Results 11,381-11,400 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Budget 2011, the previous Fianna Fáil-Green party Government changed the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of student grant from 24kms to 45kms. The measurement of the distances for the non-adjacent rate of grant is a matter for grant awarding bodies. There has been no change as to how these distances are measured. As in the past for all cases, the shortest most...

Written Answers — Mental Health Policy: Mental Health Policy (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Work is under way on the development of Mental Health Guidelines for Schools involving personnel from my Department and the Health Service Executive. There will be an appropriate emphasis on the need for a whole-school approach to mental health including procedures on the way teachers should respond to mental health difficulties of individual students.

Written Answers — Mental Health Policy: Mental Health Policy (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools, and it is not possible to identify a number of officials who are uniquely responsible for promoting positive mental health. This issue spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, pastoral care, the provision of professional development for...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I assume that the Deputy is referring to potential changes to the student grant scheme under the Budget for 2012. The Deputy will appreciate that the preparation of the Estimates for any Budget is carried out on a strictly confidential basis and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific issues or proposals, including those relating to student grants, in advance of the Budget...

Written Answers — Higher Education Fees: Higher Education Fees (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139, 156, 157, 175 and 179 together. As the Deputies will be aware, the reality of our economic situation presents significant challenges that have to be reconciled with limitations on public resources. Ireland must adhere to its agreed economic recovery programme in order to reduce the budget deficit to 3% of GDP by 2015 and to restore our independence. This...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 143, inclusive, together. Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, all schools are required to have in place a Code of Behaviour and this code must be drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). The NEWB guidelines were issued to schools in 2008 and make it clear that each school must have policies to...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A number of measures have been introduced in the education and training sectors to support unemployed people to retrain in information technology related skills. Springboard is a specific initiative to provide 6,000 part time higher education places targeted at unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return and who will need new qualifications and...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: For the Deputy's information, work is ongoing in my Department with regard to: - the amalgamation of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. The new agency will be known as the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland (QQAAI). - the establishment of a new...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's policy on educating children with autism is centred on an inclusive approach promoting the use of a range of autism specific interventions including TEACCH, PECs and Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). Under this approach, each child can benefit from a number of different interventions to ensure the optimum individualised educational programme for him/her. Educational...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2011)

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

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The total number of recognised pupils submitted in a school's annual enrolment return to my Department is used to calculate staffing and grant allocations for that school. Under my Department's Rules and Programmes for Second Level Schools a recognised pupil must be following an approved course for junior or senior cycle and must be not less than 12 years of age on 1st January of the school...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 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, including the student grant scheme, cannot be ruled out. I empathise with students and I am very conscious of the fundamental role...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (8 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 and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment. The retention of such posts in the current school year is subject to schools' having achieved their projected enrolment on 30 September. If the enrolment...

Written Answers — Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile: Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Tá sé curtha in iúl do scoileanna nach ceart dóibh tiomantais a ghlacadh orthu féin mar gheall ar choinne a bheith acu le heisiúint deontas na mionoibreacha bunscoile sa scoilbhliain reatha (2011/12). Is é is dóichí go ndéanfar an cinneadh maidir le híoc an deontais go rí-ghairid.

Written Answers — Soláthar Pinsin: Soláthar Pinsin (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Tá an duine i gceist tar éis iarratas ar shochar pinsean scortha de dheasca drochshláinte a chur faoi bhráid mo Roinne ach níl an fhoirm iarratais comhlánaithe go hiomlán. Tá Rannóg na bPinsean i mo Roinnse i dteagmháil leis an duine i gceist i dtaobh an iarratais seo.

Written Answers — Coistí Gairmoideachais: Coistí Gairmoideachais (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Le déanaí thug mo Roinn comhaontú i gcrích leis an gCeardchumann Seirbhísí, Tionsclaíoch, Gairmiúil agus Teicniúil, an ceardchumann a dhéanann ionadaíocht do na Príomhoifigigh Feidhmiúcháin (POFanna) ar na CGOanna, faoi scéim ath-imlonnaithe do POFanna i gcomhthéacs chomhaontú Pháirc an Chrócaigh. Bainfear feidhm as an scéim seo, sa chéad ásc, chun ceapacháin POFanna ar...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I issued Circular 0031/2011 in May of this year one purpose of which is to ensure, as far as practicable, that schools prioritise unemployed teachers over retired teachers. In particular, it prohibits schools from employing retired teachers to cover short-term absences unless all efforts to employ an appropriately qualified and registered teacher have failed. This circular also requires a...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A value for money review on small primary schools is under way in my Department and is not expected to be completed until the end of the year. This review is part of the normal review processes undertaken by all Departments on an annual basis on selected areas of expenditure and is being conducted in line with the standard procedure for value for money reviews. I expect a report to be made...