Results 4,181-4,200 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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 primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports including resource teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support as well as the establishment of special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (27 Jun 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 provision...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The aim of the student maintenance grant scheme has always been to make a contribution to the cost of going to college; covering the full cost has never been a feasible option. As the Deputy will be aware, the reality of our economic situation presents significant challenges that have to be reconciled with limitations on public resources. This is a very stark reality, which, unfortunately,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Student Assistance Fund is a component of the Third Level Access Measure which is managed on behalf of my Department by the Higher Education Authority. The Fund is administered on a local basis by participating higher education institutions and targets those students most in-need. The Fund has increased substantially in recent years, from €5m in 2010-11 to a core allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The student referred to by the Deputy is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, if he pursues a course in the 2013/2014 academic year he may be entitled to the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA). Eligibility for the BTEA and associated payments is determined and administered by the Department for Social Protection. Students who qualify for the BTEA, may be considered for support for the...

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 provision of individual plans for children with special needs is recognised as an important feature of good educational practice. Schools are encouraged to use IEPs through policy guidance, support, training and inspection. The advice of my Department's Inspectorate is that the majority of schools are now using some form of individual education planning...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that higher education institutions, including universities such as UCD, are autonomous bodies and their day to day operational affairs including issues such as the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Maryland are the responsibility of the management authority and governing body of the University. However I have been advised that UCD and...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's policy is to promote a child-centred approach to education of all children with special educational needs including those with autism. As each child with autism is unique they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified...

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

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, for some time, my Department has been working with the local authority to identify and acquire land for the delivery of school accommodation for a Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste in the area referred to by him. I can confirm that agreement in principle has been reached with a landowner in relation to a suitable site. My officials met with a delegation from the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 to 129, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that class teachers in schools are required to be fully-qualified with a qualification relevant to the sector in which they are teaching. All primary teachers are qualified to teach in any primary or special school/classroom. It has been the policy of my Department for some time that only...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department received an application under the emergency works scheme from the school referred to by the Deputy for works relating to the provision of boundary fencing to control access to the school grounds. As the scope of the works requested is outside the terms of the emergency works scheme it cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been informed of this decision. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Libraries (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As I have indicated to the Deputy in reply to previous questions on this matter the management of the university's library is entirely a matter for the university in accordance with its statutory autonomy. I refer the Deputy to Question No. 95 of 24 April, Questions Nos. 87 and 92 of 2 May, 250 of 14 May, 355 of 21 May and 144 of 8 June which set out the position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Courses Applications (27 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A career break scheme for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) was agreed with school management bodies and trade unions representing SNAs in 2012. A circular setting out the regulations and procedures of that scheme issued in June 2012. The scheme was generally in line with the teacher's scheme and one of the items it catered for was for those who wished to pursue further educational...

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

Ruairi Quinn: For student grants purposes, a student is defined at their first point of entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course or at their point of re-entry to such an approved course. This status will continue to apply for the duration of their studies either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (26 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: School building projects are tendered in line with public procurement procedures. There are two methods of tendering (the Restricted procedure and the Open procedure). In both procedures there are minimum standards for participation (including previous experience, turnover, insurances, capacity to obtain a bond etc). The minimum standards for participation are stated in the Contract...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (26 Jun 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: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding. The Deputy will be aware, that the school was recently invited to participate in the Prefab Replacement Scheme II and I understand that the school authorities have accepted this offer. This acceptance, involving the construction of a number of classrooms, represents the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (26 Jun 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 13th June 2013 advising him that he was deemed ineligible to receive a grant. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (26 Jun 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The General Allocation Model (GAM) was introduced in 2005 as a standardised method for the allocation of teaching resources to schools for the provision of learning support to pupils with high incidence special needs. The initial allocations of teaching resources to schools under the GAM was based on the enrolments in the schools as at 30 September 2003. Notwithstanding the changes in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (26 Jun 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 an ineligible letter on the 21st September 2012. The applicant specified on his grant application form that he was pursuing a Post Leaving Certificate Course (PLC). Applicants in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) who are...