Results 4,101-4,120 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Expenditure (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of the headline financial situation in respect of the seven Universities are set out in the following document. These details are based on 2011/12 funding statements of the Universities. PQ - Revenues, Deficits & Debt 2011/12 Funding Statements - - UCD TCD UCC NUIG NUIM UL DCU Total - - €'m €'m €'m €'m €'m €'m €'m...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project, for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an early stage of architectural planning, stage 2a. My Department's over-riding objective in identifying school building projects to progress to tender and construction 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (2 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 primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including Resource Teaching support for children with more complex low incidence special needs. The NCSE operates...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS. NEPS does not keep waiting lists for assessments of children but in common with many other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information in relation to students who dropped out of college is not available. The Deputy would be aware that affordability is just one of the factors that impact on students continued participation in higher education. There are a range of wider factors that also impact on participation, including social and cultural issues, prior academic attainment and teacher and parental...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the applicant referred to by the Deputy appealed the original decision of the awarding authority regarding progression and a grant award letter issued on 12th April, 2013. The applicant was unhappy with the level of award and subsequently appealed this decision to SUSI on 10th May, 2013. On the 1st...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (2 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. In relation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I previously advised the Deputy that the Home Tuition Scheme is not operated in an inequitable manner. The case which is referred to by the Deputy does not constitute an inequitable arrangement. If parents of pupils eligible for home tuition approach my Department with proposals to either collectively provide the tuition for their children in a group setting or to approve a direct...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (2 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. Whereas the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ombudsman for Children Remit (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputy's information, under Schedule 1 of the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012, "Reviewable Agencies", higher education institutions in receipt of public funding are included as entities whose actions are reviewable by the Ombudsman. See .

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under my Department's free fees scheme eligible full-time undergraduate students have their tuition fees paid on their behalf by the Exchequer. As the Deputy will be aware the student contribution will increase to €2,500 for the next academic year and is payable by students who qualify under the free fees scheme. Students who qualify under my Department's student grant scheme have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information Requests (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The FOI Acts 1997 and 2003 establish the statutory right to access records held by public bodies covered by the Act. For the purposes of the Act a record is described as "including any memorandum, book, plan, map, drawing, diagram, pictorial or graphic work or other document, any photograph, film or recording (whether of sound or images or both), any form in which data (within the meaning of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Employment Contracts (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Teachers are employed under a contract of employment with the Board of Management of a school or a Vocational Education Committee(VEC). A Board of Management/VEC, as employer, must provide his/her employee with a written statement of the particulars of the employee's terms of employment e.g. place and hours of work, responsibilities, disciplinary/grievance procedures etc, some of which are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission was established as an independent agency in 2003 to deal with all operational issues relating to State Examinations. The SEC acknowledges that these errors may have caused confusion and distress for some candidates and has apologised publicly. The SEC has expressed its regret for these errors. When errors occur, the SEC must focus on two issues. As a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy made an application for the 2013/14 academic year on 21st May 2013. A document checklist issued to the applicant on 13th June 2013. When the requested documentation is returned the student will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 1 May 2013. SUSI also confirmed that they are awaiting an invoice from the applicant's college for the fees.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I assume that the Deputy is referring to that aspect of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement) that relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). The contractual position in respect of SNAs is outlined in their contract of employment (Department of Education and Skills Circulars 12/05 (Post-Primary) and 15/05...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: July Education Programme (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Postgraduate Loan Scheme Implementation (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department, with support and advice from the National Treasury Management Agency, met with a number of commercial providers in relation to the provision of credit to enable postgraduate students to pursue their studies. A new loan initiative was introduced by Bank of Ireland in 2012 to provide finance for fees and living costs. While developed in conjunction with the Department of...