Results 8,001-8,020 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The reality of the economic situation and the public expenditure corrections which must be made in the coming years present challenges across all areas of public expenditure, including higher education. The funding of our higher education sector is addressed as part of the budgetary process each year. The Government is committed to driving reforms to radically reduce costs across the public...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. Officials of my Department have asked the Higher Education Authority to contact each university seeking a response and I will forward the available data to you as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The attached table gives details of the Freedom of Information Requests received by my Department since March 2011. This information is divided between Personal and non-Personal requests. For the Deputy's information, the final cut-off date for late applications to the Redress Board was 17th September 2011. This resulted in a significant increase in the number of personal requests received...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On foot of a request from the Committee of Public Accounts for a note in relation to allegations made by the former employee referred to by the Deputy, my Department requested a note from Co. Cork VEC on the matters raised along with appropriate follow up action to resolve each of the matters. Co. Cork VEC replied on 23rd April last advising that the former employee concerned is involved in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together. At present there is no agreed job-sharing scheme for Special Needs Assistants. Discussions have commenced between my Department, representatives of SNAs and school management bodies in relation to arriving at an agreed job-sharing scheme. It is hoped to finalise these discussions early in the new school year and publish the new scheme...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme for a roof replacement in 2010. This application was refused as the scope of works for which funding was sought was outside the terms of the scheme. This decision has been the subject of two appeals and the school authority have been informed that the project remained...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware on 12 June last I announced that the Pilot Study on School Accommodation was to commence. I confirmed that tenders were then being invited to undertake inventories of school accommodation in five pilot areas across the country. The closing date for receipt of tenders is 23 July, 2012. These pilot exercises will enable my Department to identify the best and most...

Written Answers — Book Rental Scheme: Book Rental Scheme (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department undertook a survey of schools to establish the position regarding school book rental and loan schemes for the school year 2011/12. This survey was completed in early 2012. The 3300 primary and special schools nationwide were asked in their annual returns to my Department if they operated a textbook or loan scheme in 2011/12 to enable pupils to rent or borrow some or all of...

Written Answers — School Textbooks: School Textbooks (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 to 212, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Expenditure on rental of temporary school accommodation (not limited to prefabs) is available from 1998 onwards. The following outlines, on a year by year basis, expenditure at primary and post-primary rental since that time: 1998: €1.3m 1999: €2.4m 2000: €4.0m 2001: €6.1m 2002: €8.4m 2003: €9.4m 2004: €11.3m 2005: €15.7m 2006: €24.5m 2007: €35.5m 2008: €53.0m...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Data relating to expenditure by my Department are not maintained on a county by county basis and it would take a disproportionate amount of time to collate the information sought by the Deputy. However, I would be happy to provide information regarding specific projects in which the Deputy has a particular interest.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for a permanent school building on a permanent site from the school to which he refers. Officials in my Department will be liaising with the relevant local authority in relation to identifying a suitable site. However, due to commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department will progress the project for the school to which he refers in accordance with the Five Year Plan, providing there are no challenges to the validity of the decision within the eight week period following the decision of An Bord Pleanála.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Based on the salaries, excluding allowances, of the CEOs of the Vocational Education Committees in 2011, the annual salary saving arising if all CEO salaries were capped at €100,000 would amount to approximately €431,000. The Deputy should note that the Transport Liaison Officer allowance, which was the main allowance paid to CEOs, costing some €261,000 in 2011, was discontinued with...

Written Answers — Ministerial Advisers: Ministerial Advisers (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The following tabular statement gives details of the Special Advisor appointments made at my Department when I took office together with details of their current salaries. Officials at my Department wrote to the Department of Finance at the time of the appointments and requested sanction to place the individuals on a point of the pay scale for the position nearest to their earnings before...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The table contains information in respect of those bodies currently under the aegis of my Department which are paid fees namely: - Commission into Child Abuse - Foras Áiseanna Saothair - Grangegorman Development Agency - Higher Education Authority - Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) - Residential Institutions Review Committee (RIRC) - Skillnets Ltd Ref No:36618/12: " To ask the...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 3Eight CEOs in agencies under the aegis of my Department are in receipt of salaries in excess of €100,000. If these salaries were to be capped, the resultant saving to the Exchequer would be €289,809.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and it would take a disproportionate amount of time to collate. In the meantime, if there are individual suppliers in respect of which the Deputy seeks details of, my Department will seek to provide that information.