Results 11,981-12,000 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: There is a commitment in the Programme for a National Government, 2011-2016, to "update the out-dated drugs awareness programmes in schools to reflect current attitudes and reality of recreational drug use amongst teens". To meet this commitment, I have established a Working Group to examine the resource materials being used in the SPHE curriculum, especially those materials that are most...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard provides 6,000 funded part time higher education places for the unemployed in public and private institutions throughout Ireland. The evaluation panel selecting the programmes used rigorous criteria of quality, industry and skills needs relevance, value for money as well as the need for a good geographical spread. While there are no instituions based in Cavan and Monaghan,...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The students attending the Aonad Lán Gaeilge in the school referred to by the Deputy receive the same language supports as those children attending post primary schools in Gaeltacht areas.

Written Answers — An Teanga Gaeilge: An Teanga Gaeilge (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Mar is eol duit, tá an rochtain ar ghairm na múinteoireachta i scoileanna aitheanta na hÉireann rialáilte. Is í an Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta an tÚdarás sainithe atá inniúil an ghairm a rialáil agus caighdeáin a leagan síos d'oideachas múinteoirí. Tar éis phróisis fhada comhairlithe, d'fhoilsigh an Chomhairle le déanaí Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education ó...

Written Answers — Psychological Services: Psychological Services (21 Jul 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 — Skill Shortages: Skill Shortages (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: There are a wide range of full and part time undergraduate and post graduate programmes available within the higher education system for students who wish to pursue careers in the IT indusrty and for professionls who wish to develop their skills. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs plays a key role in advising on the future skills needs of enterprise. Its reports are disseminated to...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions 165, 166, 172 and 173 together. The provision of buildings and accommodation for the Department of Education and Skills, and the management of associated leases, is a matter for the Office of Public Works. In relation to schools, my Department generally grant aids school authorities who use the funds to rent temporary school accommodation. The terms of the leases...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Based on my Department's most recent statistics, it is expected that enrolments will increase nationally from a current enrolment at primary level of circa 509,652 pupils to circa 552,800 pupils by 2017 and at post-primary level from a current enrolment of circa 317,432 pupils to circa 342,300 pupils by 2017. My Department is currently examining all areas of the country to determine where...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 170 inclusive together. Information, including the current status of all projects on the 2011 School Buildings Works Programme, is available on my Departments website. The current status of projects on the programme is updated on a monthly basis as projects progress from one stage to the next. The website also provides information on all projects in...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Strategy Group Report, Investing Effectively in ICT in Schools, 2008-2013, proposes a comprehensive agenda for pursuing the integration of ICT into teaching and learning in our schools and provides an essential strategic framework which has been invaluable to my Department in enhancing and refining the ICT in Schools Programme. As the Deputy may be aware, following publication of the...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no role in the case in question. Matters in this area should be dealt with in accordance with FETAC's published guidelines. The guidelines are available on the FETAC website, www.fetac.ie.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: No decision has been made in relation to the next phase of providing 100Mbps to schools. Any decision to extend the programme will be made having regard to the current budgetary constraints and other priorities of my Department. A pedagogical review of the pilot project is currently being prepared, the outcome of which will also inform future plans in this area.

Written Answers — Schools Building Programme: Schools Building Programme (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The new school to be provided in Co Leitrim, referred to by the Deputy, is one of eight schools which were approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This Bundle was handed over to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) in July 2010 to commence the tender procurement process. This process is ongoing with tenders received this...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy's question refers to a proposal for an academy for children with autism which was submitted to my Department for consideration by Achieve ABA. The Deputy will be aware that my Department had no direct funding arrangements with the group in question. Consideration of this proposal took account of my Department's policy in this regard, which is focused on ensuring that all children,...

Written Answers — National Lottery Funding: National Lottery Funding (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The details of National Lottery Funding disbursed by my Department in 2009 and 2010 is provided in tabular form in the following spreadsheet. The Revised Estimates Volume (REV) published by the Department of Finance provides summary details of programmes part-financed by the National Lottery and disbursed by relevant Government Departments and Offices. The REV provides these details at Vote...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Firstly, I wish to clarify for the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations are not permanent, as the level of SNA support allocated to a school may be increased or decreased as pupils who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. They are also decreased where a child's care needs may have diminished over time. I wish to clarify also that the recruitment and deployment of...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I announced my intention to establish a Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector on 28th March, 2011. The Forum is a key objective of the Programme for a National Government 2011 - 2016. On 19th April, I officially launch the Forum and noted that the Advisory Group to oversee the work of the Forum would be chaired by Professor John Coolahan who would be assisted by Dr Caroline...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy I announced plans to limit the number of subjects which can be taken in the Junior certificate examinations to a maximum of 8 to allow more time to be spent on the development of key skills such as literacy and numeracy, and to provide for greater depth of learning. While it is my intention to limit the number of examinable subjects a...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 184 together. Irish 15-year old students have participated in two recent international studies of achievement levels in literacy and numeracy. These were the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 which tested students' reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy using traditional pencil-and-paper tests and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The net allocation for my Department for 2011, as set out in the 2011 Revised Estimate, is €8.279 billion. In addition, provision for expenditure of some €362 million has been made under the National Training Fund in 2011. There are no savings or excesses being projected on the estimate at this stage. However, my Department will closely monitor the spending situation over the months...