Results 6,541-6,560 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (12 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware the recurrent provision for the higher education sector has reduced as announced in Budget 2013. The recurrent provision made available for 2012 to the University and Institutes of Technology sectors was some €1.119 billion while the provision for 2013 is €1.036 billion which includes a 2% reduction in both core pay and non-pay as announced in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Retirement Scheme (12 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have made enquiries with the employer of the person to whom the Deputy refers and established the facts of the case. An application for ill health retirement pension benefit was made by the person to whom the Deputy refers and the application was processed by the employer in accordance with my Department's guidelines. The application for retirement pension benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (12 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The total set-up cost for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) to end of

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (12 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government agreed on 20 December, 2011, that some additional resources would be required to carry out the responsibilities of the EU Presidency which included the provision of temporary acting-up allowances where staff are assigned to positions in the Presidency normally carried out by staff of a higher grade. Administrative Officer assigned to acting Assistant Principal Officer...

Leaders' Questions (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy was never a member of the IRA.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I published the Framework for Junior Cycle on 4th October. One of its features is that the State Junior Certificate examination will be replaced, in a phased manner over the next eight years, by a new school-based approach to assessment in line with best practice internationally. The Framework includes a number of measures to support and quality assure standards for the school based...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Recognition (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the case of the school, referred to by the Deputy, provisional recognition was initially awarded to the school in 2008 and has been extended year on year since. A process is in place under which the school's application for permanent recognition is being actively considered. This process is based on undertakings committed to by the school in 2007. The undertakings reflect the standard...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I intend to have a Teacher Fee Refund Scheme in 2013 and this scheme will apply to courses successfully completed during the 2011/12 academic year. As in previous years the scheme will be administered by Marino Institute of Education. Full details of the scheme have yet to be finalised but I expect details to be available in the first quarter of 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, a grant has already been awarded and an award letter issued on 4th December 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that, in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, a grant has already been awarded and an award letter issued on 5th December 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, FETAC was formally dissolved on 6 November when I established the new amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance body, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), which involved the amalgamation of FETAC with the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC). Significant work was undertaken...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 172 together. It is a key principle, enunciated in the Public Procurement Guidelines, published by the NPPPU, that the public procurement function is discharged honestly, fairly, and in a manner that secures best value for public money. Contracting authorities must be cost effective and efficient in the use of resources while upholding the highest...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is working with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy and options are currently being explored in that regard. However, given the sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this point in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Guidelines in accordance with the Student Grant Scheme 2012 are published for the guidance of the awarding authorities and are available from my Department. The guidelines have been made available at

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy a decision has now been made and a letter will issue shortly directly to the student outlining the position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Foreign Language Assistant Scheme (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Foreign Language Assistant scheme has its origins in Cultural Agreements between Ireland and the countries of France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Italy. Graduates or under-graduates from these countries exchange with their Irish counterparts and are placed in second level schools for an eight month period (October to May). The purpose of the exchange is two-fold. Firstly, it gives the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the current school year is set out in Primary Circular 0007/2012 which is available on the Department website. In addition, the staffing appeal process at primary level includes the provision whereby schools with high concentration of pupils requiring English as an additional language (EAL) can apply for additional temporary language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The matter referred to by the Deputy involved two appeals to the Labour Court. The first concerned an appeal pursuant to the Industrial Relations Acts, 1946 to 2004. The second concerned an appeal of an earlier decision of a Rights Commissioner pursuant to the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001. The Labour Court hearing was held in June 2010. The Department's position was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the Government's budgetary considerations and the Comprehensive Expenditure Review last year, a decision was made to abolish the payment of grants by this Department towards the cost of student teachers' attendance at Gaeltacht courses. The decision came into effect for students commencing their programme of primary initial teacher education in the 2012/13 academic year. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that on the 2nd December, 2012 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.