Results 8,921-8,940 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Education Finance Board: Education Finance Board (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Education Finance Board is an independent statutory body established in 1996 pursuant to section 23 of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Act 2005. Funding for the Board has been provided from the €12.7 million contribution provided by the religious congregations under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement specifically earmarked for educational support for former residents...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The Design Team was appointed earlier this month following a tender competition. The Boards of Management will now work with their Design Team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning. School building projects currently in architectural planning,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The Design Team is currently working on the Stage 2(b) submission (Detailed Design & Preparation of Tender documentation). Planning Permission, Disabled Access and Fire Safety Certification have been secured. The project is included in the recently announced five year...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Scheme the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss...

Written Answers — School Expulsions: School Expulsions (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) has advised my officials that there were 128 students expelled from second level schools for the 2008/09 school year and that there were 148 students for the following school year. The data for 2010/2011 school year is being finalised by the NEWB. Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is estimated that some 170 staff have been involved in the student grants administration function across 66 grant awarding bodies nationwide – 33 VECs and 33 local authorities. The single grant awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland, or SUSI, which has been established as a unit of the City of Dublin VEC, will operate with a whole time equivalent staffing of 65, thereby...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student should qualify for a grant. However, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, students entering new...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Special need assistants are employed by the managerial authorities of the individual primary and second level schools or by Vocational Education Committees and not my Department. Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The projects which have completed stage 2(b) which are not on the five year construction programme are Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, Knocknacarra, Galway Roll Number 19994G, Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, Galway Roll Number 63090I and St. Raphael's College, Loughrea, Galway Roll Number 63070C. School building projects currently in architectural planning, including the projects referred to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The total photography costs incurred by my Department since 9 March 2011 are €381.15 (€315 + €66.15 VAT). This cost relates to copies of photographs taken of a school project and their use on an A1 display board which was submitted to the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland for the joint RIAI/Department colloquium on school design which was held on June 30th 2011 in Dublin. There...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware my Department funds the Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) support service at Post Primary level which includes modules on Anti-Bullying which addresses racist bullying. The SPHE Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator is available to give schools in depth advice and support on issues to do with bullying at their request and in addition runs training courses on positive...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. A stage 2(b) submission was received from the design team earlier this week and is currently under review. The project is included in the recently announced five year construction programme and is scheduled to proceed to construction in 2015/2016.

Leaders' Questions (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Has he checked it with Deputy Finian McGrath?

Leaders' Questions (17 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Is Deputy Finian McGrath Dumpty or Humpty? Which one is he?

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (16 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Childcare provision in creches owned by Vocational Education Committees (VECs) is mainly funded under the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) scheme The CETS is operated by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) alongside a range of childcare schemes, such as ECCE and the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) which are open on an equitable and nationally consistent...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (16 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. My Department has published the staffing arrangements at post primary level for the coming school year, 2012/13. The relevant Post Primary circular is 0009/2012 which is available on my Department's website. At post primary level schools will have autonomy on how best to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (16 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: All schools must continue to provide guidance to their pupils. However, from September 2012 guidance provision will be managed by schools from within their standard staffing allocation. As things currently stand 42% of second level schools do not presently have a full-time guidance counsellor.My Department has published Circular 0009/2012 to inform all post primary school management and staff...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (16 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. The school referred to by the Deputy has no rented prefabs and therefore does not qualify for prefab replacement under this scheme.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (16 May 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 primary sector are set out in the...