Results 9,781-9,800 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the new second-level school to which he refers is one of the 43 new second level schools which I announced earlier this week to proceed to construction as part of my Department's five year capital investment programme. The school, when completed, will cater for 1000 pupils and it is intended that the proposed building project will go to construction...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to have been given the opportunity by Senator Moloney to clarify the position in regard to the provision of assistive technology support for children with special educational needs. The assistive technology scheme is administered by the Department of Education and Skills and has a specific purpose, as set out Circular M14/05, which is to provide assistive technology support to...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: If that is the case, all I can suggest is that we might work together to see if we can appeal this to the appropriate authorities.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am prepared to open up an appeal in this specific case to see what we can do because of what the Senator has described.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to thank the Senator for raising the matter, as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the current position in relation to the application for a new school for Eureka secondary school, Kells, County Meath, and an extension to the O'Carolan college in Nobber, County Meath. The Senator may find it helpful if I set out the context within which decisions relating to meeting the...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is not.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: That is not the case.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am quite happy for the Senator to debate this matter at any stage. I would remind him, however, that I am following the good practice of his colleague, the former Minister, Noel Dempesy, who published for the first time a complete list so that there was no politics involved, making eejits out of schools and their communities by saying "Yes, we will promise you a school". The Senator will...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: But made no money available for it.

Seanad: Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, in response to Senator Daly, who I thank for his brevity. I am pleased to have the opportunity to update the House on this important compensation scheme. Members will be aware that between 1977 and 1994, at least 1,000 women in Ireland were infected with hepatitis C from contaminated anti-D...

Seanad: Infectious Disease Screening Service (14 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to this House the importance of the issue raised. As of 1 January 2011, the national TB surveillance system moved to the computerised infectious disease reporting system, CIDR. This has improved timelines for reporting outbreaks. Provisional data for 2010 showed an 11% decline in TB cases, with 427...

Written Answers — Asbestos Remediation Programme: Asbestos Remediation Programme (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, individual school authorities are responsible in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. My Department set-aside funding each year to address Health and Safety issues including the removal of damaged asbestos materials from primary and post-primary schools. Schools that were...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to explain to the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. In order to qualify for equipment under...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Schools that have been offered an opportunity to replace rented prefabs with permanent accommodation are outlined in the following list. All of the schools have been contacted by my Department's Planning and Building Unit. County Roll School Carlow 04077I St Brigid's NS Carlow 16080N St Phadraig Naofa Carlow 61140K St. Leo's College Cavan 08453H Crubany NS Cavan 17326B St Felim's NS...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy for the years 2007-2010 is not centrally collated within my Department and it would require a substantial amount of administrative time to identify and extract the full range of details sought. It is the case that much of the information requested on Board memberships for bodies under the aegis of my Department is available in annual reports and other...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has just recently 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 website.Schools will have autonomy on how best to...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A working group comprising representatives from my Department, HEAnet and the Department of Communications and Natural Resources have recommended a strategy for the roll out of 100mbps to post primary schools. The national roll-out will be completed over three stages with 200 schools being connected by September 2012, a further 200 being connected next year and the remaining 250 schools...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A working group comprising representatives from my Department, HEAnet and the Department of Communications and Natural Resources have recommended a strategy for the roll out of 100mbps to all post primary schools. The national roll-out will be completed over three stages with 200 schools being connected by September 2012, a further 200 being connected next year and the remaining 250 schools...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving proposals in relation to the development of a new education campus in the area to which he refers. It is open to the schools in question to furnish details of their proposals to the Department for consideration initially. In regard to the Post Primary School, in line with the requirement identified for educational...

Written Answers — Student Loan Scheme: Student Loan Scheme (13 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The reality of the economic situation and the public expenditure corrections which must be made in the coming years present challenges across all areas of public expenditure, including higher education. Moreover, the projected growth in demand for higher education over the next two decades creates further challenges for funding. Careful planning and consideration of available evidence will...