Results 4,161-4,180 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing arrangements at post primary level for the 2013/14 school year have been published and are available on the Department website. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The employment of substitute teachers is a matter for the managerial authority of each individual primary and second level school. It is outlined in my Department circulars that the managerial authorities of schools should only employ qualified teachers including substitutes to cover all absences and vacancies in their schools. All teachers, including substitute teachers, are subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Awareness (2 Jul 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that last January I launched the Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention, which were developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health. They are informed by consultation with key education partners and by the findings of recent research. The guidelines provide practical guidance to...

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I am sharing time with Deputy Donohoe. I am glad that I had the opportunity to hear Deputy Naughten, a man whom I respect and whose knowledge of matters in this House is fairly extensive, but I must say, with no disrespect to the point of view that he expressed, that when one resorts to the minutiae of Supreme Court interpretation in a Second Stage debate, it would appear that many on the...

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Yes.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: She does not have a question.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: It went wrong on the night of the bank guarantee.

Leaders' Questions (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (27 Jun 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: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project referred to by the Deputy was included in the 5 year building programme announced in March 2012 and is listed to progress to construction in 2015/16. The Design Team appointment has been completed and the project is now at an early stage of architectural planning. The application process for patronage is currently underway. The closing date for receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Apart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised schools are not permitted to charge school fees. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools are published annually on the Department's website. The key factors for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level are the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and the pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. However, the staffing schedule also includes provision for schools that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside the island of Ireland. Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Shorter Working Year Scheme, which was introduced in 2009 (Ref: Department of Finance Circular 14/09) supersedes the previous Term Time Scheme (Ref: Department of Finance Circular 32/06). Under the Shorter Working Year Scheme, staff can apply for special unpaid leave for one or more continuous periods of not less than two and not more than 13 weeks at any time during the year, subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy was issued an award letter on 19 June 2013. SUSI has advised that the applicant will need to upload her bank details on line in order for payments to commence.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Agencies Staff Numbers (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 115 together. Department of Finance circular 14/2009 governs the conditions that apply to the shorter working year scheme for officials within the Civil Service. Circular 44/2009 governs the Shorter Working Year Scheme in a number of agencies in the wider education sector. In addition, Department of Finance circulars 33/1964 and 23/2007 govern the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Training (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The granting of study leave in my Department is governed by Department of Finance Circular 23/07. Details of study leave taken in my Department in 2012 and 2013 are outlined in the following table: Year Number of staff that availed of study leave Average number of days taken 2012 54 4.6 2013* 39 4.0 *The total for 2013 includes 2.5 days of unpaid leave availed of by one staff member.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (27 Jun 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 to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, his student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI on the 18th of June 2013. On that basis, the application is currently being reviewed and the student will be notified directly by SUSI of the outcome. Where an appeal is turned...