Results 11,741-11,760 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: It is a basic principle of public procurement, including for legal services, that a competitive process should be used unless there are justifiably exceptional circumstances. The type of competitive process can vary depending on the size and characteristics of the contract to be awarded. For contracts or purchases below the EU threshold values less formal procedures may be appropriate. It is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A major project for the school to which the Deputy refers was included in the Ministerial announcement on 24 January 2011. The Brief for this project is currently being finalised. The next step would be to undergo a procurement process to appoint a Design Team to the project. This would be done through the Government procurement portal www.etenders.gov.ie. The current status of all projects...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department introduced a €20 million scheme in 2009 to improve roof and cavity wall insulation levels in school buildings across the country. The devolved energy efficiency scheme, which was implemented with the help of Sustainable Energy Ireland, allowed schools to apply for funding on a once-off basis to upgrade the fabric insulation in attics and the external cavity walls of their...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures and must take account of all appropriate legislation. The Board of Management of the school is responsible for recruitment, selection, appointment, discipline and dismissal of staff. It is the policy of my Department that only registered and qualified personnel...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The number of pupils attending fee paying second level schools, and aided by my Department, for the past three years is as follows: 08/09 = 26,504; 09/10 = 26,277; 10/11 = 26,219.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am at present finalising my consideration of where the headquarters will be located and I expect to in a position to communicate my decision for all of the mergers in the near future.

Written Answers — Outdoor Education Centres: Outdoor Education Centres (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department gives support and funding to a number of VECs to operate Outdoor Education Centres. There are 12 centres in all. The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) lodged a claim with my Department for a substantial pay increase on behalf of the Directors of each of these Centres. Following protracted negotiations, my Department consented to an ad hoc referral of the claim to the Labour...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: At the end of the 2010/2011 school year there were 328 retired teachers employed on a temporary or substitute basis in Primary, Secondary and Community/Comprehensive schools. This does not include schools under the auspices of Vocational Education Committees. Figures are not yet available for the number of retired teachers employed in schools in the 2011/2012 school year. Details of the...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 70 together. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is in the process of developing its website. The current website is a holding page and is available in English only. Work is underway on reviewing the extensive bank of resources developed by the former support services with regard to their ongoing relevance. The materials selected...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A national cross-sectoral Professional Development Support Service for Teachers was established in September 2010 to support the sharing and development of expertise, best pedagogical practice, skills and competencies across the primary and post-primary sectors. A cross-sectoral approach to continuing professional development (CPD) aims to streamline, coordinate and prevent a duplication of...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The aim of the continuing professional development (CPD) provided by all support services is to enhance and maintain the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. In designing its continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), which is staffed by expert practitioners, consults as appropriate with other experts in the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I would like to inform the Deputy that I have asked officials in my Department to examine possible improvements to ensure that the procurement process for school building projects is as efficient as possible. A number of strategies to streamline procurement processes have already been implemented and others will be implemented over the coming months. Officials from my Department are also...

Written Answers — Safety in School Laboratories: Safety in School Laboratories (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department does not hold an inventory of the chemicals held in stock by individual schools, and the management of such stock is a matter for the school authorities. A once off disposal of chemicals was funded by the Department in 2000/01 on the basis that schools would assume responsibility on an ongoing basis thereafter for the safe stock and disposal of chemicals. My Department has...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Students pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration in publicly-funded institutions in other EU Member States may be eligible for a maintenance grant under the Student Grant Scheme. To qualify for such a grant a student must also satisfy the terms and condition of the scheme relating to residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. The student...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: There is no limit on the number of students in a household that may qualify for a student grant provided that all applicants satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme. Under the scheme, the qualifying reckonable income limits for households with more than one student attending further or higher education may be incrementally increased to take account of this situation.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The student grant scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by local grant awarding authorities - local authorities and VECs. 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 age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment, it would not be possible...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Sep 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 — Road Safety: Road Safety (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care, including traffic management measures. The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter, however, for the relevant Local Authority. Local...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the next budget and meeting our obligations under the EU/IMF Programme. The Government will endeavour to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides for a scheme of grants towards the purchase of equipment for the use of students in primary and second level schools who have been diagnosed as having serious physical and/or communicative disabilities which make ordinary communication through speech and/or writing impossible for them. The purpose of the grant-aid is to provide such students with equipment of direct...