Results 4,681-4,700 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the proposed expansion of the school to which he refers was announced to commence construction in 2014/2015 as part of my Department's Five Year Plan. While architectural planning for the delivery of the project had commenced, the Design Team encountered significant difficulties which would have major implications for the successful...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vocational Education Committees Amalgamation (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that the Department following the establishment of the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) will determine the ECF targets for individual ETBs and will communicate this to each ETB, including Cork ETB.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on the 23/4/2013 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, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to the appeals officer in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227, 228 and 232 together. The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including children with Down syndrome, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: It is my Department's general practice to include a special needs unit (SNU) in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless local circumstances indicate that it will not be required.The level of funding referred to by the Deputy is in accordance with the Department's current guidelines for funding SNUs. These guidelines changed in 2011 and any school which applied for funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that an application for additional accommodation at the school, to which he refers, was approved in March 2013 and a significant devolved grant has been approved. Furthermore, I also wish to advise that consideration is been given to replacing the remaining prefab on site with permanent accommodation and Department officials will be in contact with the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants Eligibility Criteria (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to residency and or nationality, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 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 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. SNAs are allocated to schools in order to provide for the care needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The issue of teacher supply is kept under review by my Department. I acknowledge that the various budget measures that have taken place in recent years can limit the employment opportunities for newly qualified teachers. However, there are limits to the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund as a country. The redeployment of surplus permanent teachers is the first mechanism to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy appealed their decision. SUSI reviewed his application and he was issued with a decision on the 23rd May 2013. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested in respect of the schools in Tramore, County Waterford, is provided in the tables for the five year period 2008 to 2012. CAPITAL FUNDING Year Roll No Name Amount 2008 64922J Stella Maris Secondary School Tramore €137,083.03 2009 64922J Stella Maris Secondary School Tramore €300.00 2010 64922J Stella Maris Secondary School Tramore €98,529.80...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements, it was not possible to include this project in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that requested additional documentation was incomplete. The applicant referred to by the Deputy was issued with a decision on the 9th May, 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, she/he may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. A revised stage 2(b) submission was received in my Department in December 2012. Further clarification has been sought from the VEC on this stage 2(b) submission and the Department is currently awaiting a response. The VEC is currently concluding the appointment of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. Due to competing demands on the Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing demographic requirements it was not possible to include this project in the 5 year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to eligibility for the special rate of maintenance grant , it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that my Department has plans to provide the schools to which the Deputy refers. They will commence operation in September 2013. Based on Child benefit data and other information sources, an extra 1,076 pupils will require places in the area up to 2016. This equates to an additional 38 classrooms at a pupil teacher ratio of 28:1. Given the scale of the demand, it is clear...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Further to my answer in this case to Parliamentary Question No. 82 of 9th May, 2013, SUSI are unable to finalise an application until all the necessary information has been provided by the applicant as required under the Student Grant Schemes 2012. Since December 2012, SUSI have engaged in a number of proactive campaigns by telephone, email and post encouraging applicants to provide the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (28 May 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In January 2011, my Department issued an Expression of Interest invitation to the VECs, local authorities or other public bodies who might be interested in taking on administrative responsibility for the centralised student grants awarding and payments function. A total of 10 proposals were received. These proposals were examined by an independent selection panel against the evaluation...