Results 9,861-9,880 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Child Protection Guidelines: Child Protection Guidelines (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has recently published updated "Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools". These procedures are based on the recently published "Children First – National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011" and apply to all primary and post-primary schools, irrespective of size. The new procedures incorporate significant improvements to the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The relevant appointment and retention figures for mainstream staffing for the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards will not be entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. However, those students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant will be...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has one office in Tralee, Co. Kerry which accommodates psychologists and school inspectors. There are no plans to close this office or reduce the number of staff.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: With regard to my Department, funding is provided to a wide range of bodies that support our education system across all sectors. These bodies include: Schools (both first and second level); Vocational Educational Committees; Higher Level Institutions (Universities, Institutes of Technology and Teacher Training Colleges); Teacher Education Centres; and agencies under the aegis of the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 62 together. The staffing arrangements for the 2012/13 school year are set out in Primary Circular 0007/2012 which is available on my Department's website. This includes the detail of the reform of the allocation process which is designed to bring a more equitable distribution of existing posts between schools. The new arrangements incorporate a long...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The School to which the Deputy refers was not included as part of the Report on the net impact, in terms of posts, of Budget measures on these DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 urban primary schools, that still had additional posts allocated under disadvantage schemes pre-dating DEIS, which was published on 21 February 2012, as it is a DEIS rural primary school. Of the 328 DEIS Rural primary schools,...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedules for the 2012/13 school year were published on my...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Due to conflicting numbers of posts being reported as potentially lost to DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 urban primary schools it was necessary to obtain clarity with regard to the net effect of a range of factors on teacher allocations in these schools; for example, increasing and decreasing enrolments, the reforms to the existing teacher allocations process and up to date enrolments, all of which...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the 73 small schools that are losing a classroom post as a result of the budget measure. It is worth noting that there are almost 1,200 small schools with 86 pupils or less and no small school will be forced to close as a result of this decision. Such schools will not lose their classroom post if they are...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to carry out various improvement works to their school building. 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 — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that in the case of both the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) that members of the respective Councils were appointed to the position of CEO since 1st January 2009. In respect of the NCSE the current CEO, Ms. Teresa Griffin, was appointed in March 2011 following her success in a public open...

Ceisteanna ó na Ceannairí (7 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Níl aon ceist aige.

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140, 185, 186 and 197 together. A public service-wide review of allowances, announced by the Government as part of Budget 2012, is currently being led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Under Circular 70/2011 teachers who had been engaged in a public sector teaching post on or before 4 December 2011 are eligible to retain the qualification...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143,144, 190 and 200 together. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) are paid directly by the Committees which employ them. The pay costs of the VECs are funded primarily by the pay grant issued by my Department, but also by pay receipts retained by the VECs comprised principally of retained superannuation contributions. The...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 to 150, inclusive, together. The salary scales for Special Needs Assistants appointed prior to 1/1/2011 and since 1/1/2011 and the salary scales for Primary teachers appointed since 1/1/2011 are set out in a table. Salary scales are published on my Department's website. SNAs irrespective of their appointment date and teachers appointed since the 1st...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: A limited number of post graduate students who would previously have qualified under the standard grant thresholds will qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. There will be a new income threshold for this payment which will be lower than the standard grant threshold. The income threshold for this level of grant is currently being determined in the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) was previously known as a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) was placed on the framework of qualifications at Level 8 with effect from the start of the academic year 2011/12. The course is considered to be a post graduate course for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Free Fees Initiative, whereby the State meets...

Written Answers — Third Level Staffing: Third Level Staffing (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As autonomous statutory bodies it is a matter for each Higher Education Institution to manage its staffing resources and retirements as they arise. In contrast to other parts of the public service an Employment Control Framework is in place for the higher education sector which provides institutions with considerable flexibility to fill vacancies, through recruitment or promotions, subject to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, total enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by almost 70,000 between now and 2018 (over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post primary) and will continue to grow up to at least 2024 at post-primary level. The priority now is to focus on major school projects and smaller projects devolved to schools to meet the demographic demands....