Results 7,601-7,620 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy is among eight schools constituting the third bundle of school projects that are earmarked for delivery as part of the Department's overall Schools Public Private Partnership programme of works. Unfortunately, unanticipated difficulties associated with the current fiscal situation have led to delays in achieving financial close. As a consequence, it has...

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

Ruairi Quinn: At the launch of the Government's Medium Term Infrastructure and Capital Investment Framework last November, I said that the priority in the education sector is to focus on major school projects and smaller projects devolved to schools to meet demographic demands over the next five years. I indicated that given the need to concentrate on meeting the need for additional school places that it...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has overall responsibility, under the Education Act 1998, for funding of recognised schools and does not have a separate funding stream in place to support stand alone projects such as that referred to by the Deputy. However, my Department is currently liaising with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (to whom an approach for funding has also been made) to explore how...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the person referred to by the Deputy was offered a place on a course being delivered under the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), subject to his eligibility being confirmed by the Department of Social Protection. To be eligible to participate in a course under VTOS, a person must be over 21 years of age and in receipt of specified social protection payments...

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

Ruairi Quinn: There is widespread agreement in business, political, education and training sectors that one of the keys to Ireland's recovery rests heavily on the capacity of our education system and wider society to work effectively together to support creativity, innovation and enterprise. Last week I launched my Junior Cycle Framework. One of the eight principles underpinning the new Framework is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government Implementation (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded to him as soon as possible.

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

Ruairi Quinn: I am very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. Since becoming Minister for Education and Skills, I have attempted to take steps to reduce the burden on families. Shortly after coming into office I met with members of the Irish Educational Publishers' Association and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks. I have also stressed to them...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Expenditure on the provision of school meals which is funded by the School Meals Programme, administered by my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection was €34.97 million in 2011 with €35 million provided for 2012. The estimated cost of providing a daily lunch meal for the 516,460 children currently attending primary school is €285 million per annum (based on an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Councils Issues (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Section 27 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for the establishment of student councils, intending them to play an integral and important role in the post-primary school community. Student councils provide a representative structure through which students can debate issues of concern and undertake initiatives of benefit to the school and wider community. A student council shall promote the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 213 together. My Department has sought the assistance of, and is working closely with, the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the development to which the Deputy has referred. Due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further on the site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to inform the Deputy that a consultation process between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department is still ongoing in relation to the matter of Labour Court recommendation LCR20062 dated 19 May 2011. However, this consultation process is expected to be concluded in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Oct 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). Officials in my Department have confirmed with SUSI that the student in question applied for grant assistance and I understand that a decision has issued. If an individual applicant considers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 274 together. The target savings from this budget measure is 250 posts over the 3 year period. Some 73 small primary schools were originally due to lose a classroom teacher in September 2012 as a result of the budget measure to increase the relevant pupil thresholds. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board considered appeals from any of the 73 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In addition to the Five Year Building Plan, announced on 9 March last, my Department is committed to publishing a detailed annual programme in relation to planned expenditure on individual major school projects commencing construction. The first of these, which related to 2012 expenditure, was published in December 2011 last. It is anticipated that details of the 2013 annual programme will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tax Collection (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, universities are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs, for which the Governing Bodies and the management staff of the institutions are responsible. However, in relation to this matter I understand that the payment to the Revenue Commissioners referred to by Deputy relates to an amount paid by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Measures in relation to the pay of new public service entrants, including teachers, have to be viewed against the backdrop of a very serious financial and budgetary situation. Reductions in the pay of new entrant public servants, including teachers, date back to the last Government. More recently, this Government has made further adjustments on foot of the allowances review. In the case of...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222, 223, and 277 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that this Government is committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs, in order to ensure that every child in the state, regardless of ability, can access education and to ensure that the requirements of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream...

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

Ruairi Quinn: As announced in the 2012 Budget, five scholarship schemes for higher education, including the Easter Week 1916 and Irish scholarships, have been replaced with a new single scheme of bursaries. The awards under the new scheme are fixed at €2,000 per student. The bursary is an extra support and incentive to recognise high achievement for students who are from disadvantaged families and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Aid (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under my Department's student grant scheme, maintenance grants are payable to undergraduate students doing courses abroad who are pursuing an approved full-time course in an approved institution and who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. An "approved institution" as set out in the Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (9 Oct 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 requires a person who is employed as a teacher in a recognised school to be registered with the Council in order to be paid from State funds. It is therefore essential for anyone employed as a teacher in a recognised school to apply for registration at the earliest possible opportunity. Once commenced it will be an absolute legal requirement for...