Results 10,761-10,780 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Data relating to nationality was collected for the first time in 2007/08 as part of the National School Annual Census. The 2007/2008 data show that there were almost 44,000 non-Irish national pupils in mainstream primary schools. As not all schools had this information available in 2007/2008 data is based on principal's best estimates and therefore figures should be treated as indicative...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that approximately 6,000 children in primary and post primary schools are currently being supported by some 4,500 SNAs either wholly or partly to address behavioural issues. These allocations have been made in relation to students with an assessment of Emotional Behavioural Disorder (EBD) or in relation to students who may have a disability diagnosis other than...

Written Answers — Home Tuition Scheme: Home Tuition Scheme (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that as part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a teaching post in small primary schools will be gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. The schools concerned are those with four or less classroom teachers. It is important to emphasise that no small schools will be forcibly closed by my Department due...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has identified a requirement for a new 1,000 pupil post primary school which will serve the general Tallaght area to cater for increasing demographic demand in the area. The school will be constructed on the site at Kingswood Heights. Traffic management issues associated with the proposed new school will be dealt with as part of the normal planning application process. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy was included in the School Building Works Programme for 2012 announced on 19th December 2011. It is one of a number of schools authorised to proceed to tender and construction in 2012. A Stage 2(b) submission (i.e. detailed design and tender documents) was recently submitted to my Department and is currently being reviewed. When...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not aware of any widespread difficulties regarding schools limiting the attendance of pupils with special educational needs on health and safety grounds. The Deputy will be aware that all schools have access to a full range of supports to facilitate the enrolment and full attendance of pupils with special educational needs. These supports include a...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the NCSE is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. Applications are made by schools directly to the NCSE for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. In particular, its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinate special needs education provision at local level and arrange for the delivery of special...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that, for children under the age of 5, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), liaises with Assessment Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) in respect of the assessment of need process under the 2005 Disability Act, 2005. The Assessment Officer contacts the relevant SENO when...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department recently published a Value for Money (VFM) and Policy Analysis review of the Special Needs Assistant scheme. This review is available on my Department's website: www.education.ie. The review makes a number of recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and with regards to the future basis for the scheme. The review...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is progressing plans to provide a significant expansion to St. Conleth's post-primary school in Droichead Nua, which will provide over 500 additional pupil places for the area. It should also be noted that the newly-opened Community School in the neighbouring Kildare town feeder area is likely to further ease demand and pressure for places in the Newbridge area. My Department...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers applied for capital funding towards ancillary accommodation and external improvement works. The project has been assigned a band rating of 2.2. The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including the school referred to by the Deputy, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has confirmed the need for a new school building to the school in question. The school building can only be provided when a site has been secured. The process of identifying a site is currently underway. My Department will be in further contact with the school regarding progress in this matter.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has identified a requirement for a new post-primary school which will serve the Claregalway area to meet the demographic demand. The process of identifying a site for a new school building is underway.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant. The student in question should...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: It is important to note that a key aspect of the EU/IMF Programme of Support and Ireland's overall budgetary strategy is a requirement to reduce the public sector payroll. In the Education sector finding savings and controlling the increase in public sector numbers is particularly difficult given that one third of all public sector employees work in the education sector. Savings measures for...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 123 together. The Deputy will be aware that as part of the budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a teaching post in small primary schools will be gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. The schools concerned are those with four or less classroom teachers. It is important to emphasise that no...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 125 together. The change that has been announced gives schools greater autonomy in how they allocate staff resources to best meet the needs of their students, including how they provide for guidance and counselling. It is a change to how resources are allocated to schools not a policy decision to terminate guidance provision as some may chose to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The contract for the project to which the Deputy refers is between the Board of Management and the main contractor. There is no contractual relationship between any of the sub-contractors engaged on this project and either my Department or the Board of Management. In general, all sub-contractors employed on school building projects are employed directly by the main contractor or indirectly by...