Results 6,801-6,820 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

A Framework for Junior Cycle: Motion (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no proposal to prohibit people from doing history and geography.

A Framework for Junior Cycle: Motion (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Agreed.

A Framework for Junior Cycle: Motion (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is a group of subjects.

A Framework for Junior Cycle: Motion (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I move:That Dáil Éireann:welcomes ‘A Framework for junior cycle’ which was launched by the Minister for Education and Skills on 4 October 2012; notes that the new junior cycle programme will provide for a broader education for students including:— a greater flexibility for schools to develop their own programmes to meet the needs and interests of their students;...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for new student grant applications from the 2012/13 academic year is a matter for the new centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Circular 31/2011 details a cascade of measures for recruitment of teachers, prioritising unemployed registered teachers over retired registered teachers and registered teachers over unregistered persons. Each principal must report to his or her board of management on a regular basis on the fact that a list of unemployed registered teachers is being maintained, and the circumstances in which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the figures the Deputy is referring to were contained in an ESRI report commissioned by the HEA and issued last Friday. It is important to note that postgraduate enrolments have increased significantly in recent years. According to data from the Higher Education Authority, there were nearly 35,000 postgraduate enrolments in 2011/2012 academic year, representing an 7.5%...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The professional added years terms for members of the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme in Institutes of Technology were introduced by the Department of the Environment in 1987, Circular S6/1987. In accordance with the relevant pension scheme rules, there is provision for the granting of a gross award of up to ten professional added years where the minimum age limit or qualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is not my intention to introduce additional mandatory subjects for study at Senior Cycle. Currently, the approved course for recognised Senior Cycle students of the established Leaving Certificate must include no fewer than five subjects of which one must be Irish (unless the student has an exemption from Irish). Overall, I am in favour of leaving the decisions on what is offered at the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Courses (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Towards a Higher Education Landscape" published in February 2012 initiated a process of engagement by the HEA with higher education institutions with a view to providing me with advice on the future configuration and development of the higher education system. One of the key objectives of the system development process is to increase the diversity of mission and provision within the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Teaching resources are allocated to schools on a school year basis. Unlike most other areas of the public service teaching vacancies are being filled in accordance with published Department criteria. The number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools in the coming years is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of budgetary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), the new centralised grant awarding authority, that the student referred to by the Deputy was paid the first instalment of their grant on 18th October, 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. The current economic climate and the challenge to meet significant targets on reducing public expenditure and operating within a ceiling on overall teacher numbers, limits opportunities and means that there is no capacity to provide for an extension...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am fully aware of the seriousness of the issue of bullying and it was for that reason that an Anti-Bullying Forum was held in May this year. As a follow on to that Forum, I invited the stakeholders and any other interested parties to submit their views on this important topic to my Department by 29th June 2012. As part of this consultation, interested parties were requested to indicate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Registration Fees (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department and the Department of Justice and Equality are in frequent communication regarding all aspects of international education issues as members of the high level group on international education, which is chaired by my Department. As the Deputy is aware, the specific issue of fees which are levied by the immigration authorities in respect of non-EEA nationals is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that all schools, including the school attended by the pupil in question, are in receipt of learning support/resource teaching support under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM), as outlined in my previous reply of 15 November, 2012 to the Deputy. The GAM allocations for all primary schools were updated this year, for the 2012/13 school year. An...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (22 Nov 2012)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together. The Education and Training Boards Bill was published on 5 October 2012 and completed Second Stage in Dáil Éireann on 17 October 2012. Following completion of the Second Stage, the Bill has been referred to the Select Sub-committee on Education and Skills. An order cannot be made in respect of any provision in the Bill until...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (22 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that on the 21st November, 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.