Results 7,541-7,560 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teacher Training (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The public sector pay agreement, namely, the Croke Park agreement, which was negotiated by the previous Government, which we undertook to honour, has delivered many savings already but it is due to expire. I hope a new agreement will be negotiated in its place. That is the time to examine these types of anomalies and differences and no doubt that will be the case.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware the student contribution increased to €2,250 for the current academic year. The full contribution is paid by the Exchequer in respect of students who qualify under the Department's student grant scheme. In addition, conscious of financial pressures on families, tax relief provisions have been put in place which provide for tax relief at the standard rate of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: First, whatever decision is made, it will not start to take effect until the academic year 2013-14. We have a bit of time, therefore, and I want to use that time to ensure we get a satisfactory report that sets out in a fair and proper manner to achieve what it is trying to achieve, which is to get a degree of equality in terms of the eligibility of students and their households to apply for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not want to go into the precise detail or to in any way mislead the Deputy. What we are trying to look at is whether households that have a farm or a small business have the capacity, based on those additional assets plus the income they derive from the utilisation of those assets, to fund education in a way that is different from or additional to that of a family where the only income...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teacher Training (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is neither possible nor appropriate to attempt to separate measures such as those impacting on the pay of new entrants from their context. These measures have to be viewed against the backdrop of a very serious financial and budgetary situation. They reflect a position where this country has lost its economic sovereignty and simply no longer has full control over its economic affairs. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: We do not yet have the full story in that particular case. The school in question has been in contact with the Department and additional resource hours have been made available. As it is one of the largest schools in the country - if not the largest - it faces certain pressures. The emphasis in the job description of those who look after the welfare of young people in our schools appears...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will consider the Deputy's comments, but I will not make policy on the hoof in this regard. There are more than 360,000 pupils in the post-primary sector.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, following the Government's agreement in principle to broaden the current means-testing arrangements for student grants by including the value of capital assets, I set up a dedicated implementation group to make detailed proposals for implementation in 2013. The draft report I have received from the implementation group is under consideration. I will consult my...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The day-to-day management of teaching resources in schools is done at local school level. It is not something I intend to audit as suggested by the Deputy. It is established policy that guidance is a whole-school activity and under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. I am confident schools will act in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of new appointees paid for the first time on the Department's payrolls in the period from the first of January 2011 to the 5th December 2011 was one thousand six hundred and two primary teachers and one thousand eight hundred and eleven teachers in secondary and community/ comprehensive schools. The figures in the period from the 6th December 2011 to the 31st January 2012 were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (9 Oct 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: School Staffing (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The issue of the use of temporary contracts in the teaching profession and the numbers who are on temporary or short term contracts at post primary level has been the subject of much comment and debate. My Department has committed to a process of engagement with teacher unions and management bodies to explore the scale of this issue, causal factors and options for future developments.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The context for any discussion about class sizes is that my Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. My focus is on ensuring we have school places and teachers for all the additional pupils entering our schools each year. There is no scope to give any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not propose to give any specific commitment on future budgetary decisions. This is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the next budget and meeting our obligations under the EU/IMF Programme. The government will of course try to ensure all budget decisions are as fair and equitable as possible but I cannot give specific commitments here...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 70 together. As I have indicated earlier, it is neither possible nor appropriate to attempt to separate measures such as those impacting on the pay of new entrants from their context. These measures have to be viewed against the backdrop of a very serious financial and budgetary situation. They reflect a position where this country has lost its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Issues (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. They have provided me with the following information on this matter. There are a wide range of oral tests. The tests in each language are recorded by examiners onto cassette tapes supplied by the State Examinations Commission. However, the SEC does not supply...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The integration of ICT into teaching and learning is supported through the ICT in Schools Programme. This programme addresses four main areas which need to work together to build capacity in this domain: Deployment of ICT infrastructure; Professional development for teachers, in the pedagogical use of ICT; Identifying and sharing suitable online content and resources; Broadband for schools. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Remuneration (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: At the request of my Department the Higher Education Authority (HEA) carried out an investigation, in conjunction with the Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG), to determine definitively the quantum of monies in respect of unauthorised payments to senior staff in each of the universities between 2005 and 2011. The investigation identified total excess payments of €7.5 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions 71 and 112 together. The decision to move to e-books is a matter for each Board of Management. In making this decision each school should consider all the available information and in this regard the Professional Development Service for Teachers – which now incorporates the ICT in Schools function is available to advise schools. One of the main factors to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Remuneration (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware policy on rates of pay in the Education sector forms part of wider public pay policy, including related commitments and reforms under the Croke Park Agreement and to this extent academic salaries were reduced from January 2010 on foot of a Government decision to reduce Public Service pay. At my request the Higher Education Authority (HEA) completed an initial...