Results 11,701-11,720 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding requested under the Additional Accommodation Scheme for works associated with the building project at this school has been approved. The school authorities have been notified accordingly.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: No decisions have yet been taken regarding the payment of the primary school minor works grant in the current school year. Consequently, reference to the grant was excluded from the annual schedule of grants for primary schools in respect of the school year 2011/2012.

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The term of office of new boards of management of primary schools will commence on 1 December 2011. My Department has this week issued Circular Letter 0064/2011 to all primary schools advising that the election/nomination processes for the appointment of new boards must now commence. My Department has also published the updated booklet "Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure 2011"...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The total amount allocated to date under the 2011 Additional Accommodation Scheme amounts to €34.8 million of which €4.5 million has been expended. A further €32.8 million has been expended to date this year in respect of commitments arising from Additional Accommodation Schemes approved prior to 2011.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, a major project for the school to which he refers was included on the list of projects on the work programme for 2011, which was announced on 24 January last, where briefs will be formulated in 2011 and the process of appointing a Design Team will commence. In order to progress the project, my Department requested additional information from the school authorities...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 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. This now...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Some 18,000 students qualifying for grant support are estimated to live between 24 kms and 45 kms from their colleges and it is estimated that some 6,900 mature students qualifying for grant support live 45 kilometres or less from their institution. Students qualifying for the maintenance element of the student grant in these cohorts will receive the adjacent rate of grant together with...

Written Answers — Radioactive Waste: Radioactive Waste (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 212, inclusive, and 214 together. The management of radioactive waste is the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government working in conjunction with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII). Information available from the RPII regarding disused radioactive waste in the country's education sector...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The primary redeployment procedures are published on my Department's website. Under these procedures, my Department provides supplementary panel rights for eligible fixed-term teachers who are currently employed in a primary school with between three and five years temporary service. The teacher referred to by the Deputy, does not meet these requirements and has been advised accordingly.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has received an application for part-time language support in respect of the school referred to by the Deputy for the 2011-2012 school year. Such applications relate to schools that have less than 14 eligible pupils for language support. Decisions on these applications were deferred until the Autumn, having regard to the overall level of demand for full-time language support...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 219 together. My Department administers the payment of retirement lump sums in respect of Primary, Secondary, Community and Comprehensive school teachers and special needs assistance in such schools together with certain school clerical and caretaking staff. It also administers the retirement gratuities of civil servants who retire from my Department....

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department administers the payment of pension benefits to beneficiaries of the Primary, Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Teachers Superannuation schemes and certain other education personnel in primary and voluntary secondary schools, e.g. special needs assistants. Table A hereunder outlines the information sought by the Deputy in relation to these pension schemes. The Office of the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 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. This now...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The NCCA has been asked to review the junior certificate and advise on the scope for reform designed to strengthen literacy and numeracy, embed key skills, promote active learning and enhanced creativity and innovation, and ensure appropriate ways of generating evidence of learning. Concerns have also been raised about curriculum overload, and rote learning. The Council is currently...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department's specifications require that all chairs supplied to primary and post-primary schools conform to the Irish (and European) Standard which is I.S. EN 1729 Furniture, Tables and Chairs for Educational Institutions. This is a recent standard dating from 2006.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227, 232, 241 and 243 together. I am at present finalising my consideration of where the headquarters will be located and I expect to be in a position to communicate my decision for all of the mergers in the near future.

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have asked the Higher Education Authority to provide me with a breakdown on student numbers in the format requested by the Deputy. This data is currently being collated by the HEA. I will forward the information to the Deputy as soon as it is to hand.

Written Answers — Scientific and Technological Fund: Scientific and Technological Fund (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A request for tenders for broadband connectivity for schools is due to issue within the next month. As the request for tenders has not yet issued I am not in a position to go into detail on the specifics of the document. No school will be provided with an inferior service to what is currently in place, and where possible improved services for schools will be awarded within budgetary constraints.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested is not readily available and it will involve a significant amount of administrative time to identify and examine all relevant files in order to compile the information concerned. Officials will endeavour to identify appropriate relevant information in so far as possible and this will be forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (4 Oct 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 4 staff, (2 permanent and 2 non-established), were assigned to my Constituency Office at a cost of €50,513 during the 100 days following my appointment as Minister for Education and Skills on 9th March, 2011.