Results 9,141-9,160 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced details of a forum to explore ways to tackle the problem of bullying in schools. This Anti-Bullying Forum is due to take place on the 17th of May 2012 and will bring together a range of experts, support groups and representatives of the schools sector including parents and students. It is envisaged that there will be a range of speakers on...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. 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. Where a grant application is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that a number of meetings have taken place between officials at my Department and the Department of Health, with representatives from SOUND (Sufferers of Unique Narcolepsy Disorder). A meeting was also recently arranged between SOUND and the State Exam Commission. A central contact point has been established for SOUND with the State Exam Commission, to address issues in...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputy's information: In March 2012 the Irish Research Council was established. This new Council is a merger of the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) and the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET). This has resulted in a saving of €100,000 in salary costs. Since September 2011, the National Centre for Technology...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (1 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 measures in relation to the staffing schedule were focused on small primary...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school in question was allocated devolved funding for the provision of a Mainstream Classroom under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2011. The school authorities have recently requested additional funding associated with this building project. The application is currently being assessed and the school authorities will be notified of the decision shortly.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My priority as Minister for Education and Skills is to preserve access to undergraduate higher education courses despite the difficult circumstances in our public finances. As a result, no changes were made to the eligibility criteria for undergraduate students in Budget 2012. It is also worth emphasising that 41% of all undergraduate students currently receive a grant and pay no student...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for a new school building from the school to which he refers. The school authority in question has identified a site which it considers suitable as a location for the construction of a permanent building for the school. However, the site in question is not currently serviced and is not immediately accessible....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The schools referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to carry out concrete repair works to their school buildings. As the scope of works for which funding is sought is outside the terms of the scheme it cannot be considered for funding. The school authority has been informed of this decision.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. In view of the need to ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of major school projects to meet the demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools in the coming years. The five year programme announced...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Initiative 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 institution. With effect from the 2011/2012 academic year, a new student contribution charge was introduced in higher education. This charge...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that Irish Sign language (ISL) has formal recognition in the Education Act, 1998. Under the Act, it is a function of the Minister for Education and Science (Skills) to ensure, subject to the provisions of the Act, that there is made available to each person resident in the State, including a person with a disability or who has other special educational needs,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs who are...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the new staffing arrangements the 73 small primary schools that were due to lose a classroom post under the budget measure and who are now projecting increased enrolments for September 2012 were given access to the appeals process. 34 of these small schools projected increased enrolments to the required levels had their appeals provisionally upheld by the Staffing Appeals Board at...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school in question was allocated devolved funding for the provision of a resource room and boiler replacement under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2010. The school authorities have sought additional funding towards this project and in September 2011, my Department's Planning and Building Unit requested further supporting information. To date, this information has not...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. As previously stated in my reply to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question Number 394 of 18th April 2012, reckonable income for student grants purposes is gross income from all sources whether it arises in the State or not. It includes...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Without going through individual contributions I thank the House for the welcome given to the report and the praise for those who put it together. It was a very serious exercise involving all of the stakeholders who participated in a very constructive way and I acknowledge this. I acknowledge the contribution of Senator Averil Power and her recognition of the work I have done. She spoke...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The request for assistance in divestment has come from the Catholic Church. I will turn to the third category, namely, the 1,700 stand-alone schools, including all of the rural schools. This category comprises a part of the country in which there will be no new additional capacity in the schools' infrastructure. While there may be upgrading and improvement in quality, there will be no...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to meet the 14 stakeholders who are the educational partners, that is, various patron bodies and others, such as the unions, to give a formal response to the patronage report. This meeting will take place in four or five weeks' time, as the Department is still working on its response. I will then invite them to consider how we might examine the divestment process in such...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Allow me to put this in context. If, of the 250 schools in the aforementioned 47 areas, one school under the patronage of the Catholic Church in each area was to be divested in an orderly fashion, it would constitute less than 1% of the totality of schools. No one is pandering to any excessiveness of extremes.