Results 7,261-7,280 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information the Deputy requested is outlined in the following documents. This Government recognises the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant or reformed church background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. With regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no specific funding under the student grant scheme for women studying engineering at third level. They are however, eligible to apply for assistance provided they satisfy the terms and conditions in relation to nationality, residency, academic attainment and means. Previously Science Foundation Ireland, in conjunction with DELL, provided targeted scholarships to female students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In additional to support under the Student Grant Scheme mature students can apply for a place on a Springboard course. Springboard, which was first launched in May 2011, is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part-time higher education courses for unemployed people in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. To...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Details of rented and purchased prefabs in use in the listed schools, are outlined in the table. Historical data on the purchase of prefab units is not readily available prior to 2009. Primary and Post Primary Schools with Band Rating 2.1 that are not included in the Five Year Plan County Roll no Name & Address of School Rented prefab/s Purchased prefab/s Carlow 02124E Scoil...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the Home Tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. Parents engage tutors directly. The grant is paid in advance to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Services for People with Disabilities (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 to 242, inclusive, together. The Middletown Centre for Autism is an initiative jointly funded between my Department and the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. The Centre is aimed at supporting the promotion of excellence in the development and harmonisation of education and allied services to children and young people with autistic spectrum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides for a comprehensive system of continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers in the area of special educational needs including teachers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Central to this is the Special Education Support Service (SESS) which was established in September 2003. The brief of the SESS is to enhance the quality of learning and teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Since September 2012 the combined resources available for learning support (General Allocation Model) and language support have been merged into a single simplified allocation process. There are currently over 4,700 such posts at an annual cost of circa €282 million allocated to primary schools. This expenditure includes the standard learning support/language support allocation that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that this Government remains 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 protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. Approximately 15% of the entire...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 to 248, inclusive, together. 56,604 on-line student grant applications were submitted to Student Universal Ireland (SUSI) by the official closing date which was 31st August 2012. SUSI is currently accepting applications after the official closing date in line with the discretion given to it under the Student Grant Scheme 2012. An additional 8,731 late...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. At the time of response the figures quoted by Deputy Cannon were correct. There are still 16,351 cases where no documentation has been furnished by the applicants in response to SUSI's request. In addition, in a very significant number of cases an incomplete set of documentation was received and SUSI has had to make further requests to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The attached tables give the processing position for renewal students who are being dealt with by local authorities and VECs and for new students who are being handled by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). The tables give the position for student grant applications for attendance at both further and higher education. The migration of the new applications to SUSI has enabled the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Grants (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), the new centralised awarding authority, that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy for the 2012/13 academic year was refused. SUSI has confirmed that the applicant appealed their decision on 16th October and a determination will issue shortly. Where an individual applicant has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The extant contract for the school building project to which the Deputy refers, is between the school authorities and the contractor in question. Following notification from the school that works did not proceed as expected on October 8th, Department officials met with the school authorities and their Design Team to consider the next steps. My officials are liaising with the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On 19 June last, my Department published Circular 0024/2012 which detailed the categorisation of the new Education and Training Boards (ETBs), once established, for the purposes of the pay scales applicable to Chief Executive Officers of these Boards. The categorisation of each ETB, including the Board encompassing Counties Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, is based on a proposal set out by the Labour...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Postgraduate Loan Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The new loan initiative available from Bank of Ireland provides finance for fees and living costs. While developed in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, it is a Bank of Ireland product and further information on the terms and conditions of the loan, together with the numbers availing of it, is a matter for the bank.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle will enable post-primary schools to provide a quality, inclusive and relevant education with improved learning outcomes for all students, including those with special educational needs. The framework document indicates that teachers will receive professional development in educational assessment, including processes of moderation, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257, 265, 266 together. The costs which will arise relate in the main to professional development for principals, deputy principals and teachers. Investment in professional development for teachers will begin in 2013 and be significantly scaled up in the years thereafter. The key needs will be for professional development in assessment approaches, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Over time the external examination is to be phased out and externally set, administered and marked examinations will no longer be a feature of the final assessment at Junior Cycle. During the transition period, elements of the external examination will continue to be in place until phased out.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Extensive quality assurance measures are built into the new Junior Cycle. These include subject specifications with clear learning outcomes; a comprehensive profession development programme for teachers, principals and deputy principals in educational assessment, including processes of moderation; and the introduction of standarised tests for all schools and students in English reading,...