Results 11,861-11,880 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: On 22nd July last I met with representatives of many of the 18 congregations who were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement. At that meeting I expressed my disappointment that their offers fall well short of the €680m contribution required to realise a 50:50 share of the costs of the response to residential institutional abuse. I sought their agreement to a legal mechanism which would...

Written Answers — School Uniforms: School Uniforms (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Individual school authorities are responsible for the drawing up of a school policy in relation to the wearing of school uniforms. However, my Department recommends that the formulation of such a school policy should allow for prior consultation with...

Written Answers — Educational Institutes: Educational Institutes (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together. The governance and day to day activities of the Institute concerned are matters for which the management authorities of the Institute are responsible. My Department does not have any function in relation to its academic affairs or to decisions about the programmes of study that it provides. I understand that demand from students and...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. It is a matter for each school to devise guidelines around the types of food that are available on the school premises and such policies should be driven by the needs and welfare of the pupils. I am aware that many schools have, in cooperation with...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In June this year, I announced that 20 new primary and 20 new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years across a number of locations. This announcement included a proposal to establish a new school in the area referred to by the Deputy. My Department has recently informed patron bodies of these new schools to be established and has invited applications for patronage of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Information regarding the numbers of primary and post primary retired teachers who returned to teaching from September 2007 to March 2011 by school year is outlined in the table below. I will arrange for the data in relation to the full 2010/2011 school year to be forwarded to the Deputy. The data for the 2011 / 12 school year is not available at this stage as teacher appointments to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that, despite the restrictions on recruitment to the public sector arising from the calamitous economic crisis our country is in, teacher vacancies are continuing to be filled. Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence indicates that there is an over supply of teachers and that there are newly qualified teachers not yet holding teaching positions in schools, which will enable...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. In particular, its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinates special needs education provision at local level and arranges for the delivery of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that the location of a new building for the school to which he refers is currently being finalised in the context of the overall school accommodation needs for the Carrigaline area. Among the options being considered is a site, the acquisition of which was recently agreed with the Local Authority, subject to planning permission, and for which a planning...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware from my previous response to him in July that this project is at an advanced stage of the tender process. Since July a number of technical issues have arisen in relation to access to the site. It is anticipated that these issues will be resolved by the project's Design Team in the coming weeks. Subject to no further issues arising, it is envisaged that the project...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am please to inform the Deputy that construction of the special needs unit commenced in August.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In June this year, I announced that 20 new primary and 20 new post-primary schools are to be established in the next six years across a number of locations. This announcement included a proposal to establish a new second-level school in the area referred to by the Deputy. My Department has recently informed patron bodies of these new schools to be established and has invited applications for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers was included in the Ministerial announcement of January 2011. This school project is one where a brief will be formulated and the appointment of a Design Team will commence in 2011. My Department is currently liaising with the Patron of the school regarding site issues which need to be addressed before the project can progress further.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Sep 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 has completed a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers was included in the Ministerial announcement of January 2011, where a brief will be formulated and the appointment of a Design Team will commence in 2011. My Department is currently finalising the schedule of accommodation for the proposed new school, taking into account the level of specialist accommodation which will be required to cater for the...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the correspondence referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department. However, as the correspondence refers to a matter which is subject to ongoing legal proceedings I am not in a position to make a statement.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware that there are a range of issues in relation to Mathematics education generally. Project Maths, the new mathematics syllabus which is being introduced on a phased basis aims to address these difficulties. The syllabus is designed to transform teaching and learning of Mathematics, so that students will develop instrumental understanding (knowing how), relational understanding...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 120 together. I regret that the economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse any of the changes to the student grant measures announced in Budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil - Green Party Government. These changes included the removal of the automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent...