Results 12,181-12,200 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A major project for the school referred to by the Deputy was included on the list of projects on the work programme for 2011, which was announced on 24 January last. The Accommodation Brief has now been agreed with the School Management which will include the provision of a Special Needs Unit. The next stage involves the appointment of a Design Team and this process is expected to commence...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is referring to a change to the student grant scheme introduced by his Government under Budget 2011 which changed the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24kms to 45kms. Some 18,000 students qualifying for grant support are estimated to live between 24kms and 45kms from their colleges. From next September, students eligible for a maintenance grant...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the primary responsibility of my Department in this area is the provision of school facilities for the effective delivery of the curriculum. In addition, the Deputy might note that school authorities have a considerable degree of autonomy in relation to how their premises are managed and utilised at local level. However, I do recognise that there is a lack of...

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department acknowledges the good work of the FÍS visual literacy and film project. A request for additional information has been made by my Department in relation to this project. Once all relevant information is available, a decision will be made as soon as possible thereafter.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A major project for the school to which the Deputy refers was included on the list of projects on the work programme for 2011, which was announced on 24 January 2011. The project brief has now been agreed with the School Management. The next stage involves the appointment of a Design Team and this process is expected to commence shortly. All large scale building projects, including this...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A major project for the school to which the Deputy refers was included on the list of projects on the work programme for 2011, which was announced on 24 January 2011. The project brief has now been agreed with the School Management. The next stage involves the appointment of a Design Team and this process is expected to commence shortly. All large scale building projects, including this...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that school to which he refers lodged an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for a review of its allocation for language support for the 2011/12 school year (Circular 15/2009). Having considered the case at its meeting on 30 June 2011, the Board refused the appeal and the school has been notified of the outcome. The Appeal Board operates independently of the...

Written Answers — Asbestos Remediation Programme: Asbestos Remediation Programme (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to inform the Deputy that procedures and guidelines are already in place to ensure the safe removal of asbestos from schools. When a school authority receives funding from my Department to carry out refurbishment works to their school building, they are advised of their responsibilities as Client for the project under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Safety Health...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A total of 139 institutions were included in the schedule of specified institutions to the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 to 2005. Religious ethos was not a criterion for inclusion in the Schedule. While the majority of these institutions were managed by the 18 religious congregations who were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, others were managed by other congregations, State...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department applies abatement of pension to retired teachers where the amount of pay together with the pension being received is greater than the pay on which the pension is based. The effect of this is to reduce or sometimes stop pension where a retiree returns to teaching. There have been a number of employment related changes introduced in the past year which impact on teachers in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I recently issued Circular 31/2011 which requires that, from September 2011, schools keep a list of appropriately qualified registered teachers who notify the school that they are available for substitute teaching at short notice. The principal of the school must report to his or her Board of Management, as his or her employer, on a regular basis on the fact that such a list is being maintained.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department's involvement in EU education and training issues is co-ordinated by its International Section, which is based in Dublin. At present, the duties of some two staff members of that section include a substantial involvement in monitoring EU policy developments and co-ordinating the processing of reporting requirements, dissemination of information and handling of requests and...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I welcome the publication of the recent Irish Human Rights Commission's report on "Religion and Education - A Human Rights Perspective". Its publication last May is very timely as it will feed directly into the debate of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector which I launched in mid-April. Professor John Coolahan, Chairperson of the Advisory Group to the Forum, at its...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Authority manages and disburses recurrent funds to the universities, institutes of technology and other designated colleges. These recurrent funds include core recurrent grants, grants in respect of the "Free Fees" Scheme, funding in respect of increased student intake, supplementary funding requirements, and other miscellaneous initiatives that may require funding. The...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The 20 year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 contains a number of actions relating to improving the quality of Irish teaching. Amongst these are initiatives at both pre service and in service level including the introduction of a new Post Graduate Diploma in Education for teaching at post primary level delivered in full through the medium of Irish and a new post graduate programme...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The generally accepted definition of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) refers to the teaching of a curricular subject through the medium of a language other than that normally used for instruction. As Irish is the language of instruction for all subjects in Irish-medium schools, teaching through a language which may not be the normal language of communication of the student is...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: This Government is committed to supporting the overall thrust of 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, and to the delivery of the goals and targets proposed. As part of this, a thorough reform of the Irish curriculum and the way Irish is taught at primary and second level will be undertaken. The priority is to take steps to improve the quality and effectiveness of the teaching...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An open competition is currently underway to fill posts in the named programmes and the salary will be set in accordance with the criteria outlined in the 2003 Report of the Teachers Arbitration Board. The requirements for the posts have been published. It would not be appropriate to make any commitment in relation to whether the successful candidates should be post holders or not. The...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including preparing examination papers and other examination materials, organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work...

Written Answers — School Inspection Reports: School Inspection Reports (12 Jul 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Whole-school evaluation and subject inspection provide an external perspective on the quality of key aspects of a school's work including its management, leadership, curriculum provision, teaching and learning. Following these inspection processes the inspectors facilitate feedback meetings during which the strengths of the school or subject department are acknowledged and clear...