Results 6,941-6,960 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department introduced an energy efficiency scheme in 2009 to improve roof and cavity wall insulation levels in school buildings across the country. The scheme which was implemented with the help of Sustainable Energy Ireland, allowed schools to apply for funding on a once-off basis to upgrade the fabric insulation in attics and the external cavity walls of their buildings. The closing date...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that tackling the issue of bullying in schools is a key objective of this Government. It was for that reason that an Anti-Bullying Forum was held earlier 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. I have also established a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the last five years a total of nine major school building projects have been terminated due to an insolvency event involving the main contractor. Two other major school building projects have been terminated due to a contractor's default for reasons other than insolvency. Five of these projects were subsequently completed and handed over to the school authorities, four are currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI, the new centralised grant awarding authority, that further supporting documentation was received from the student referred to by the Deputy on 17th November 2012 and his application is currently awaiting review. SUSI will contact the student directly in relation to the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The accompanying table provides a breakdown on a county basis of the status of the student grant applications received by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), the new centralised grant awarding authority. The data has been supplied to my Department by SUSI. A number of measures have been put in place to speed up the process of awarding student grants. This includes the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take questions 269 and 270 together. Currently, there are 496 primary schools renting 1,283 prefab units and 47 post-primary schools renting 131 prefab units throughout the country. (Please note that one prefab unit may consist of one or more classrooms and/or ancillary accommodation). Historical data in relation primary and post-primary schools with purchased prefabricated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Up until last year, students applied to their local authority or VEC for their grants. Some 66 grant awarding authorities were involved, all using a variety of application, assessment and payment processes. Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) replaces all of these with a centralised, and on-line system of application.While there have been problems with the first year of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Ireland currently performs very strongly in terms of participation in higher education and has the highest tertiary attainment rate among 25-34 year olds in the European Union. The number of full time enrolments is shown in the following table. Full Time Student Enrolments: 2010/11 2011/12* 161,647 162,786 *provisional enrolment figures Projections published by my Department in June of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I take it that the Deputy is referring to primary schools whose enrolment falls below an average of eight pupils for two consecutive school years. That is the current minimum enrolment threshold at which a school's continued viability comes into question. Information on the annual enrolment levels of all primary schools is available under the statistics section of my Department's website at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take questions 274 and 277 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that whereas it is not possible to anticipate future budgetary decisions, that this Government is committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. The Programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data at individual school level in county order. The most recent published information relates to the 2011/2012 school year. Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of building projects currently under construction in primary schools in Co. Kildare are outlined in the following table. School Anticipated completion date Kildangan NS, Kildangan, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare Devolved to Board of Management Two Mile House NS, Naas, Co. Kildare Devolved to Board of Management St. Josephs NS, Kilkullen, Kildare ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (20 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 Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. For example, schools are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school, referred to by the Deputy, has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding. The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. and this is being updated regularly throughout the year. In view of the need to prioritise available funding for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department is liaising with the school authorities and has instructed the Design Team to commence work on procuring a completion contractor to complete the works. Subject to no issues arising, it is anticipated that the project will be completed in quarter 2 of 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for a student's grant awarding body. Where a grant awarding authority turns down an application and subsequently rejects an appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department or the independent appeals board, as appropriate. No appeal has been received to date by my Department from the student referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The design team are currently working on the completion of the revised Stage 2(a) (Developed Sketch Design). Once the stage 2(a) is approved, the project will progress to stage 2(b) which includes applications for planning permission, Fire Safety Certification, Disability...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at a very early stage of architectural planning. The design team are currently working on the completion of Stage 1. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital budget, imposed by the need to prioritise the limited funding available for the provision of additional school accommodation to meet increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (20 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The 2012 July Education Programme operated a common payment date of the 8th November 2012 for all payments due to parents and teachers who participated in this programme. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the payment due to the tutor was issued on the 8th November 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (15 Nov 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The eligibility criteria for student grants is reviewed annually and set out in the student grant scheme and the student support regulations each year. Students awarded a...