Results 9,361-9,380 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 275 together. 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 recently is focused on meeting those demographic needs. In that...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has sought the assistance of, and is working closely with, the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the proposed school referred to by the Deputy. In this regard, a number of site assessments, including assessments of the sites referred to by the Deputy, have been carried out with a view to identifying a site suitable for...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The Act requires that in carrying out its functions, the Board shall, inter alia, have regard to the public interest in the affairs of the school and accountability to students, their parents, the patron, staff and the community served by the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that Technical Guidance Documents, TGD-025 and TGD-027, which provide guidance on factors, including site size, which should be taken into account in the identification and assessment of site suitability for primary and post primary schools, respectively, are available on my Department's website, www.education.ie.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. This includes the charging and collection of fees for examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 recently is primarily focused on meeting those demographic needs. However, in that context, it will not be possible to...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative has been a pilot scheme involving approximately 550 schools that has operated since 1998. The decision to end the scheme took account of a 2008 Report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). The report identified serious issues with curricular overload at primary level. The NCCA's advice recommended for the present...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 to 280, inclusive, together. The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted, including the supervision of examinations. In view of the above, I have...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a report from the school inspector following his visit to the school in October 2011. My Department has considered the report and I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school has now been granted permanent recognition. A letter conveying this decision has issued to the Patron and to the school authority. In view of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. Officials in my Department have contacted Mayo County Council, which has confirmed that it is currently in ongoing communication with the candidate in relation to the issues raised. No appeal has been received to date by my Department in relation to the candidate. Any query or complaint...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy relates to three amendments sought to the Education (Amendment) Bill which is currently before this House. The first seeks to ensure that a person could not be employed in place of a registered teacher without this being governed by Ministerial regulation. In fact, if the Minister does not make regulations specifying the circumstances in which...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together. The number of mainstream classroom teachers allocated to primary schools is based on the enrolment of the previous 30th September. The number of such posts allocated from year to year changes due to a number of factors including increasing or decreasing enrolments. Legacy posts were retained by 140 Band 1 and Band 2 schools over and...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The position in relation to the school to which the Deputy refers has not changed since I replied to the parliamentary questions on 27 March 2012. The number of mainstream classroom teachers allocated to primary schools is based on the enrolment of the previous 30th September. The number of such posts allocated from year to year changes due to a number of factors including increasing or...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The position in relation to the school to which the Deputy refers has not changed since I replied to the parliamentary questions on 27 March 2012. The number of mainstream classroom teachers allocated to primary schools is based on the enrolment of the previous 30th September. The number of such posts allocated from year to year changes due to a number of factors including increasing or...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The person is question applied for a statement of pension benefits. This request was received in the Pension Unit of my Department on 8 March 2012. The information sought was issued to the person in question on 29 March 2012, well within the timeframe outlined in my Department's Business Plan for the provision of such information.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware of the views expressed in the correspondence supplied. The cost of the response to residential institutional abuse was estimated to exceed €1.36 billion and it is likely that this estimate will be exceeded as the actual expenditure on the Redress Scheme and associated litigation was almost at the projected final provision of €1.1 billion at end 2011. The Government believes...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. This project will be provided on the existing school site and was included on the 5 year capital investment programme which I announced on 12th March 2012, to proceed to tender and construction in 2014/2015.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, I announced the establishment of 40 new schools nationally within the next six years, comprising of twenty new primary schools and twenty new post-primary schools including a new post primary school for Claregalway which will be established from September 2013. My Department will be in communication with all those schools on the programme at the appropriate time in relation...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 293, 328 and 332 together. My Department has published Circular 0009/2012 to inform all post primary school management and staff of the staffing arrangements for post-primary schools for the 2012/13 school year, including in particular, the requirements to manage guidance from within the standard allocation. The circular is available on the Department...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (18 Apr 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The redundancy payment for the person referenced by the Deputy was issued on the 12th April 2012.