Results 5,861-5,880 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 to 88, inclusive, together. As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review carried out in 2011, a decision was made to abolish the payments by this Department towards the cost of attendance at Gaeltacht courses by students commencing their programme of primary initial teacher education. The decision came into...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (13 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that a dedicated capital assets test implementation group was established to bring forward detailed implementation proposals on new means testing arrangements for student grants, to include the value of assets. I have received a draft report from the implementation group. This is currently under consideration and I will be consulting further with my cabinet...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (12 Feb 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 25 January, 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Seventy-three small primary schools were originally due to lose a classroom teacher in September 2012 as a result of the budget measure to increase the relevant pupil thresholds. The affected schools were given the right of appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeal Board in the event that they could show that their projected enrolments for September 2012 were sufficient to allow them retain their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: An appeal from the student in question was considered by the independent Student Grants Appeals Board on 15 January 2013. I understand that the appeal was unsuccessful as the Appeals Board upheld the decision of the appeals officer and the awarding authority. The student was notified of the outcome on 17 January 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI that the students in question have been awarded grants. An award letter issued to the first named student on 11 January 2013 and to the second named student on 20 December 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) has confirmed that it received the necessary supporting information for the student's college on 11 February 2013 to enable payment of his grant. My Officials understand from SUSI that payment will be made to the student within two weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of the above, I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The entry requirements for admission to courses in higher education institutions are determined by the institutions themselves which are legally autonomous and academically independent. I have no function therefore in setting admissions criteria. I understand that the National University of Ireland generally requires applicants, who were born and who had all their education in the Republic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major school building project referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning. The Design Team for this project was appointed in October 2012. The project is included on the five year Capital Investment programme, announced in March 2012, to progress to Construction in 2014/15.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erection of Memorial Plaque (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Together with the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Brian Hayes TD, I announced that the Journey of Light, by Studio Negri and Hennessy & Associates was the winner of the competition held to provide a Memorial to the victims of institutional abuse last July. This memorial was one of the recommendations in the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department has received the Stage 1 report from the Board of Management and their Design Team and it is currently under review. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, arrangements to establish the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund are being pursued and I intend to appoint the members to the Board shortly. The process to recruit a Chief Executive Officer (Designate) is underway and I look forward to the early appointment of a suitably qualified individual, whose responsibilities will include driving the various elements of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (12 Feb 2013)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Recognition (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, a process is underway in relation to the request for permanent recognition from the school referred to by the Deputy. This process is based on nine undertakings committed to by the school's Patron in 2007 in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1998 and the Rules for National Schools. Officials from my Department met with the school concerned in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant. I understand that the student in question appealed the decision of Student Universal Support Ireland in relation to this matter and the appeals officer upheld the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland, that on 7 February 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, he/she may appeal, in the first instance, to the appeals officer in Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: Three new primary schools have opened in the last few years in County Meath to meet increased pupil numbers in the area and many existing schools in the County have had their intake capacity expanded. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue to monitor enrolments in County Meath to ensure that there is sufficient school accommodation to meet any projected future demands.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (12 Feb 2013)

Ruairi Quinn: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In...