Results 8,661-8,680 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is awaiting appointment of a design team and the commencement of architectural planning. The next step required will be a tender competition for appointment of the design team. To ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of projects to meet the increasing demographic demands will be the main focus for...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, the Anti-Bullying Forum, which was held on Thursday 17th May, brought together a range of experts, support groups and representatives of the schools sector including parents and students. I was very pleased to open this important Forum and to provide an opportunity to explore with all the relevant stakeholders how best to tackle bullying in schools and to consider what...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the deputy is aware, the Forward Planning Section of my Department utilises a Geographical Information System (GIS) to analyse demographic data in order to determine the areas where additional school accommodation may be required. A variety of sources are used in this analysis, including census data, school enrolment data, and child benefit data obtained from the Department of Social...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under my Department's most recent ICT Infrastructure Grant Scheme, all DEIS schools received an additional block grant of €850 on top of the standard grant allocations for primary and post primary schools. This Scheme (which was non-discretionary) was fully allocated between November 2009 and December 2010. It is not currently possible, in our challenging fiscal context, to provide for a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. To ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of projects to meet the increasing demographic demands will be the main focus for capital investment over the next 5 years, particularly in those areas where it has been identified that most future demographic...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that my Department has received correspondence from the school, referred to by the Deputy, in relation to the matter to which the Deputy refers. The matter can be considered further on receipt of the additional information requested by my Department from the school authority concerned.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The partial redundancy in respect of the person referred to by the Deputy will be paid on 7th June 2012.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There will be a new income threshold for the payment referred to by the Deputy, which will be lower than the standard grant threshold. The income threshold for this level of grant is currently being determined in the context of the formulation of the Student Grant Scheme for the 2012/13 academic year which I expect to be in a position to publish shortly.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 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. The Budget 2012 measures in relation to the post-primary sector are set out in the...

Written Answers — Student Residential Accommodation: Student Residential Accommodation (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department of Education and Skills has no involvement in the matters referred to by the Deputy. The Deputy may wish to consult the College Authorities directly.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The focus in schools is on using ICT (a) as a tool in learning and (b) to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the curriculum, guided by the ICT curriculum framework developed by the NCCA. This framework is supported by extensive digital resources on the Scoilnet website, by professional development programmes for teachers and by investment in ICT infrastructure. All post...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 153 together. My Department has recently entered into a framework agreement with 15 internet service providers as part of the Schools Broadband Access Programme. Under the framework agreement all previous school connections were put out to tender and contracts are due to be signed shortly. The request for a second connection at Carrigaline Educate...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. Full details of the scheme is available for downloading from...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A postgraduate student entering a course for the first time in May 2012 should have made application to the appropriate awarding authority under the Student Grant Scheme 2011 and should have received a decision at this point. The Deputy will be aware that, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 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 schedule for the 2012-2013 school year is available on my...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The appeals process at post primary level is now complete and the Chief Executive Officer of Westmeath Vocational Educational Committee has been notified of the outcome of their appeal. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and it's decision is final.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced last December that the means test for student grants will be amended to take account of the value of certain capital assets as well as income for the 2013/14 academic year. A dedicated Capital Asset Test implementation group has been established. The group has been charged with bringing forward detailed implementation proposals on new means testing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is actively engaged in the process of acquiring a site for the proposed new school, referred to by the Deputy, and have reached agreement, in principal, subject to contract with Cork County Council, in relation to the proposed purchase of the site concerned. In this regard, the issue of the "decision to grant planning permission" by the Local Authority...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has reached agreement, in principle, subject to contract with Cork County Council, in relation to the proposed acquisition of a site for the school to which he refers. With regards to planning permission, a "Notification of Decision to Grant Permission" has been issued by the Local Authority and the "Decision to Grant Permission" is awaited....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are eight teachers serving in primary, secondary and community/comprehensive schools currently being paid by payable order. The Deputy should note that there are fifty six thousand five hundred and forty four teachers paid on the serving payrolls. None of the eight teachers currently being paid by payable order have received the salary increase of 2.5% from the 1st September, 2008.