Results 12,061-12,080 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is 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 special...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The mid-term review to which the Deputy refers is being finalised. Unfortunately, an analysis of progress by socio-economic background was not possible due to the four-year gap since the previous census and changes in the under-lying population. However, a new study of participation in 2010, which will draw on the 2011 census data will be carried out. This will include an update on...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (20 Jul 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 public...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (20 Jul 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the progression of a building project to provide permanent accommodation for the school to which he refers necessitates the acquisition of a site. The acquisition of the site and the delivery of the school building project will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally.

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The OECD PISA 2009 Digital Literacy Assessment showed that Irish students' ability to read computer-based text was significantly above the average of the 19 OECD countries that took the test. It is reassuring to see that students in Ireland compare very well with their OECD counterparts in this study but there is no room for complacency about reading standards in our schools. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As far as the training activities of FÁS are concerned, I am currently reviewing options regarding the provision of further education and training and the structures to support it. I propose to bring the matter to Government for discussion in the near future.

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

Ruairi Quinn: Project Maths is a major programme of reform in mathematics in second level schools, which is designed to encourage better understanding of mathematics, to reinforce its practical relevance to everyday life, and to ensure better continuity between primary and second level, and junior and senior cycle. It began in 24 project schools in September 2008 and was introduced in all schools in...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Earlier this year my Department invited submissions from the relevant parties on the location of the headquarters for the new VEC entities, resulting from the reduction in the number of VECs from 33 to 16. At the outset of this process, my Department advised that a fundamental requirement will be the need to ensure that the location of a VEC headquarters will, to the greatest extent possible,...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The information requested by the Deputy on the number of special needs assistants employed in schools on a county basis is not readily available. The number of Special Needs Assistants employed nationally from 2007 to 2010 is available in the attached document. The details for each year are the December figures for the year in question. The primary schools information is inclusive of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 3 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for accommodation to cater for the amalgamation of the school to which he refers with another primary school in the town. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 1.4 rating. Information in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has no record of an application for major capital funding from the school referred to by the Deputy. This school have been provided with an extension project which was completed in 2002. If the school wish to request further capital funding towards a specific project, they should complete the appropriate form which can be found on my Department's website, www.education.ie, and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that construction on the school building project referred to by him commenced at the end of June.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 3 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: There has been no decision to re-open the school referred to by the Deputy. The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Data in relation to the 2010/11 school year are not currently available. They will be available on my Department's website in September. The number of pupils attending primary and special schools by county in 2009/10 is available in table 2.18 of the Annual Statistical Report which can be found on my Department's website at http://www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?pcategory=17216&ecateg...

Seanad: SPHE Curriculum: Motion (20 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Reducing the number of examination subjects.