Results 10,381-10,400 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My advisers share my opinion that this amendment, which has been tabled by Senators Mullen and Quinn, would have the effect of encouraging schools to indiscriminately dismiss teachers whose registration with the Teaching Council has lapsed. We consider that this proposal is disproportionate and overly indiscriminate. Therefore, we do not intend to accept it. The provisions of this Bill,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will consider what the Senator has suggested and communicate with him thereafter.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank Senators for their compliments and join them in complimenting the backup staff the Department has provided for me in respect of the Bill. Subject to the agreement of the Whips, I will soon introduce Committee Stage of the qualifications legislation, that is, a Bill to merge the three qualifications bodies in one entity. There was a delay in finalising amendments to the Bill because...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On Committee Stage I accepted an amendment from Senator Power, which allows the Minister of the day, in making regulations on the use of unregistered people, to impose a requirement that they be vetted by the Garda.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Yes, but it originated from a Committee Stage amendment tabled by Senator Averil Power from the Fianna Fáil Party. There is a new regime in this office. Senator Power proposed an amendment which allows the Minister of the day, in making regulations on the use of people to impose a requirement that they be Garda vetted. The purpose of my amendment, on advice from the Parliamentary Counsel,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On Committee Stage I made a commitment to reviewing this amendment and indicated my agreement in principle to the inclusion of provisions for determining the terms and conditions of registered teachers who are in receipt of an occupational pension and are re-employed in our schools. I have examined the issues on this provision and my officials have engaged with the Office of Parliamentary...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: We have given consideration to the reinstatement of these amendments to section 4 of the Bill but they are not being accepted. The effect of the proposed amendment would be to maintain the position that support services details under section 7 of the Education Act 1998 remain defined in section 2 of the Act to include speech therapy services despite the actual position that such services are...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: This amendment follows on the amendments made in section 4 to amend the definition of support services in section 2 of the Education Act 1998. As section 2 of the Act has been amended to clarify the position that the delivery of health and personal services, including speech therapy services, to students of school going age is not a support service to be provided by the Minister for...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: These Government amendments are drafting amendments. I introduced a number of amendments on Committee Stage to clarify that the powers on employment issues would apply to existing and newly appointed teachers. A discussion with Senators raised the issue of whether the grammar used was correct. In particular, the phrase that these matters were to apply to people "who are, or are to be,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will refer to my speaking note as I can only speak once. I will then address the speculative points that have been raised. The effect of the Senator's amendments would be to introduce a general requirement that the Minister must agree with the education partners any change in the terms and conditions of employment of teachers and other school staff, and to continue the requirement to...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Is it in order for me to reply?

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can accept the amendment on Garda vetting, which was a drafting amendment. Unfortunately, I am advised I am not in a position to accept the Senator's second amendment, on retired teachers. I am told it is covered elsewhere by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Amendment No. 10.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: On a point of order and for clarity, I believe both Senator Power and Senator Gilroy used the term "teachers' conciliation council". I referred to the Teaching Council which, though similar, is a different body.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Report Stage (7 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Then I misled the House.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011, which provides for the amalgamation of the NQAI, HETAC and FETAC into the new Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland, was published in July 2011 and Second Stage was taken in the Seanad in September. It is intended to secure the passage of the legislation and establish the new Authority in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 112 together. My Department's focus is on implementing the staffing arrangements for the coming school year and I do not propose to divert scarce staffing resources to deal with individual queries from Deputies. My Department will be notifying schools in the coming weeks of the new staffing arrangements for the 2012/13 school year. At a time of great...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The scheme for the award of Incremental Credit for prior teaching service in a private second level school was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department...

Written Answers — Third Level Admissions: Third Level Admissions (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The higher education institutions have delegated to the CAO the task of processing applications to their undergraduate courses. Neither my Department nor the Higher Education Authority has any role in relation to the operation of the CAO including the setting of deadlines.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 to 97, inclusive, together. I announced in the House on 11th January that my Department is to report to me within four weeks on the impact of the withdrawal of posts under these older schemes on DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 primary schools only. This report will detail the facts for each individual school affected by this measure, applying the most up to date...