Results 961-980 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Funding was approved in 2013 to the school, referred to by the Deputy, for the provision of special need facilities. More recently, however, the school authorities, in question, have requested additional capital funding to provide an additional classroom. This proposal is currently under consideration and my Department will be in contact with the school authorities as soon as this process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is fully aware of the enrolment and staffing position in relation to this school and has been liaising with it regarding same. The school has been recently notified by my Department of an additional classroom post for the 2014/15 school year to cater for its increased enrolments.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware that the difficult situation in which the Cork Life Centre finds itself in arises from the decision of the Christian Brothers to withdrawal financial support. The resources provided by my Department to this Centre in 2014 include 968 teacher co-operation hours, provided under the Co-operation Hours Scheme operated by the local Education and Training Board (ETB), and non-pay...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed that the student referred to by the Deputy has appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the Independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The appeal will be heard within the timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011 and the student will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school. Many schools may withdraw pupils occasionally from the main classroom for short periods of time in order to manage pupil behaviour and to speak to pupils, or to address problematic behaviour, in a room away from a main classroom. Schools should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that students with a special educational need, including those with an autism spectrum disorder, have a range of options available to them in the higher and further education sectors. Some students choose to participate in educational programmes through further adult educational programmes or in adult settings. While the Department of Health and Children/Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Establishment (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Three new post-primary schools are planned for the Cork South Suburbs/Carrigaline school feeder areas (Douglas and Rochestown are included in the South Suburbs area). The first of these is a Gaelcholáiste that will commence operation in September 2015 under the patronage of the Cork Education and Training Board. The other two are English medium schools which are scheduled to open in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that a key function of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as set out under Section 20 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, is to provide the Minister for Education and Skills with expert, independent, evidence-informed policy advice on special education for children and adults. My Department requested that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA, as set out in section 41 (1) (a) and (b) of the Education Act 1998, advises me "on matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and the assessment procedures employed in schools and examinations on subjects which are part of the curriculum". The NCCA recruits Education Officers with specialist expertise, on a rolling basis,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) submitted details of the criteria in place in both the University and Institute of Technology sectors in the charging of fees (at either the EU or higher non-EU rate) to students who do not qualify for free fees under my Departments free fees schemes. Whilst the determination of fees for students who do not qualify for free fees is a matter for the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In the time available and with current resource constraints, it is not possible to examine all the arrangements and conditions in place in respect of those organisations receiving funding from my Department to determine whether the clauses referred to by the Deputy form a part of these arrangements. However, it is considered unlikely that funding conditionality would include explicit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie. In view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I met with the General Secretary of the TEEU on 13 February to discuss the issue of the payment of the Annual Student Contribution by apprentices for the time they spend in Institutes of Technology. Arising from this meeting, I asked officials in my Department to meet TEEU to discuss any hardship issues that might arise from the payment of the contribution. Officials have met TEEU on two...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Administration (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The proposal for the Strategy was submitted to me at the end of March 2014 by SOLAS and I have formally approved it in accordance with the Further Education and Training Act 2013. Arrangements are being made by SOLAS for its publication in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed by school Boards of Management, on behalf of the school patrons or trustees. Accordingly, whereas I provide funding and policy direction for schools, neither I nor the Department have legal powers to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regards to individual complaint...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Inspections (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Since the Inspectorate is part of the Department of Education and Skills, all costs associated with its work are paid from the administrative budget of the Department and costs exclusively associated with the inspection of individual educational institutions are not recorded separately from the other inspection or policy development work of the Inspectorate. The total salary costs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The new Junior Cycle is based on the advice provided in November 2011 by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment in their report "Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle" which, in turn, was based on a range of research findings. For example, the commissioned research reports from the ESRI's longitudinal study of the experience of students in post-primary schooling and beyond, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. As I previously advised in my replies to Parliamentary Questions No. 99 and 249 dated 2nd April and 15th April, respectively, I do not have a specific date from which the prescribed model became outdated. From 2006/2007 it was recognised that the model concept was complex and multi-purpose. It was determined that parents of children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases (30 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that all communications between my Department and its legal team, in the context of any litigation, are the subject of legal professional privilege.