Results 11,441-11,460 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

School Staffing (3 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank Deputy O'Mahony, with whom I served on the committee on education and skills in the last Dáil, for raising this matter. The previous Government provided for a reduction in the pay of public servants in 2009. Under the public service pension rights order 2011, 29 February 2012 was set as the final date on which public servants could retire and have their pension entitlements...

School Staffing (3 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy has asked two specific questions and I propose to answer him in the order in which he asked them. This transitional facility will apply to teachers who are involved in the junior certificate examination as well as those teaching the leaving certificate. If teachers were assistant principals or principals they will be paid the teaching rate as a regular teacher and not receive...

School Staffing (3 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is a voluntary scheme. Teachers have three months in which to signal their intention to retire and we cannot anticipate what the quantum will be. There is an expectation, not just in the education sector but across the public service, that people will avail of the option to retire if it suits their position in life to do so. The matter is entirely up to people to decide. Therefore, I...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life, The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020, which I launched in July of this year aims to ensure that teachers and schools maintain a strong focus on literacy and numeracy skills, within a broad and balanced curriculum. It sets out a wide-ranging programme of reforms in initial teacher education...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 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. Firstly, I...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 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. Firstly, I...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Earlier this month, I announced and published the headquarter locations where VECs are being merged as a result of the Government decision to reduce the number of VECs from 33 to 16. In arriving at my decision in relation to the location of headquarters of the merged VECs, including the location of the headquarters of the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board at Drogheda, I considered...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Teacher allocations to secondary school are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In addition to this, schools can be allocated concessionary posts for a number of reasons e.g., curricular concessions, special needs, language support etc. The Post Primary Allocations section of my Department have allocated 7.38 whole time...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2005, following an independent identification process, 875 schools were selected for inclusion in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Department's initiative to combat educational disadvantage. The school to which the Deputy refers was among a number of schools that was judged not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage to warrant inclusion in DEIS. An appeal by...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The standardisation of the staffing schedule for Gaelscoileanna so that it is the same as that which applies to primary schools generally was one of a number of measures introduced in Budget 2011 to control and reduce teacher numbers. While mainstream staffing for any school year is based on the previous September's enrolment, there is a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The person in question has initiated an application for retirement with pension on grounds of ill-health. The application process has two parts. One part is sent to the Department for administrative purposes and the other part, which relates to the medical aspect of the application, is made to the Occupational Health Service provider. As only one of these parts has been received at this...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for large scale capital funding for the provision of a Sports Hall to my Department. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale capital projects and has been assigned a Band 4 rating. The progression of all large scale building projects, including...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Nov 2011)

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

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority - local authority or VEC. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to nationality, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a student would qualify for a...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to disclose its enrolment policy and to ensure that as regards that policy that principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents choice are...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that an appeal from the candidate in question was received in the Higher Education – Equity of Access Section of my Department on 25th October, 2011. This appeal is currently under consideration, and an appeal reply will be issued directly to the candidate as soon as this process is complete.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department was advised that meetings were recently held between the City of Dublin VEC and the KUBS Basketball Club to discuss the draft user agreement which recognises the Club's current position as a user of the sports facility outside of school hours. On that basis the appointment of an independent mediator is not necessary at this stage.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is being collated and will be forwarded as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together. The Deputy may be aware that the project to which he refers was tendered in 2009 and a preferred bidder was identified to do the works. Unfortunately a number of issues outside of my Department's control delayed the progression of this project. However, I am pleased to inform you that most of these issues have now been resolved. Provided...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Nov 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department provides grant of €13,842 per annum to the school to which he refers for the rental of one classroom.