Results 7,481-7,500 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (11 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The placing of a qualification at the appropriate level of the National Framework is solely based on the learning outcomes associated with that qualification. The rules governing qualification for the Back to Education Allowance are a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (11 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The salary and arrears due to the person referred to by the Deputy are being paid today.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received correspondence from the school in question in relation to the matter to which he refers. A response has recently issued to the school authority confirming that my Department is not in a position to increase the level of grant aid already approved.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Eligibility (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard 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 be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment, and be in receipt of one of the qualifying payments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Services Provision (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all primary schools that wish to avail of this service. All contracts under the Schools Broadband Access Programme were recently re-tendered. As a result of this the number of service providers has been expanded from 6 to 13 and this should lead to improvements in the quality of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a request from the Catholic Diocese to divest my interest in the property to which he refers. My officials have been in contact with the Patron's office in relation to this request and a response to the request will issue in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Eligibility (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard 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 be eligible for a place on a Springboard course a person must be unemployed, actively seeking employment, and be in receipt of one of the qualifying payments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vocational Education Committees Staff (10 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: Public Sector Allowances Eligibility (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Island allowance, in common with the Gaeltacht and teaching through Irish allowances, is not payable to new beneficiaries as of 1 February 2012 on foot of the recent review of allowances across the public sector.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 97 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that in light of the scale of the demand on the finite capital resources of my Department that my Department will be prioritising the acquisition of a site suitable for a permanent building for the post primary school to which he refers rather than an educational campus. As the Deputy will be aware, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Expenditure (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The issues that have emerged in relation to past spending by the Office of the President in Waterford Institute of Technology are of serious concern. It is incumbent on all public sector organisations to ensure that public funds are expended in an appropriate manner. An external review commissioned by Waterford Institute of Technology to ascertain the extent of spending by the Office of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project at the school referred to by the Deputy was included in the 5 year construction programme announced in March and is scheduled to commence construction in 2015/2016. A design team has recently been appointed and the school authority has been instructed how to proceed to commence the project. My Department has been in contact with the school authority regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The three teacher school to which the Deputy refers is not situated in an area of high demographic growth. Enrolments at schools in the area are expected to remain at current levels or show some decline. The Department is not currently funding any temporary rental costs for this school. In March last my Department approved grant aid for the provision of two resource rooms. A condition of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I acknowledge that the reduction in resources to second level schools will be challenging for schools. However, the budget measure that requires schools to manage the provision of guidance from within their standard staffing allocation must be seen in the context of the major challenges we have as a Government in trying to shelter public services to the greatest extent that we can in these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Schools Award (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Digital Schools Award is a worthwhile initiative which recognises excellence in a school's approach to the integration of ICT in learning and teaching. This award aims to build on the progress already made by schools in ICT integration and to encourage them to strive for further progression and improvement. To achieve a Digital Schools Award, each participating school must fulfil...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The ICT in Schools Programme has an allocation of €13.7 million for 2012. A breakdown by primary and post primary spend is not readily available. This allocation covers all aspects of the programme for primary and post primary schools including teacher professional development in ICT, deployment of curriculum-relevant digital content, software and ICT infrastructure deployment in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the Croke Park agreement, inspectors in my Department have implemented a significant programme of reforms to inspection procedures. The reforms have achieved efficiencies through a reduction in the inspection resources required for whole-school evaluations and other inspections in primary and post-primary schools. The reforms also involved improving the reports arising from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: When the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) was established in 1999 it had a ten region structure and it was envisaged that these regions would be managed by a Regional Director. In mid 2010 there were four vacancies at Regional Director level at the service and my Department entered into discussions with the NEPS IMPACT branch with a view to filling the vacant regional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy the Croke Park Agreement is a framework for public service reform centrally agreed between the Government and the Public Service Unions. The NCSE has published its agreed Action Plan under the Croke Park Agreement. A key challenge for the NCSE has been to ensure the maintenance of its national service for all schools and students with special educational needs,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The latest data available on the number of pupils in the primary school system relate to 2011/2012. In 2011/2012 there were 516,460 pupils enrolled in primary level, including 7,420 pupils in Special Schools. Data on the number of primary school pupils for 2012/2013 will not be available until 2013, after the Annual Census of Primary Schools 2012 is processed by my Department. The latest...