Results 841-860 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary and post-primary schools, including redeployment arrangements, are published annually. The staffing and redeployment arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are available on the Department website. Teaching vacancies are filled in the first instance through the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers. The redeployment of all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that, in December 2013, this Government agreed to increase the cap on the number of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts available for allocation to schools by 390 posts to 10,965 at the end of 2014. These extra posts will ensure that the Government's policy of ensuring that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Case Numbers (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2013 legal proceedings commenced against my Department in respect of six children with Special Education Needs. Four of these cases are still pending. I can confirm that none of these proceedings related to the provision of Special Needs Assistant support. The National Counsel for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: According to figures provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) the number of students (both new and renewal) who were awarded a grant on the 2nd February 2014 was 57,456. The total number of students who were paid a grant at this date (including a fees only grant) was 56,655. Comparable figures provided by SUSI for 27th April 2014 was 59,440 students awarded all of which were paid.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy published in 2006 and, accordingly, the focus of both current and future provision is on the development of a more inclusive school environment. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system are allocated on the basis of identified individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Staff (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 67 together. The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the attached table. I ask the Deputy to note that the numbers of positions for the years requested include mainstream posts funded from the Core Grant, undergraduate tuition fees (including grant in lieu of fees), Student Services Charge and the Student Contribution introduced in 2011...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Issues (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Employment Control Framework ceiling on staff numbers in the education sector for 2014 is 96,135 posts (whole time equivalent). This includes Civil Service posts and posts in a number of education bodies categorised as non-commercial state agencies.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: When the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these posts continue to be replaced in the normal manner. At the time of the introduction of the moratorium circa 56% of teachers at post primary level had posts of responsibility. This has since reduced to about...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Recommendations for changes to initial teacher education were included in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020. These recommendations are reflected in the Teaching Council's Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers (2011). Improvements which have been made to initial...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Project Maths was the title given to a major programme of reform of mathematics in second level schools for both junior cycle and senior cycle. Project Maths began in 24 schools in September 2008 and was rolled out, on a phased basis, to all mainstream second level schools from September 2010. As of September 2012. "Project Maths" as it has become known, was fully rolled out to all mainstream...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Three primary schools are expected to open this September under the patronage divesting process, with Educate Together as patron. While permanent buildings are not yet available for these schools, I have given the go-ahead for them in temporary start-up accommodation in order to meet parental demand for greater choice of primary schools as soon as possible. The transfer of a Church of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Second Level Patronage Advisory Group was announced but not subsequently appointed by my predecessor. It did not, consequently, carry out any work. In June of 2011, I announced that some 20 new post-primary schools would be established over the coming years to meet demographic needs. Following on from that announcement, prospective patron bodies were invited to apply for patronage of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: There are currently seven Community National Schools in operation in the country. A further new Community National School is expected to commence operation in September 2014. The Forward Planning Section of my Department is currently analysing demographics on a nationwide basis to identify areas where additional primary school accommodation might be needed beyond 2014. Should the need for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not hold information on the numbers of pupils attending school in prefabricated buildings; this depends on the organisation of class groups by schools within available accommodation and may vary from year to year. Local school managements are responsible for organising their class numbers, year on year, to achieve the optimum local efficiencies.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that details of all school capital works that have been funded by my Department may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie by clicking on "Schools and Colleges", then "Building Works" and selecting the relevant headings. This is updated on a regular basis. The 5 year School Construction Plan announced on 9 March 2012 (which is also detailed on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In May of last year, following consideration of a report from the HEA, I asked the Higher Education Authority to implement a future system configuration. My letter to the HEA and their report is published on . It sets out all the proposed mergers and alignments. In summary, three groups of institutes of technology have expressed an interest to merge and apply to become technological...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Contribution (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the Student Contribution stands at €2,500 for the current academic year and is payable by undergraduate students who qualify under my Department's free fees schemes. I have already signalled my intention to increase the Student Contribution by €250 each year hereafter until the 2015/16 academic year when the contribution will stand at €3,000....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project referred to is at an early stage of Architectural Planning. The Design Team are currently working on their stage 1 report for submission to my Department. Upon satisfactory completion of stage 1 and subject to no issues arising the project will be authorised to progress to Stage 2A, which is the developed sketch design stage. Due to competing demands on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Students (7 May 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Authority's data, which are available at www.HEA.ie, indicate an almost 14% rise in full-time international student numbers between 2010/11 and 2012/13 in the institutions for which the HEA collects data. The figures for the English Language sector are estimates from Fáilte Ireland. The most recent relate to 2012, and they suggest a 28% increase between 2011 and 2012.