Results 8,161-8,180 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In September 2011, the school referred to by the Deputy was granted funding for the provision of 2 Mainstream Classrooms under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. In May 2012 the school applied for additional funding for a sliding sound proof partition between both classrooms so that the school could use the rooms for assemblies, choir practice and parent meetings. This...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 86 together. I received the Discussion Document for the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) on "Maths and National Competitiveness". It is a helpful input into the debate on the role of numeracy and in particular mathematics in primary and post-primary education. I welcome the introduction to the Discussion Document which was prepared by the NCC...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data at individual school level in county order. The most recent information available relates to the 2010/2011 school year.In the current school year there are circa 6,700 resource and learning support (General Allocation Model) posts in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together. Firstly I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports including Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, to support children with...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resources to schools to support children with special educational needs (SEN). The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I wish to advise the Deputy that, for children...

Written Answers — School Guidelines on Mental Health: School Guidelines on Mental Health (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is aiming to launch the Guidelines on Mental Health for Post-Primary Schools later this year. These guidelines aim to support schools in developing a whole-school approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention and are of relevance to all members of the school community. In particular, they have been developed to support principals, guidance counsellors, student...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle since 2003 and is designed, inter alia, to promote positive mental health. SPHE is supported by comprehensive teacher guidelines and a curriculum support service which provide training and advice for schools and a resource directory. The SPHE curriculum, at both primary...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is fully committed to supporting the social and emotional well-being of all students in line with government policies and good educational principles. These include the implementation of SPHE, RSE, services from NEPS and other national support services. Schools and their management are responsible to support the educational needs and well-being of all young people including...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) in the Primary School composite report presents the findings from a thematic evaluation of SPHE in 40 primary schools. As part of its ongoing evaluation of curriculum implementation, the Inspectorate conducted this thematic evaluation in 2007 in order to gain a clear insight into what was happening in the provision of SPHE. As part of this...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As a result of Budget 2012, Circular 70/2011 provides that teachers who had been engaged in a public sector teaching post on or before 4 December 2011 are eligible to retain the qualification allowances they were entitled to be in receipt of on that date. Such teachers will not be paid any additional allowance where they acquire any further qualification on or after 5 December 2011. The...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to clarify that this Government has maintained funding for resources for children with special educational needs at a time when there is a continued requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of areas. There is no overall reduction in Resource Teaching numbers for the coming school year. Overall, 9,950 posts will be provided for Resource Teaching support for the...

Written Answers — School Guidelines on Mental Health: School Guidelines on Mental Health (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is not planned at this point in time to develop Mental Health Guidelines for Primary Schools. However, my Department is acitively considering how greater coordination and linkages can be fostered between Health Service Executive, the child and adolescent mental health services and child welfare and protection services. The Health Promoting School initiative supports such collaborative...

Written Answers — Obesity Levels: Obesity Levels (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Our young people are educated about the dangers of eating food which is unhealthy during their primary and second level education. It is important to realise that school is just one small but influential aspect of their lives. The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme is a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle. The overall aim is to help...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Teaching Council is the statutory body for the recognition of qualifications and the registration of teachers. Matters in relation to recognition of individual qualifications and registration of teachers are set out in the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2009 which were approved by the Minister for Education & Science in November 2009 and laid before the Houses. They are also...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (12 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements in schools for the 2012/2013 school year can also be...

Written Answers — Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta: Scoláireachtaí Gaeltachta (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Molaim ceisteanna Uimhir 76, 77 agus 98 a thógáil le chéile. Mar a d'fhógraíodh i mBuiséad 2012, cuirfear scéim aonair nua de sparántachtaí, a bheidh bunaithe ar fhiúntas agus riachtanas airgeadais, in ionad na cúig scéim scoláireachta don ardoideachas, lena n-áirítear Scoláireacht Sheachtain na Cásca 1916 An Scéim Scoláireachtaí Triú Leibhéal do Scoláirí ón...

Written Answers — School Guidelines on Mental Health: School Guidelines on Mental Health (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The work on the development of Mental Health Guidelines for Post-Primary Schools is currently at an advanced stage and will be launched and published following the completion of the final consultation phase with relevant stakeholders including unions. The working group for the Guidelines comprises senior personnel from my Department, the Health Services Executive and the Department of Health...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is readily available on my Departments web-site and is updated regularly. The full budget allocation in 2012 for large scale projects amounts to €209m of which €118m has been expended to date. With over 56% of the allocation expended at the end of the first week in July, I am confident that the total allocation will be fully utilised by year-end.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has been in contact with the school authority regarding the accommodation needs of the school to which he refers and is awaiting a response from the school on the queries raised.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Jul 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that a draft report is currently under consideration by the Implementation Group and that I should receive the report in the coming weeks.