Results 1,141-1,160 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 31 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the area referred to has been identified by my Department as one of the areas where, due to demographic changes, it is projected that there will be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. In that context, a total of 5 school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Protection (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can advise the Deputy that in February 2008 a Department Inspector reported a child protection concern in relation to an employee of the school referred to by the Deputy. The concern related, in the context of the Children First Guidelines, to alleged emotional abuse arising from the manner in which the teacher was observed speaking to pupils and alleged neglect in relation to the teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: There are currently 852 schools in DEIS. This figure is made up of 195 Urban Band 1, 141 Urban Band 2 schools, 322 rural and 194 post primary schools. The number of schools participating in DEIS has not increased in the past 3 years. I have no immediate plans to review the eligibility criteria for DEIS. DEIS is the subject of an ongoing evaluation to ensure successful implementation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is aware of the proposal submitted by the school referred to by the Deputy to enrol a 7th stream of junior infants from September 2014. It is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all schools in catchment areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense or the viability of another school. This may sometimes result in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The previous Government capped the number of SNA posts at 10,575 in December 2010. That cap remained in place until December 2013. In December 2013, this Government agreed to increase the cap on the number of SNA posts by 390 posts to 10,965 at the end of 2014. A whole time equivalent (WTE) SNA post equates to 32 hours per week. The total number of WTE SNA posts at the end of the 2011/12...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. My officials will provide the Deputy with the contact details for the EWS regarding the area...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I set up a National Working Group for Junior Cycle last January as a forum to proactively address identified challenges and opportunities as they arise over the phased implementation time schedule for the Junior Cycle from now until at least September 2019 when all the subjects will have been phased in. My officials, through this National Working Group, are currently engaged in intensive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) has been established "to advise the Minister on policies relating to the provision and promotion of education through the medium of Irish in recognised schools generally and in schools located in a Gaeltacht area". (Section 31, (1) (a) (ii) of the Education Act, 1998). The Membership of the Board includes 3...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As I advised the Deputy in my reply of 26th February, the release of the documents referred to is a matter for the relevant European Commission Directorate. The State's response to the investigation referred to, which commenced in 2007, was coordinated by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. My Department supplied any information to that Department as required by the Commission....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Guidance Counsellors (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I acknowledge that bringing guidance within quota is challenging for schools, and feedback has been mixed,but the alternative was to adjust the PTR staffing allocations. My Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations.I do not intend to revise the changes made in Budget 2012 in respect of guidance counselling hours. Since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that under the residency requirement of the Student Grant Scheme, a student must have been resident in Ireland for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately prior to an approved course commencing in an approved institution in order to qualify for a grant. However, a student may qualify for a grant, having met the residency requirement during the course of their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Teachers, in accordance with the Education Act 1998, are employed by the school management authority of each individual school. Schools nominate eligible teachers for the payment of incremental salary grant and withdraw nominations on the departure of a teacher for whatever reason. My Department does not require that the school, when withdrawing a nomination, indicate the reason for that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: This is a day to day operational matter for SOLAS. The statistical data requested by the Deputy is set out in the attachment to the question. It should be noted that apprenticeship is entirely demand-led with the State providing off-the-job training for all apprentices registered by approved employers. The recently published Review of Apprenticeship Training in Ireland proposed a framework...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together. As outlined to the Deputy previously, my Department's position is that as each child with autism is unique, they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs with access facilitated to individualised education programmes and fully qualified professional teachers who may draw from a range of autism...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. I am satisfied that current arrangements are adequate to ensure that teachers receive the necessary initial education and have access to quality continuous professional development (CPD) programmes during...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that the school to which the Deputy refers has advised my Department that it wishes to enter a further lease in respect of its current school accommodation. My Department has been in contact with the school authorities to obtain further clarity in relation to the lease arrangements concerned and also to obtain the Patrons views, whose approval to the lease is also required. Once...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school in question applied to my Department for major capital funding for the replacement of prefabricated accommodation with a permanent structure and also for the provision of a General Purpose Room. The school has not applied for funding to facilitate its growth beyond its current core staffing level of a Principal and seven mainstream teachers. I am pleased to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Recommendations for changes to initial teacher education were included in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 and have been incorporated into the Teaching Council's Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. Both were published in 2011. The improvements to be made to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (9 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled from records within my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.