Results 8,881-8,900 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011: Referral to Select Committee (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Education and Skills pursuant to Standing Order 82A(3)(a).

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The highest levels of literacy are in Latin America.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: No real policy change has been made. It is being expressed in a different way. I can clarify this point for the Deputy. He can rest assured we are not diminishing or disimproving working conditions.

Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will refer to it in my response to Second Stage.

Leaders' Questions (23 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Ask a question.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together. I understand that the schools referred to by the Deputy have made enquiries with my Department regarding the amalgamation process.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...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools that are not in a position to admit all pupils seeking entry to implement an...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools within the free education scheme. As the Deputy is aware these grants are calculated on a per pupil basis with minimums and maximums applying to certain grants. Capitation for amalgamated schools is calculated on the same basis as any other recognised primary school. Where schools are amalgamating there is provision...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 May 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 relevant appointment and retention figures for mainstream staffing for the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware I recently allocated €35 million to allow almost 200 schools with rented prefab accommodation an opportunity to replace their rented prefabs with permanent accommodation. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 140 schools have now been approved and full details of these schools are available on my Department's website. Assessment of the remaining applications is...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers, has requested capital funding to also replace an additional prefab unit with permanent accommodation under the Prefab Replacement scheme. This further application is being assessed and my Department expects to convey a decision on this application to the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The standardisation of the staffing schedule for Gaelscoileanna so that it is the same as that which applies to primary schools generally was one of a number of measures introduced in Budget 2011 by the previous government to control and reduce teacher numbers. These changes came into effect from September 2011. Given the financial constraints in which this country now finds itself, it is not...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department issued Circular 0012/2012 in March, 2012 which is available on the website, setting out the arrangements for access to the redeployment panels for the 2012/13 school year for eligible registered primary teachers in fixed term, substitute and part-time positions. The closing date for receipt of applications for access to the redeployment panels was 20 April, 2012. My Department...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations. Applications for such accommodations are submitted by schools on behalf of their students. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As a result of Budget 2012, the school to which the Deputy refers is among 16 out of a total of 328 Rural DEIS schools who will lose 1 teaching post retained under previous disadvantage programmes prior to the introduction of the DEIS Initiative in 2005. These posts were retained in these schools in addition to classroom teacher posts and other supports that are allocated to all DEIS...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has participated in various internship programmes such as the FÁS Work Placement Programme, Jobbridge – the National Internship Programme run by FÁS and the Willing Able and Mentoring programme run by the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability. The Department recently completed a FÁS Work Placement and currently have three individuals working under the...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The assessment of the applications received for patronage of the new 2nd level schools concerned is ongoing. It is expected that a report will be ready shortly for consideration by the New Schools Establishment Group, who will in turn make recommendations to me for consideration and final decision.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning and the Stage 2(b) submission (Detailed Design) was approved by the Departments Planning and Building Unit on 30th November 2011. The project was not included in the 2012 construction programme announced in December 2011. For purposes of the 5 Year Plan announced in March...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Following the Report on the net impact of Budget 2012 on DEIS urban schools, 140 will now retain the number of legacy posts required by them to implement more favourable pupil teacher ratios under previous disadvantage schemes for the 2012/13 school year. Six schools in the areas mentioned by the Deputy are included in this category. As the Deputy may be aware, a range of factors contribute...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A circular governing recruitment of teachers was issued last May. This circular sets out to ensure, as far as possible, that people appointed to teach are registered teachers with qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are employed and that unemployed teachers are offered employment in preference to those who have retired. The data in my Department in...