Results 5,301-5,320 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes Issues (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the Revenue Commissioners contacted Student Universal Support Ireland in relation to the company in question for a reference at the end of the tendering process.

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

Ruairi Quinn: As a matter of routine, my Department reviews the student grant scheme each year to prepare policy proposals and to include changes announced under the relevant Budget. My Department is currently preparing the necessary regulations for the student grant scheme for 2013/14 with a view to publishing them as early as possible this year.

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

Ruairi Quinn: An external review of Student Universal Support Ireland's business processes is currently being undertaken to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year. The review is at an advanced stage and is currently being finalised by Accenture the company carrying out the review. As the review is still on-going the final cost of the review is not yet available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Design (27 Mar 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The school project referred to by the Deputy is included in the 5 year capital programme and is scheduled to progress to construction in 2014/15. The OPW had agreed to deliver a number of schools including the school referred to by the Deputy and the process of consultation with the relevant stakeholders on the timeframe for the delivery of these schools will commence shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The report of the value for money review of small primary school provision is in the final stages of preparation. I expect to publish the report and I look forward to debating its findings at that stage.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Transport (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The tabular statement gives details of the costs associated with the provision of ministerial transport in 2012 at my Department. A review of ministerial transport was initiated by the current Government and it was decided that state cars would only be provided for An Taoiseach, An Tanáiste and the Minister for Justice & Defence. The other members of cabinet now use their own car...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recorded pupil enrolment. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The allocation process for the 2013/14 school year is currently underway in...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The process of assessing eligibility for student grants between 2006 and 2012 was carried out by 66 grant awarding authorities. The process management reporting systems in the grant awarding authorities do not collate the information requested by the Deputy.

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) process management reporting system does not collate the information requested by the Deputy. However, the waiting time for processing a student grant application by SUSI varies depending on a number of factors including the volume of applications received at any given time, the complexity of the grant applicant's circumstances, and time taken by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The following Circulars relating to the payment of allowances to teachers issued to primary and secondary schools in 2012: - Circular 3/2012: Public Service-Wide Review of Allowances and Premium Payments - Circular Letter 19/2012: Revised rates of Pay in respect of Supervision/Substitution for the 2011/2012 school year. - Circular Letter 28/2012: Payment in respect of Substitution for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Nursing Education (27 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The means test for a grant application is normally based on income in the last full financial year. Therefore, eligibility for a student grant for the academic year 2012/13 is assessed on income from the 2011 financial year. The administrative arrangements for the submission of accounts in place by awarding authorities are the same for all students attending approved courses, including...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The pools will be fundamentally transformed. There are currently 33 pools but there will be 16 education and training boards, ETBs. I will refer to the Senator's example theoretically rather than in a personal way, and the person will now see a combination of three VECs go to one education and training board. It would be up to the incoming chief executive of the larger education and...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In the case of four people, arrangements have been made where the Department has asked the people to take on specific tasks that we need them to do.

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: They will not be like the ghost at the wedding.

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: There are one or two outstanding issues where final resolution has not yet been found but the matter is ongoing. There are tasks that must be done, as this is a massive transformative set of reforms that will bed down 16 new entities across 33 areas. That will take time, and we have asked people to carry out certain tasks; we had discussions with the various people who were permanent CEOs...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not want to offer a guess but I can get the figure for the Senator. It is approximately ten.

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: We are trying to reduce the total number in the public service and Civil Service. Any incoming chief executive charged with bringing together two or three VECs with different systems and, in some cases, slightly different cultures will make use of all available talent. It is a managerial function with which the Department does not want to become involved. We have had to resolve the issue...

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: This is a technical amendment.

Seanad: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: No. It would be like a constituency, in that there would be a by-election in the panel.