Results 8,381-8,400 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 Staffing Appeals Board considered appeals from any of the 73 schools that could show that their projected enrolments for September 2012 were sufficient to allow them retain their classroom teacher over the longer term. 38...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is not my Department's intention to provide a new Circular regarding the arrangements for the provision of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for the coming school year as neither the policy nor the arrangements for the provision of SNA support have been revised or amended. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 43 and 49 together. 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...

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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 to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of such...

Written Answers — Teaching Council of Ireland: Teaching Council of Ireland (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Section 18 of the Teaching Council Act 2001, the Council publishes annual audited accounts which are laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The annual accounts provide full details of the Council's income and expenditure for each year together with an up to date overview of its financial position including accumulated reserves. The Teaching Council's annual accounts for 2011 show a...

Written Answers — Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge: Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Tionóladh cruinniú tionscnaimh an Ghrúpa Idir-rannaigh don Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030 ar 8 Feabhra 2012. Bhí ionadaithe as roinnt Ranna Rialtais, an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna ina measc, i láthair. Nótáladh ag an gcruinniú go gcuirfear chun cinn tiomantas an Rialtais d'fheidhmiú na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge laistigh de na hacmhainní buiséadacha atá...

Written Answers — Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme, operated by the Department of Social Protection, provides support for eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. Eligibility for the Back to School Allowance is determined and administered by that Department and is therefore primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In November 2010, officials of my Department issued a questionnaire to each VEC. Information provided by the VECs, in response to this questionnaire indicates that 13 of the 33 VECs own their headquarter premises, while 20 rent or lease their premises. The following information sets out the position regarding the remaining term of the leases as advised by the relevant VECs. VEC ...

Written Answers — Health Professions Admission Test: Health Professions Admission Test (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The selection criteria for admission to medical programmes are determined by the higher education institutions in line with their statutory autonomy in academic affairs. The introduction of HPAT in 2009 had regard to the findings of the Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education & Training: Medical Education in Ireland: A New Direction (the Fottrell report). It recommended that the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I have endorsed the broad thrust of the proposals on junior cycle reform submitted to me by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in late 2011 following an extensive consultation process. They envisage that all students will be expected to achieve 24 statements of learning over the period of their junior cycle. These include valuing local and national heritage and recognising...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 89 together. Ireland has a high proportion of primary schools relative to its population and has a high proportion of small primary schools. Many of the small primary schools are located in rural areas. The current configuration is being examined by my Department in a value for money review of the provision of small primary schools. Among the issues...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The new central grant awarding authority Student Universal Support Ireland, (SUSI, a division of the City of Dublin VEC) which will administer the Student Grant Scheme on behalf of my Department has been established. The online grant application system, administered by them, went live via the www.studentfinance.ie website on 11th June 2012. To date over 11,000 fully completed student grant...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In the 2011/2012 school year over 17,500 teachers attended training in the areas of literacy and numeracy across the primary and post primary sectors. Training has been provided to school principals and teachers in a variety of formats including seminars, workshops, online provision and summer courses. Participant evaluation has been collated for the school leader events with a satisfaction...

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

Ruairi Quinn: In relation to the evaluation of the Leaving Certificate Examinations and the A Level examinations for the purposes of entry to Irish universities, it should be noted that universities are autonomous academically independent institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and my Department does not have any functions in relation to their admissions policies and criteria. I can...

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

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

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. To ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of projects to meet the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The first school referred to by the Deputy was considered to be in good condition and well maintained when acquired by my Department. In the period since the purchase, my Department was advised by the school of issues with the accommodation. A technical assessment has been carried out recently by Department staff and the report in the matter is being considered. My Department will be in...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Bill provides for the establishment of a Statutory Fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse, as endorsed by Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. The Bill follows an extensive consultation process undertaken by my Department which involved meetings with the religious congregations, with groups representing survivors of...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Ongoing evaluation of the operation of the DEIS programme is being undertaken both by the Education Research Centre (ERC) and by the Inspectorate of my Department. Three reports arising out of this work were published earlier this year. These were 'A Report on the First Phase of the Evaluation of DEIS', available on www.erc.ie, which concentrates on Literacy and Numeracy achievements in...

Written Answers — Points System: Points System (27 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Following the publication of the NCCA-HEA report on Transitions into higher education last December, I asked for proposals from the higher education institutions in relation to the implementation of the recommendations in the report. I have been informed that the universities are currently finalising a report for submission to me in the coming weeks.