Results 8,701-8,720 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There are a wide range of further and higher education courses available with a foreign language as either a core subject or in combination with a range of other disciplines. Information on all relevant courses is available on the Qualifax website www.qualifax.ie. There are also a range of foreign languages available on the curriculum in second level schools – French, German, Spanish,...

Written Answers — Accommodation for Children: Accommodation for Children (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I reiterate that my Department has no role in relation to setting down minimum standards for accommodation or the conduct of inspections envisaged by the Deputy. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the accommodation which they secure for their child is of an acceptable standard. I would encourage parents to ensure they are satisfied with the standard of accommodation for anyone...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The school submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. All appeals submitted to the Primary Staffing Appeal Board were considered in accordance with the published appeals criteria that is set out in my Department's Staffing Circular 0007/2012. This was done at its meeting on 18th and 19th April. The appeal by the school was unsuccessful on the basis that the school did not meet...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 186 together. The National Council for Special Education is responsible for allocating Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of such supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. All schools were advised...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy was recently assessed for replacement of prefabs with a permanent structure under my Department's new Rented Prefab Replacement Scheme. Enrolments at the school have declined by 15% over the past 5 years and by 6% between 2010 and 2011. As a result of falling enrolments, the long term need for the prefab is uncertain and a permanent build option was...

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

Ruairi Quinn: This matter has been investigated further by my Department. There are currently two primary schools in which teachers who retired during February 2012 have been paid in excess of forty days and are still employed. My Department will contact the schools involved and request them to confirm that are complying with the terms outlined in Circular 31/2011. In the event that they are not...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 to 190, inclusive, together. There are no second level schools that are in Band 2.1, that have completed stage 2(b) and that are not in the five year construction programme. There are, however, three such second level projects which are currently working toward the completion of stage 2(b). These are Colaiste Abbain, Wexford, RN71600B, St Brendan's...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The student grant scheme for the 2012/13 academic year will be published on www.studentfinance.ie in the coming week. As the Deputy may be aware, from the 2012/13 year onwards, grants will be centrally administered by a single 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...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant is to give pupils who are educationally disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as other pupils not so disadvantaged. Pupils resident on off-shore islands that do not have a school providing suitable free second-level education may also qualify for assistance under the scheme. The...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This is a day to day operational matter for FÁS. The person referred to was registered as an apprentice electrician in August 2005; his current status on the FÁS apprenticeship system is "Unemployed" rather than Redundant. In order to participate in the Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme 2012 (RAPS), FÁS requires documentary evidence of redundancy in the form of a letter from an...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: One new staff appointment to my Department has taken place since March 2012. Ms Anne Kinneen was appointed as a temporary personal assistant to my colleague Minister of State, Ciarán Cannon, T.D. There were also two new assignments to my Department of existing civil/public servants since March 2012 as follows: - Ms Mary Doyle, Deputy Secretary, from the Department of Children and Youth...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. In considering...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Jun 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 Department has also issued...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. Second-level schools were selected by reference to centrally-held data from the Post-Primary Pupils and State Examinations...

Written Answers — Outdoor Education Centres: Outdoor Education Centres (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A complaint has been made to the European Commission regarding the funding that my Department provides to Outdoor Education Centres, operated by a number of Vocational Education Committees, on the basis that it is unlawful. The Commission is currently in the process of establishing the facts in this matter and my Department is in ongoing correspondence with the Commission in this regard.

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has no plans to review the grant payable under the Remote Area Grant scheme.

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

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly I wish to advise the Deputy that only teachers with qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are employed and who are registered with the Teaching Council are entitled to payment at the qualified rate. It is a matter for the Teaching Council to determine the individual's suitability in this regard. Enquiries in relation to Teaching Council...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the approval of special classes. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. All schools have the names and...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The National School Annual Census does not collect information on the home addresses of pupils. Hence the information requested is not available.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Jun 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: School authorities are responsible for managing the delivery of their devolved building projects and ensuring that the project is delivered within the approved budget. The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated devolved funding for the provision of a mainstream classroom and a multi-purpose room under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme in 2011. In April 2012 the school...