs. All junior cycle...