Results 9,841-9,860 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials from my Department have been engaging with the trustees of the school to which the Deputy refers with regard to the possible transfer of land to facilitate a capital project. My officials are liaising with the school authorities in this regard.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority - the local authority or the VEC. From the details supplied, it appears the Deputy is referring to proof of independent residency to allow a student to be assessed as an independent mature student for grants purposes i.e. to be assessed without reference to parental income. For student...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The table that follows this reply provides the relevant details of all appointments and reappointments made to bodies under the aegis of my Department since my appointment as Minister. The Deputy will note that I have made one new appointment as a chairperson, i.e. in respect of the Education Finance Board. It is anticipated that this newly appointed board will serve for a number of months...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A redundancy application in respect of the person referred to by the Deputy has been processed by my Department. Payment issued directly to the person on 1 March 2012.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The general provisions regarding short-term occasional absences for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) sanctioned by the employer during the school year are contained in Circular 32/2010 issued by my Department in July 2010. There is currently no provision for the granting of paid leave to SNAs when representing Ireland at International Sporting Events. SNAs may be granted unpaid leave,...

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 to 83, inclusive, together. The Table contains a breakdown between Gross Pay and Pensions for the main programmes making up Vote 26: Education and Skills as contained in the recently published 2012 Revised Estimates Volume (REV). Extract from 2012 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) Vote 26 - Education and Skills s GROSS CURRENT EXPENDITURE = €8,242...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted, including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no increase in the staffing schedule general average of 28:1 for the allocation of classroom teachers at primary level. However, there is a phased increase in the pupil threshold for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools. As part of the Budget decisions announced, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a teaching post in small primary schools will...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The total capital allocation issued to the school referred to by the Deputy over the period 2008 to date amounted to €2,408,516. Over the period 2002 to 2007 the capital allocation issued to the same school amounted to €1,022,838.77 but this sum excludes a small number of block grants that issued over the period but which cannot be identified at individual school level. The financial...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 88 together. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The EU has a positive policy towards regional and minority languages, enshrined in Article 22 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which states. "The Union respects cultural, religious and linguistic diversity". While there have been projects to support minority languages, I am not aware of any EU funding for teaching of minority languages in primary and post-primary schools.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Vacancies created in the teaching profession by teachers who retired up to February 29th 2012 will be filled. Students and pupils will not be left without teachers to teach them as a result of retirements. Furthermore, the turnover in teaching staff will provide many newly qualified teachers with opportunities to gain employment. The filling of vacancies in individual schools will be...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The amount spent on renting temporary accommodation at primary and post-primary level, including – but not limited to - prefabricated accommodation from 2008 to 2011 is outlined on a county by county basis in the table. In 2007 €35.5m was spent on rented accommodation and a breakdown by county is not readily available for that year. Rental Costs 2008 to 2011 County Year 2008 2009...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The expenditure information on refurbishment and extension works is not readily available within my Department and it would require a very substantial amount of administrative time to identify and extract the full range of details sought. The level of resources required to compile the information sought would not be warranted. Should the Deputy require information on a particular school I...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As I outlined to this House previously, the issues raised in the correspondence in question are many and varied. They relate to the teaching of Maths and the qualifications of Maths teachers. The correspondent makes some interesting points and statements, many of which, however, I would not support. I do not propose in this statement to address each of these considerations. Rather, I will...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As outlined to the Deputy in previous replies, the work of calculating pension benefit entitlements and enabling the smooth transition to pension of the large number of teachers who have retired at this time is the priority for officials in the Pension Unit of my Department and this work will continue for the next number of weeks. While the 29 February 2012 has passed the final number of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no increase in the staffing schedule general average of 28:1 for the allocation of classroom teachers at primary level. However, there is a phased increase in the pupil threshold for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools. As part of the Budget decisions announced, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a teaching post in small primary schools will be...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The evaluation of broadband tenders is underway and I expect that it will be complete by the end of this month. New contracts for the supply of services will be awarded shortly thereafter. My Department's aim is to optimise the quality of connectivity for all schools. Schools do not need to apply for new connections. Decisions concerning connections are made on the basis the most...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In his address to Dáil Éireann on December 5th 2011 the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced that Public Service bodies will have to achieve a reduction of 5% in the cost of allowances and premium payments in 2012. In order to achieve the necessary reduction, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is conducting a review of allowances and premium payments across the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (7 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...