Results 10,901-10,920 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The new school referred to by the Deputy is one of eight schools which were approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This Bundle was handed over to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) in July 2010 to commence the tender procurement process. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that tenders were received on 5th July 2011 and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy contacted my Department regarding a proposed extension. Following communications between my officials and the school, an application for major capital works was furnished to my Department in October 2011. This application is being assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. The...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school in question submitted an application in April 2011 for Emergency Funding for a sewerage system upgrade. As the scope of works for this project is outside the terms of the Emergency Works Scheme it cannot be considered for emergency funding. A refusal letter in respect of this application issued to the school authorities on 2nd June 2011.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that under my Department's Free Fees Scheme, students who have previously pursued but have not completed a course of third level study and subsequently resume third level studies are not eligible for free fees for the equivalent period of time spent on the first course of study. As the Deputy may be aware it is the third level institution concerned that determines a...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The teacher referred to by the Deputy was not eligible for access to the redeployment panel in respect of the current school year. My Department will begin the process early in 2012 of identifying schools with vacancies to which surplus permanent and CID holding teachers in primary schools will be redeployed for the 2012/13 school year. As part of this process the redeployment...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school in question submitted an application in October 2010 for emergency funding for a perimeter fence. As the scope of works for this project is outside the terms of the Emergency Works Scheme it cannot be considered for emergency funding. A refusal letter in respect of this application issued to the school authorities on 17th November 2010. The school applied for a Summer Works...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has received an application for additional funding from the school in question. This application is being assessed and the school authorities will be notified of the outcome as quickly as possible.

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Senator for raising this issue as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position on the staffing schedule for small schools for the 2012-13 school year. As part of the budget decisions announced recently, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a teaching post in small primary schools will gradually be increased between September 2012 and September 2014. The...

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: When the value for money report is published, I hope this House and the Dáil will have an opportunity to debate it. I am not in the business of wanting to close schools per se, but we need to achieve better value for money from the existing school infrastructure. There are alternative ways of amalgamating, combining and clustering schools, all of which should be open for examination.

Seanad: School Staffing (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government has prioritised targeted supports for schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. These supports will continue to be targeted through the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools scheme, which is focused on 670 primary schools and 195 post-primary schools with particularly high levels of disadvantage. This scheme is designed to ensure the most...

Seanad: School Staffing (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have heard what the two Senators have said. The Department will make contact with all the schools affected by these decisions early in the new year. There will be an additional three months in which to meet each school to go through in detail the reason it as a DEIS school has additional resources, when other DEIS schools in a similar category have fewer resources. The Department will...

School Staffing (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 present it. Until now, a specific resource was provided to...

School Staffing (15 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Let me respond very clearly. Section 9(c) is not being changed. It stands, and the schools have an obligation to adhere to the 1998 Act, including section 9(c). Second, school guidance is not being eliminated from the schools and guidance counsellors are not being eliminated. That is scaremongering and it is simply not the case. I accept the advice and findings of the ESRI on this matter....

Written Answers — Third Level Sector: Third Level Sector (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, UCD is an autonomous institution and the Minister has no role in its day to day management. However I understand from the HEA that the current UCD restaurant staff will continue to remain employees of UCD and UCD has no plans to change this arrangement. Management are currently in discussion with SIPTU and will abide by any dispute resolution procedures as set...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 to 101, inclusive, together. As part of the Budget decisions announced last week, 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...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is committed to the provision, maintenance and modernisation of physical education and physical activity facilities in our schools for our children and young people. In a new school building or refurbishment/extension, PE facilities are included as an intrinsic part of the design. While my Department currently has no specific grant schemes in place to provide funding for the...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos.104 and 115 together. The Government announced as part of Budget 2012 that, pending completion of the public service-wide review of allowances, changes to teacher qualification allowances were being made with immediate effect. These changes will affect both existing teachers and new appointees in future. This decision was taken due to the upward pressure on...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the revised arrangements, which will update schools' General Allocation Model (GAM) allocations, based on the number of class teaching posts in schools for the previous year, reflect existing arrangements whereby differing pupil teacher ratios applied under the GAM in relation to boys, girls and mixed schools in order to account for differentials of prevalence...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions 106 and 107 together. Given the scale of our economic crisis, adjustments have had to be made across all areas of the public sector. Despite this challenge, the Government has sought to do this in as fair a way as possible. We have protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Dec 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together. The Deputy will be aware that as part of the budget announcements the teacher allocation processes will be reformed to provide greater autonomy to schools and to facilitate and simplify the work involved in creating shared posts, and in carrying out redeployment and recruitment. As part of this process 1,600 primary schools throughout...