Results 5,081-5,100 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Free Education Scheme (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The authorities of Kilkenny College indicated that they were considering that the long term future of the College might be better secured by entering the Free Scheme. The Government is committed to supporting access of minority denomination communities to schools that are of their tradition or ethos. The provision made by Kilkenny College caters for the needs of children from the Protestant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A syllabus for Politics and Society as a new subject in the Leaving Certificate was submitted to my Department by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in May 2011. The implementation issues are being examined at present in the context of overall system priorities and resources.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government is committed to improving the quality of education in Ireland. In relation to teaching, this agenda is being driven on a wide number of fronts, including through the work of the Teaching Council, the initial teacher education (ITE) providers, the national induction programme for newly qualified teachers and the provision of a range of continuing professional development...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Responsibility for the delivery of the school referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the Office of Public Works. The OPW have recently forwarded a tender report for this school project to the Department and the Department is currently, with the OPW, considering these documents. The school project is being progressed so that the accommodation required for the school will be provided at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Provision for languages is spread out over the Irish education system. At primary level the focus is on acquisition of the two national languages, Irish and English. Beyond the primary level, the focus expands to include not only English and Irish but also other languages. Post-primary builds on the foundation established at primary level by offering not only English and Irish but also a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An incomplete application for home tuition for the pupil referred to by the Deputy was submitted to my Department. My officials have advised the parents in question on what is required to process the application further and await their reply.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The numbers of students (both new and renewal) who received student grants (which may include maintenance or fees) from the academic year 2007/08 to 2011/12 are as follows: 2007/08 = 54,666 2008/09 = 57,261 2009/10 = 69,486 2010/11 = 71,532 2011/12 = 76,644 These data are compiled from information supplied to my Department by the 66 grant awarding authorities. In addition, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of students enrolled in higher education full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses in HEA designated institutions in the 2011/12 academic year is some 162,786 students. Finalised data in relation to the 2012/13 academic year will not be available until late summer 2013 but provisional data as at the 1st November 2012 suggests that some 161,443 students were enrolled in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard, which was first launched in May 2011, strategically targets funding of free part-time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. Springboard 2011 provided part-time higher education places for 4,956 unemployed people on 204 courses at certificate, degree and post graduate level....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools for the coming school year 2013/14 is set out in Circular 0013/2013, which is available on the Department website. These arrangements include the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My officials understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy appealed the original decision to its Appeals Officer on 18th April , 2013. SUSI aims to issue appeal determinations as promptly as possible and within the specified timeframe specified in the Student Support Act, 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available on an up to date basis and I have asked my officials to compile the data and will provide it as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that, in conjunction with my colleague Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, I was pleased to announce at the end of January this year, the publication of the Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools – Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention. The Guidelines have been developed to bring coherence to and build upon the multitude of practices that are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Services Provision (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. All contracts under the Schools Broadband Access Programme were recently re-tendered under a public procurement competition. As a result, the number of service providers has been expanded from 6 to 13 thereby increasing the range of service options...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Syllabus (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Texts for inclusion in the lists of prescribed works for study at Leaving Certificate level are chosen by a sub-committee of the course committee for Senior Cycle English, which in turn ratifies the final selection for each year. The sub-committee is currently working on the draft list of texts for examination in 2016. The work is managed by the education officer for English for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 629 Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places are currently available in County Westmeath. These are offered in six different centres, four Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) schools, one Voluntary Secondary school and one Community and Comprehensive school. The total number of approved places available under the PLC programme is 32,688. My Department is not in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In relation to the first named candidate officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland, that on 12th April 2013, a request for further documentation was issued to the student referred to by the Deputy. When the requested documentation is returned the student will be notified directly of the outcome. In relation to the second named candidate officials in my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy has an application with my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school building. The current status of all schools on the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The Deputy will be aware that the Five Year Construction Plan, that I announced on 9 March 2012, outlines the major school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is endeavouring to maximise the efficient use of all available capacity in the public sector to assist in the delivery of the schools programme and in this context the new school building for the school mentioned by the Deputy is one of 15 school projects where responsibility for the delivery of the projects was devolved to the Office of Public Works (OPW). Four of these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions: 1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. 2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term payment prescribed under the scheme. In the case of a dependent candidate, the reckonable income taken into account is that of the candidate and...