Results 11,261-11,280 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: Total enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by almost 70,000 between now and 2018 - over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post primary - and will continue to grow up to at least 2024 at post-primary. This projected growth in enrolments reflects the increases in enrolment at both levels in the past five years and also the continuing very high level of...
- Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123, 124 and 129 together. I am aware of the impact of changes to the student grant scheme on students, however, as the previous Government had factored in the savings from these changes to the public expenditure programme for 2011, I regret that I am not in a position to reverse or vary them. The Deputy will be aware that, while a qualifying student may...
- Written Answers — Third Level Places: Third Level Places (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The number of full-time new entrants to publicly funded higher education institutions under the Higher Education Authority is larger than it has ever been due to an expansion in third level places in recent years. Indeed, Ireland is currently performing very strongly in terms of student participation in higher education and has the highest tertiary attainment rate among 25-34 year olds in...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 to 128, inclusive, together. Firstly, I wish to reiterate this Government's commitment to the provision of resources for children with special educational needs. The Programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The current status of all projects on the school building programme, including those in County Kildare, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.education.ie and this will be updated regularly throughout the year. For the Deputy's convenience, however, I set out below details of the 37 applications for building works from schools in County Kildare that are on hand. The Government's...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: 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-ordinates special needs education provision at local level and arranges for the delivery of special educational services...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department provides for the education of children with special educational needs through a number of support mechanisms depending on the child's assessed disability. In general, educational provision for children with special needs is made; in special schools; in special classes attached to ordinary schools; or in integrated settings in mainstream classes....
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: My Department has no record of having received an application for emergency funding from this school for the works referred to by the Deputy. Should an application be received it will be assessed and the school authorities will be notified of the outcome.
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I, along with my colleagues in Government, recognise the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos. At this point I do not propose to give any specific commitment on the allocation of teachers to schools for the 2012/13 school year. The number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a...
- School Staffing (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The Donegal school in question has 183 pupils and 13 teachers including the school principal. That works out at a pupil-teacher ratio of approximately 14 pupils per teacher, which is a good ratio by normal standards but there may be different factors involved. If there are some difficulties in the communication to which the Deputy referred he might send me a note or we can discuss it with a...
- Schools Building Projects (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: Enrolments at primary level are expected to grow by 45,000 pupils between now and 2018. The priority is to focus on meeting the need for additional school places. My Department has identified a requirement for new schools in the Tallaght area to cater for increasing demographics. These new schools will also serve to strengthen diversity of school provision in the area based on parental...
- Schools Building Projects (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The Department has given me some background information the Deputy may wish to hear which I will put on the record of the House. The school in question is Scoil ChaithlÃn Maude. It is a gaelscoil that shares a campus with two English medium primary schools, Knockmore Junior and Knockmore Senior. The gaelscoil is housed in temporary accommodation and also has access to four surplus...
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: My Department's capital allocation this year is â¬501 million. This allocation is assigned to eight subheads of which the schools building programme and investment in higher education are the largest. At the end of October, â¬367 million or almost 75% of the allocation was expended. In terms of the overall allocation 83% is assigned to the school building programme and at the end of...
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: It is very good management.
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: No. In terms of the expenditure, the entire capital programme will be spent-----
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: -----but as regards the draw-down in chronological time, by the end of October, 75% had been committed and drawn down. In terms of the overall allocation, 83% is assigned to the school building programme. There will be capital allocations elsewhere but most of the capital is in the schools building programme. I am sorry. I may not have made that clear. The total capital allocation is...
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: It is.
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: I understand what the Deputy is saying and support his sentiments but we are in a different place now. We have the fastest growing birth rate in Europe. In the first quarter of this year the population grew. New infants born to this State amounted to 50 short of 20,000. I have to start building almost immediately 20 new post-primary schools each of which will accommodate 1,000 pupils when...
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy may be interested to learn that since June of this year, when I became aware in discussions with senior officials of the scale of the demographic challenge we confront, the Department has completely changed the method of procurement and management. We brought in additional assistance from other State agencies which had surplus professional capacity, for example, the now defunct...
- Departmental Expenditure (16 Nov 2011)
Ruairi Quinn: Did the Deputy indicate that in many respects he thought Monaghan was better than Cavan?