Results 5,161-5,180 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 114, 115, 117 and 118 together. The Statistics section of my Department's website contains information relating to pupil teacher ratio (PTR) at primary and second level. Pupil Teacher Ratio in respect of all schools is only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or any other variable. Pupil teacher ratios for the 2012/2013...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together. The number of teachers required to retire on a mandatory basis on reaching maximum age is approximately ten per cent of annual retirements. The vast majority of teachers choose on a voluntary basis whether and when they will retire and are required to give notice to their management authority of their intention to do so. Accordingly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Application Numbers (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The current status of all projects, including those in County Kildare, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this will be updated regularly throughout the year. The 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced in March 2012, together with my announcement last December of the 50 school projects which are scheduled for construction in the current year as part of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced new arrangements for the recognition and determination of patronage of new primary and post-primary schools. The patronage of the new post-primary school in Maynooth was decided under these new arrangements and details of the decision making process in that case are available on my Department's website. The ethos of the new post-primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Issues (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In addition to the broad range of foreign language courses available across the higher education sector, institutions also offer students an opportunity to take language modules as part of other undergraduate programmes across business, the arts, the humanities and the sciences, even where it is not a named component of a degree. There are also increasing opportunities for students to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Currently, the language syllabuses at junior cycle focus on the use of language in real-life situations, and on the writing, reading and aural understanding of these languages, as well as considerable degrees of cultural awareness. The new Framework for Junior Cycle, announced in October 2012, will build on the development of these competences and will reinforce language learning at Junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Employment Support Services (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Springboard programme 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. All courses approved for funding under Springboard are selected by an independent panel with industry and educational expertise, having regard to published selection criteria and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (17 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Awareness (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have in place individual policies, guidelines and a range of support services to maintain the well-being of their students and ensure health services are available to those experiencing mental health difficulties. The supports provided include medical services, access to counsellors and psychologists and health promotion initiatives in the colleges. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government approved a number of measures relating to public service allowances following a public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments conducted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the Government decision, the Gaeltacht allowance, Island allowance and Secretary to Board of Management allowance has been withdrawn for new beneficiaries with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Enterprise Partnership Scheme, operated by the Irish Research Council, is an innovative initiative which facilitates Postgraduate Scholars and Postdoctoral Fellows to complete their research in an Higher Education Institution (HEI) in collaboration with an Enterprise Partner. By working closely with an Enterprise Partner, researchers benefit from an enhanced research experience as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An application for additional accommodation was received by my Department in July 2012 from the school referred to by the Deputy. The School Authority was allocated funding in August 2012 under Additional Accommodation Scheme for the provision of one mainstream classroom, toilet upgrade and conversion works. The School Authority has advised my Department's Planning and Building Unit that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of health supports, including therapies, to children with special educational needs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 399 together. The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those 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: Residential Institutions Issues (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 to provide fair and reasonable financial awards to victims of institutional childhood abuse. The original closing date for receipt of applications was 15th December 2005, however section 8 of the 2002 Act allowed the Board to extend the period for receipt of an application in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The educational Institution to which the Deputy refers is a postgraduate research university established by the Member States of the European Union. The main teaching activity is the PhD programme, leading to the Doctorate of the Institute, on topics related to its research programme in the fields of history, economics, law and political and social sciences. Up to 4 scholarships are awarded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Statistics (16 Apr 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government has protected frontline services in schools to the greatest extent possible in the recent budget and there will be no reduction in teacher numbers in primary schools for the 2013/14 school year as a result of the budget. The DEIS scheme for disadvantaged schools is also fully protected with no overall changes to staffing levels or funding as a result of the budget. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Numbers (16 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 This data is compiled from information supplied to my Department by the 66 grant awarding authorites. In addition, the tables below...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Numbers (16 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: Education and Training Provision (16 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....