Results 5,381-5,400 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Agencies Staff Remuneration (26 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Ten CEOs in agencies under the aegis of my Department are in receipt of salaries in excess of €100,000. If these salaries were to be capped, the resultant saving to the Exchequer would be €301,602

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Circulars issued by my Department are reviewed in the context of changes to the administration of and/or policies governing the particular subject, programme or scheme rather than on a fixed period review. The timeframe for review of circulars is determined by the subject matter of the individual circular, for example, circulars governing rates of pay and pensions may apply for particular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Initiative the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that the independent Student Grants Appeals Board is currently sitting at weekly intervals in March to deal with the appeals on hand. The Appeals Board has also scheduled a similar sitting arrangement for April. Appeals are received on an on-going basis throughout the academic year. Appeals are considered by the Appeals Board as quickly as possible and within the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been informed by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the application from the student in question is being reviewed and SUSI will contact the student directly in relation to the outcome shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement Issues (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission on an extension to the Croke Park Agreement arise from an intensive and difficult set of negotiations between the Public Services Committee of ICTU and the Government. These negotiations took place against a backdrop of continuing significant difficulties in the finances of the State. The public service trade unions are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not operate LoCall 1890 numbers. Last year, my Department replaced an ageing telephone system, with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephony system, in its three main offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore. It is planned to rollout VoIP to all regional and local offices later this year. Once this is fully implemented,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together. For the Deputy's information, a new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony system was procured for my Department in 2012. The project involved the roll out of the new system across the three main locations of the Department (ie Athlone, Dublin and Tullamore offices) and has greatly reduced telephony expenditure. During 2013,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Presidential Reports (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I have received a copy of the "Being Young and Irish – Take Charge of Change" report. I share the concerns of the young people in relation to the creation of jobs. Last year, the Government published "Pathways to Work". This will involve radical reform and restructuring of the Further Education and Training Sector and the establishment of SOLAS which is currently underway. In 2011,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post Leaving Certificate Centres (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) is an approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre which is managed and funded by City of Dublin Vocational Educational Committee (CDVEC) from funding provided by my Department. Post Leaving Certificate Centres provide further education courses up to Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that policy can be expressed and manifested through a variety of forms. Explicitly, it is communicated via legislation, regulations, rulings, orders, plans, strategies, policy statements, and other forms – or through a combination of these. Therefore the Deputy will appreciate that specific policies and objectives are not always articulated in just one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (21 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: School Discipline (21 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: In general , incidents, of the type referred to by the Deputy, are best dealt with in accordance with a school's code of behaviour and it is therefore important that a school's code of behaviour makes very clear the standards expected of pupils, including those relating to respecting school staff, and the actions that will be taken in the event of any breaches of the code. The Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (21 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: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (20 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy is pursuing an undergraduate degree course in the University of Ulster, in Northern Ireland. The Student Support Act 2011 provides that the payment of tuition fees be limited to approved courses of higher education at an approved institution in the State, other than...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (20 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a grant and an award letter issued on 11th March, 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (20 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Third Level Access Measure comprises two sub-priorities: the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. The overall value of the Fund for the 2013/14 academic year is €16.2m. The management of the Third Level Access Measure Fund rests with the Higher Education Authority and the allocation of funding for the sub-priorities in a particular year is a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (20 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The details submitted in relation to the person referred to by the Deputy are being checked. An official of my Department will be in contact with her in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The 5 Year Construction Plan that I announced on 9 March 2012, outlines the major school projects that will commence construction over the duration of the Plan. Details of these projects are also contained on the website. The primary aim at the core of the Five Year Plan is focussed on meeting demographic demands to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place and that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Mar 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that a property partly occupied by the school to which he refers was offered to my Department in 2009 as part of an offer of properties by the Religious Order who owned it, in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. The Government's response to this offer indicated that while the property was not of immediate interest, the Order was asked not to...