Results 11,881-11,900 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 127 and 128 together. This Government is committed to the protection of frontline services for pupils with special educational needs. 10,575 whole time equivalent (wte) Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts are being provided for primary, post-primary and special schools for the coming school year in order to support the care needs of pupils with...

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

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has identified a number of 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 this context, I have recently announced that 20 new primary and 20 new post primary schools are to be established nationally in the next six years to...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Teaching resources are allocated to schools on a school year basis. Schools will be permitted to fill vacancies that arise during the course of the current school year in allocated posts. The level of retirements in 2012 will become clearer after 1 December when teachers are required to give notice of their intention to retire. The position at third level operates somewhat differently in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: At its meeting on 11 April 2011, the Government approved the preparation of a new capital investment framework for the period from 2012 to be prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This involves a review of the planned public capital programme in order to determine those programmes and projects that will best support economic recovery. My Department has submitted a...

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

Ruairi Quinn: 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. I understand the concerns of students with regard to the changes to the student grant schemes for the 2011/12 academic year and I will take account of these in...

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 — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (22 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Since I was appointed as Minister for Education and Skills on 9 March 2011, I have appointed two special advisers as follows: Mr. John Walshe, Special Adviser on a salary €92,672 per annum and Ms. Deirdre Grant, Director of Communications (Special Adviser) on a salary €86,604 per annum.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (21 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government has approved the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill to provide for the establishment of a Statutory Fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse. The legislative proposals followed extensive consultations with representatives of survivors of residential abuse together with a public consultation process. The report on the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 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 — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (21 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 — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have been in contact with Co Clare VEC in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I understand that the VEC is currently involved in discussions with the individual to enable the successful resolution of this issue in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 162 together. 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...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An application for compensation for loss of hours (partial redundancy) was received on 28th June 2011 by my Department from the person referred to by the Deputy. My Department's circular on redundancy arrangements for Special Needs Assistants was posted to all schools in 2006 and also published on my Department's website. As the SNA's employer, the Board of Management is responsible for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, supervising the examinations, making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination and determining procedure to enable the review and appeal of results of examinations at the request of candidates. In...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available to my Department, however one estimate from publishers' sources suggests that the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum. At present, my Department contributes approximately €15 million of the total spend in this market through the provision of the school book grant to schools. Given the scale of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no plans to introduce a panel system at post-primary level nor do I think it would be appropriate to do so. There are fundamental differences in the operation of the staffing arrangements between primary and post-primary levels. The range of individual subjects is a significant additional complicating factor at post- primary level.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the policy of my Department that only a teacher registered with the Teaching Council, and who has qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which he or she is proposed, should be employed in a school. The Teaching Council considers applications to be registered as Post Primary school teachers under Regulation 4 of the Teaching Council Registration...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Any decision to employ a retired teacher is a local decision made by the school authorities and not my Department. Circular 0031/2011 is aimed at ensuring that boards of management and principals only resort to employing a retired teacher in very limited circumstances. It requires a school principal to keep a record as to why a retired teacher had to be employed to cover a short-term...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (20 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 (20 Sep 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project referred to by the Deputy was included in the School Building Works Programme for 2011 which was announced on 24th January. The Design Team are currently working on finalising the Stage 2b submission (Detailed Design) which will then be submitted to my Department for review. Subsequently, assuming no issues arise, my Department will be in contact with the Board of...