Results 11,101-11,120 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (29 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is in contact with the Diocesan Office concerning the future use of the school building and temporary accommodation units, referred to by the Deputy, having regard to school accommodation requirements in the area. We expect to be in a position to finalise our consideration of the matter shortly.

Written Answers — Fee-Paying Schools: Fee-Paying Schools (29 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A distinction is made between those private fee paying schools which are financially aided by the Department (in the form of payment of teacher's salaries) and those that receive no financial assistance from the Department. The numbers of pupils attending fee paying Department-aided second level schools, for 2009/10 and 2010/11 are as follows: 2009/10 = 26,277 2010/11 = 26,219 It should be...

Written Answers — Fee-Paying Schools: Fee-Paying Schools (29 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Since the salaries of teachers are paid in both fee-charging schools and schools in the Free Education scheme, the cost is marginal in relation to an individual student transferring from a fee-charging to a State funded school. It represents the difference between the average cost of a teaching post allocated at a ratio of 19: 1 as against the average cost at a ratio of 20:1, which is...

Written Answers — Departmental Legal Costs: Departmental Legal Costs (29 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is not possible to provide the information requested in the time available. A reply will issue to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested is not readily available within my Department and it would require a very substantial amount of administrative time to identify and extract the full range of details sought. My Department does, however, have some relevant information to hand as compiled recently for other purposes. The information in question relates to the following expenditure by my Department and...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The person in question has been in contact with officials in my Department in respect of making application for ill health retirement pension benefit. This is a two part process. One form is completed by the applicant and sent with relevant supporting medical evidence to the Occupational Health Service provider and the other form is also completed by the applicant and sent to my Department....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. In January of this year, my Department issued authorisation to the school and its design team to complete stage 2(b) of architectural planning. Upon completion of Stage 2(b) the Design Team will submit the required documentation to my Department. When this has been...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Redundancy applications from Special Needs Assistants are processed by my Department in date order of receipt and every effort is being made to process these applications as quickly as possible. Applications received in June 2011 are currently being processed. Extra resources have been assigned to the Redundancy Unit to ensure that Special Needs Assistants that have been made redundant will...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers had applied to my Department seeking funding to replace temporary accommodation in the school. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's Medium Term Infrastructure and Capital Investment Framework, which was published on 10th November 2011, sets out the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. Given the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, the reality of our economic situation presents significant challenges that have to be reconciled with limitations on public resources. This is a very stark reality, which, unfortunately, means that changes to any public service provision, including the student grant scheme, cannot be ruled out. I empathise with students and I am very conscious of the played by the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department makes provision for car parking spaces within the vested school site in the context of general school design. The level of provision may depend on the particular school project, the site conditions prevailing and the requirements of Local Authorities. Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others...

Written Answers — Construction Contracts: Construction Contracts (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The details of major school building projects which commenced since 2008 involving the company to which the Deputy refers are contained in the attached document. Contractual disputes can and do occur on a proportion of all building projects. When these arise there are informal procedures, in addition to formal procedures within the contract, to deal with such disputes. Most of the projects on...

Written Answers — Higher Education Awards: Higher Education Awards (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the matter referred to by the Deputy arose out of issues with the assessment leading to the award. Under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999, the conduct of assessment and issuing of awards are matters for the institution concerned and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, supervising the examinations, making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination and determining procedure to enable the review and appeal of results of examinations at the request of candidates....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Following discussions with the second level management bodies I have, in the last week, published an information note on the subject of re-employment of retiring teachers of post-primary examination classes. These measures will be confined to teachers teaching State examination classes in post-primary schools and do not apply to teachers with no exam classes or to primary school teachers....

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has recently received a cost estimate for the works concerned. A decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this information has been assessed.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: On 5th July last, I announced that the Government was proceeding with legislation to provide for the establishment of a statutory fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse, as endorsed by Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report in 2009. The legislative proposals followed extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy may be aware, there are 55 fee-charging schools in the State. Fee-charging schools do not receive capitation grants or related supports. The only current funding provided to fee-charging schools by my Department in 2011 is the Assistive Technology grant for students with particular special educational needs. Almost €22,000 was paid to fee-charging schools in respect of this...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2010/11, on the basis of the annual returns made by schools, 13 of the schools considered to be all girls schools had a total of 73 boys enrolled. These boys were enrolled in special classes in the schools concerned.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have been fully engaged in identifying placement options for the child in question. The NCSE has advised my Department that, irrespective of the assessed levels of ability of the child, there are schools placements available for this child. I also understand from my officials that the parents of this child have...