Results 981-1,000 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: In line with the Primary Curriculum for English, children should be enabled to engage in shared reading activities to support the development of their literacy skills. To support their pupils' learning, teachers are encouraged to vary the organisational groupings in their class and this may include shared reading and/or guided reading. There is a particular emphasis on literacy in DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not have a record of an application for additional accommodation from the school, referred to by the Deputy. However it is open to the school in question to submit such an application for consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers has applied to my Department for funding for the provision of accommodation associated with special class provision. The position is that my Department can only assess such applications where a special class has been recommended by the National Council for Special Education. As the National Council for Special Education has not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the review, qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1 February 2012. Department of Education and Skills Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this decision on teachers. The Circular was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers'...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Within schools, the deployment of teachers is a matter for school management. Management authorities of individual schools and Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are responsible for the appointment and deployment of teachers so as to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: This site has been considered by officials in my Department for the school referred to by the Deputy in the context of other options available. However, whilst it remains open to consideration, it is not considered the preferred option at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that on 20th March last I announced that 386 schools have been approved funding under the Summer Works scheme to undertake school improvements. This first round of funding will allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works across three categories of projects - Gas, Electrical and Mechanical. A second round of the scheme is expected to be announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that on 20th March last I announced that 386 schools have been approved funding under the Summer Works scheme to undertake school improvements. This first round of funding will allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works across three categories of projects - Gas, Electrical and Mechanical. A second round of the scheme is expected to be announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Retirements (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is open to the person to whom the Deputy refers to make application for early retirement due to ill-health, if, in consultation with her medical advisor, she forms the view that her illness is likely to be permanent. In this regard officials in the Pension Unit of my Department have provided to the person to whom the Deputy refers both personal and general information in regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. I understand from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the student referred to by the Deputy is a renewal student in the 2013/14 academic year and that SUSI have recently been in contact with the student in relation to the submission of a renewal application for 2013/14.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's policy is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, in order to ensure that as many children as possible can be educated with their peers within their own community. This policy is in line with the provisions of the Education of Persons with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Computerisation Programme Expenditure (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government prioritises the integration of ICT in teaching and learning across the curriculum. Where ICT is embedded in the curriculum it can serve to engage and motivate children in the learning process. It has proven to increase students' self-esteem and creates a more positive disposition towards learning as well as providing teachers with more up to date, exciting and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A suitable site has been identified and is being acquired for the school referred to by the Deputy. In that context, for school development purposes, my Department is currently engaged in negotiations to extend the site concerned. Once the site is secured, my Department will be in further contact with the school authority in relation to the progression of the school project in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Major School Building Project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2a Developed Sketch Design of Architectural Planning. The Stage 2a Submission for the project is currently under review in my Department. Following the review of the submission, subject to no issues arising, the project will proceed to Stage 2b Detailed Design which includes planning and other statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved significant funding to the school in question in recent years to provide improved accommodation. This includes: €100,000 in April 2012 to build a mainstream classroom. €55,000 under the 2012 Pre-Fab Replacement Initiative to replace a rented prefab with a permanent structure. €30,000 in May 2011 to build a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the process of the progression into architectural planning of the project to provide a new 16-classroom school building for the school in question is currently underway. My Department will be in further contact with the school authorities in this regard shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (16 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no immediate plans to carry out a review of the levels of disadvantage in primary schools including any review to change the current DEIS category of any school within the DEIS programme. DEIS is the subject of an ongoing evaluation to ensure successful implementation and that the best possible approaches to measuring progress and outcomes are used. Findings of this evaluation to date...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Relocation (16 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together. The primary school in question has been established to provide additional capacity for the wider Ballinteer/ Stepaside area. There is an Irish language school already located in that area. The question of location for the new Irish language school was, therefore, considered in the context of providing access to both Irish language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department supports the use of ABA and training is provided for teachers in its use. However, the Department does not accept, based on research, advice and best practice, that ABA should be the only approach used. While ABA helps to improve behaviour, other approaches, such as Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), Picture Exchange Communications...