Results 8,361-8,380 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Over the last number of years my Department has introduced various measures to both monitor and manage sick leave. Since 2010 when an officer returns to work from a period of sick leave a return to work form must be completed by their immediate line manager and where necessary a return to work meeting is held. These forms are returned to Personnel Section and held on the individuals personnel...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (28 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Implementation Body published its second review of the Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement on 13 June 2012 which reviewed progress made and savings achieved during the second year of the Agreement. A copy of this review is available on the Implementation Body website www.implementationbody.gov.ie . The first review of the Public Service Agreement was published in June 2011 and is also...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 Resource Teaching and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware I outlined my Action Plan in response to the Report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism last week. I have decided to proceed immediately with the process leading to divesting of patronage in an initial 44 identified areas. I have also decided that there should be a public consultation process on the findings and recommendations in the...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Following the consultation process, a White Paper will be drafted taking account of the views expressed with the aim of having a final draft prepared by early 2013. I will also be asking the NCCA to explore, with the education partners and religious interests, the development of Education about Religions and Beliefs and Ethics programmes. While certain costs will arise, the use of existing...

Written Answers — Higher Education Institutions: Higher Education Institutions (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This ranking measured the performance of higher education systems not individual higher education institutions. Ireland's system performed well, ranking 16th out of the 48 countries measured. However, I have cautioned before about placing too much reliance on different rankings whose individual methodologies and biases vary widely. My focus in terms of the higher education reform agenda is...

Written Answers — Value for Money Reviews: Value for Money Reviews (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no question of me refusing to publish the value for money review. On the contrary, I look forward to its completion and, as I committed to the House, I will ensure publication of the report at the earliest possible date which I expect will be shortly after the summer. I have discussed the progress of the report with my officials and realise that it has not proved possible to meet...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Apart from the recognised fee-charging second level schools, recognised primary or post-primary schools are not permitted to charge school fees. Voluntary contributions by parents are however permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay. I have no plans to prohibit such voluntary contributions. The Deputy will, however, be aware...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The Design Team are currently working on the Stage 2a Submission (Developed Sketch Design) and, when complete, the school will forward this submission to my Department for review. Assuming no issues arise, the project will then proceed to stage 2(b) which includes planning...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Comments and observations regarding test instruments are an intrinsic part of the feedback that SEC would normally expect to receive in any year. The well-tried methodology in place to deal with issues that arise in the course of the examination process is the development of the marking scheme by the Chief Examiner and his college of examiners in light of the circumstances of that year's...

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the review of allowances in the public service which is ongoing at the moment is being conducted by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the detail of this review or to speculate on its possible outcome pending the completion of the review and its consideration by Government.

Written Answers — Schools Guidance Counsellors: Schools Guidance Counsellors (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: All schools must continue to provide guidance to their pupils however from the start of the new school year guidance provision will be managed by schools from within their standard staffing allocation. Circular 0009/2012 issued by my Department while informing post primary school management and staff of the revised arrangements confirmed the requirement to provide for guidance. This was in...

Written Answers — Special Education Review: Special Education Review (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a formal role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 in advising me in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. I have asked the NCSE to provide me with comprehensive advice on how the educational system currently...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA is currently in the process of developing a new language curriculum for primary schools in the context of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. The three research reports, which I launched on 29th. May, were commissioned by the NCCA to support this process. One of the recently published reports, by Dr. Pádraig Ó Duibhir and Professor Jim Cummins, focuses specifically on the...

Written Answers — Student Grant Scheme: Student Grant Scheme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The online student grant application system went live on 11th June 2012 and to date over 13,500 fully completed student grant applications have already been received by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). There was no delay in making the student grant application process available. In fact, it has been made available earlier than previous years. The introduction of SUSI as the new...

Written Answers — Schools Guidance Counsellors: Schools Guidance Counsellors (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This Government has protected education as much as it can. Far greater reductions in expenditure and in the number of public servants are being made in other sectors relative to those in schools. But there are limits to the level of expenditure on education and the number of teaching posts we can afford. My Department has published Circular 0009/2012 to inform all post primary school...

Written Answers — Research Centres Programme: Research Centres Programme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the Deputy is referring to a proposal for the establishment of an education research and policy institute, along the lines of the UK Institute of Education (IOE). The IOE in the UK conducts around a quarter of the educational research carried out in UK Universities. Research at the IOE is funded by a diverse range of organisations including research councils, charities,...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that in light of the scale of demand for additional school places forecast to arise over the coming years, my Department has held meetings with a number of relevant state bodies, including the National Asset Management Agency, in order to discuss the need for suitable sites for educational purposes in the coming years.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011 I announced that 20 new post-primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. This announcement included for the provision of a new Gaelcholaiste in Balbriggan to commence operation in September 2014. The assessment of the applications received for patronage of new second level...

Written Answers — Third Level Staff: Third Level Staff (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General confirms that over €8 million in unauthorised payments were made to senior university staff over the period June 2005 to February 2011. This is completely unacceptable behaviour and represents a failure in governance in our universities and is a serious breach of public pay policy. These unauthorised payments have been ceased in all...