Results 621-640 of 14,576 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Labour Court Recommendations (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take questions 73 and 74 together. As the Deputy will be aware, in the context of measures necessary to restore order to the public finances, Government pay policy has been consistent in its approach to the processing of cost-increasing pay claims. Accordingly, non-binding Labour Court Recommendations which will result in a pay increase, such as those referred to by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Dublin North is an electoral area and the Department does not compile statistical data on an electoral area basis. For school planning purposes, the country is divided into geographic districts known as feeder areas, each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. If the Deputy wishes to specify a particular area within the Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Unfair Dismissals (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The company to which the Deputy refers is not the principal contractor on the project at St Patrick's Teacher Training College (St. Pat's), Drumcondra. While my Department funds the project, the contract with the principal contractor is between the authorities of St Pat's and the principal contractor. Since my Department is not a party to the contract it has no relationship with either the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for window replacement under the 2014 Summer Works Scheme. The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced details of the schools that will receive Summer Works Scheme funding in 2014 in respect of applications submitted for Categories 1 to 6 i.e. Gas, Electrical, Mechanical, Toilet Facilities and Roof Works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities, in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream national school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for a pupil or pupils with special care needs arising from a disability. The first priority is that the care needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that my Department received an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for funding to facilitate its growth to a second stream i.e. a 16 classroom school. As the Deputy will be aware, the over-riding objective of Education capital expenditure is to meet the demographic challenge facing the education system, whereby total pupil enrolment in both primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Water Charges Exemptions (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: No consultation with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has been undertaken to date on this matter. Some discussions have taken place with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in relation to the impact of water charges on students who in receipt of student grants, and who are living outside the family home. Those discussions are continuing.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I set up a National Working Group for Junior Cycle last January, as a forum to proactively address identified challenges and opportunities as they arise over the phased implementation time schedule for the Junior Cycle. My officials, through this National Working Group, have engaged in meaningful discussions with the education stakeholders, including the secondary schools teachers unions....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Resources are currently targetted at providing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in advance of implementation. The Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) has been established by my Department to provide effective support to schools in the context of their implementation of the new Framework for Junior Cycle. A comprehensive and long-term national programme of CPD for school leaders and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for window replacement under the 2014 Summer Works Scheme. The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced details of the schools that will receive Summer Works Scheme funding in 2014 in respect of applications submitted for Categories 1 to 6 i.e. Gas, Electrical, Mechanical, Toilet Facilities and Roof Works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme are available for downloading...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am considering the report of the value for money review of small primary school provision in consultation with my Government colleagues. My intention is to publish the report on completion of this consideration process. I am not in a position to give a precise publication date at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together. I am aware of the decision by the authorities of the school concerned to advise parents of the availability of a 7th stream of junior infant places. I am also aware that this decision was taken without the approval of the school's Patron and without the prior approval of my Department. The position is that there are currently two...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (14 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that while my Department is aware of the Patron's proposals to merge the schools concerned, the Department has not received any proposal from the Patron in the matter. The Department understands that the Patron has had discussions with the relevant stakeholders in the Dublin 10 area as part of its assessment as to future school accommodation needs in that regard....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (13 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), which is funded by my Department advises the Irish Government on current and future skills needs of the economy. It has a central role in ensuring that labour market needs for skilled workers are anticipated and met. A new report published recently by Forfás and the EGFSN, 'Assessing the Demand for Big Data and Analytics Skills, 2013...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (13 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Administration (13 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has developed a range of documentation relating to the support of students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. In particular this would include "Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties – A Continuum of Support" (for Primary Schools), "A Continuum of Support for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers applied to my Department in February last for the provision of one additional mainstream classroom and for additional ancillary staffing facilities. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department's overriding objective is to prioritise available funding to meet demographic demand and to provide essential classroom accommodation where additional teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (13 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I have published a draft General Scheme for an Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill, 2013 as well as Draft Regulations on Content of Policy and Draft Regulations on Admission Process for discussion ahead of enacting legislation. These are available on the Department's website. The Government recently gave approval for drafting the Education (Admissions to...