Results 10,121-10,140 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the Mallow area has been identified by my Department as one of the areas where, due to demographic changes, it is projected that there will be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. In this context, it is proposed that one the twenty new primary schools that I announced in June 2011...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I want to reassure the Deputy that no school will be without teachers due to the forthcoming retirement of teachers from the public sector.The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. For example, schools are permitted to fill teaching vacancies that arise within their...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Last December I announced details of the education infrastructure plan for 2012. Details of this plan are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. For the Deputy's convenience I have provided copies of the announced lists of schools under construction (60 schools) or anticipated to be progressed to construction in 2012 (56 schools). I have also committed to announcing details...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 102 and 108 together. A key part of the Government's overall budgetary strategy is a requirement to reduce the public sector payroll. This will continue to be the case until we close the gap between what we spend as a country and what we take in through taxes. Given that one third of all public sector employees work in the Education sector it is simply...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to reiterate for the Deputy this Government's commitment to the provision of resources for children with special educational needs. As I recently indicated to the Deputy in my response to his question of 19 January 2012, there has been no reduction in the number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) which will be available for the next school year, with 10,575 posts remaining available...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not compiled in the format sought. Officials in the Pension Unit of my Department are currently fully occupied addressing the pension benefit entitlements for those who are retiring at this time. The number of teachers in Primary Secondary, Community and Comprehensive schools who have applied to retire in the period 1 January to 29 February 2012 is...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, I published details of new procedures and criteria for the establishment and patronage of new second level schools. The new arrangements published by my Department, provide a balanced approach to allow for applications to be made from prospective patrons for the establishment of schools. The criteria to be used in deciding on patronage of the new schools place a particular...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for the replacement of the school's Assembly Hall/Gym. In accordance with the published criteria for large scale building projects, the project has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — Third Level Progression: Third Level Progression (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The HEA is responsible for the collection of data on student progression. The most recent report by the HEA entitled 'A study of Progression in Higher Education' is available on the HEA website. The following table from the report illustrates the non-presence rates of new entrants in their second year of study by sector, NFQ level and course duration. New entrants are classified as 'not...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs advises the Government on the current and future skills needs of the economy. This advice, together with information for other relevant agencies, both local and national informs course planning and provision. In 2012, at a time of reducing resources my Department will fund over 450,000 education and training places across the range of provision in the...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I assume the Deputy is referring to the situation whereby officials that retire on or before the 29th, February 2012 will have their pension entitlements calculated at the payscale in place on the 1st January 2010. The tabular statement below gives details of the number of officials that are expected to retire from the Department by the 29th, February 2012 together with details of retirements...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 3 together. DEIS is one of the key measures to address the national target under the EU 2020 National Reform Programme. Among the key issues and needs addressed by DEIS are targeted reductions in pupil-teacher ratios. The reform of the teacher allocations process under budget 2012 includes no change to the mainstream staffing schedule for primary...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank Deputy Smith for his question. I am quite happy to ensure the appeal proceeds. I was not consulted about the decision of the Department to deny him the information. It was an automatic decision because when the request came in, we were still discussing the changes. In fact, the changes were discussed right up until just before the Cabinet meeting. I am not sure when Deputy...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I would love to be in the position in which the Deputy thinks we all live, and in a world that does not exist as far as this country is concerned. The fact is 17% of the entire current account budget of this Government, and of previous Governments, goes on education. With the exception of social welfare, it is probably the biggest single expenditure item. Some 80% of that budget goes to...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Given many controversial things were said in and around the budget decision, I want to clarify the position. There was no reduction in DEIS band 1 and band 2 primary schools in the normal course of events. What was identified was that some DEIS schools had retained additional posts which had been allocated to them before DEIS was introduced in 2004, either under Breaking the Cycle or Giving...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: While a key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target resources at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage, the current economic climate and the challenge to meet significant targets on reducing public expenditure limits opportunities and means there is no capacity to provide for additionality to the DEIS programme, including the selection of...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS in 2005 was managed by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, on behalf of the Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the inspectorate. The ERC's overall approach was guided by the definition of educational disadvantage as set out in the Education Act 1998, which...

Disadvantaged Status (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not have an answer to the Deputy's specific question about the various pupil-teacher ratios on the website. I will have that clarified and will communicate directly with him. The reality is that not all disadvantaged pupils are in DEIS schools and the majority are in non-DEIS schools. It has been expressed to me that in some cases parents would prefer not to have their child in a DEIS...

School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The modern languages in primary schools initiative has been a pilot scheme involving approximately 550 schools that has operated since 1998. The decision to end the scheme took account of a 2008 report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA. The report identified serious issues with curricular overload at primary level. The NCCA's advice recommended that, for the...

School Curriculum (23 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is correct that the modern languages initiative started life as a pilot scheme. However, there was never a recommendation or decision by my predecessors to roll it out across the entire network of 3,200 primary schools. Only 17% of that total benefited from the scheme. As an Opposition Deputy I was appalled at the implications of the PISA findings in terms of literacy and...