Results 12,421-12,440 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The staffing allocation for the amalgamated school has been dealt with in the normal manner. The allocation to date for this school is 42 teaching posts and the allocation will be finalised over the coming weeks which will increase this figure. My Department has recently met with the School Principal regarding the staffing allocation for this school.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: It appears from the details supplied by the Deputy that the student in question is availing of the graduate entry option to pursue a primary degree in medicine. To avail of this entry route, a primary degree in another discipline is necessary. In general, under the student grant schemes, students cannot qualify for grant assistance or free tuition fees for a second period of study at the...

Written Answers — School Grants: School Grants (30 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has informed primary schools that they should not enter into any capital commitment in anticipation of the minor works grant in respect of the school year 2011/2012. It is the intention to decide in the autumn on the issuing of a Minor Works Grant in respect of the forthcoming school year.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that in the context of making provision for the long term accommodation needs of the school in question, officials in my Department have conducted technical inspections of two properties at the request of the school authority. A proposal has been forwarded to the land owner for consideration. My Department is currently awaiting a response to this proposal. In the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 106 together. Limited alleviation or adjustment measures have been provided to assist schools which have high concentrations of Traveller pupils who were previously supported by Resource Teacher for Travellers (RTT) posts. As the Deputy is aware, the decision to remove these posts was taken by the previous Fianna Fail - Green Party Government in last...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for a student's grant awarding body. Where a grant awarding authority turns down an application and subsequently rejects an appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department. No appeal has been received by my Department from the student to date. A review of the case will be carried out as quickly as possible should an...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I regret that the economic circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position to reverse or alter any of the changes to the student grant measures announced in Budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil - Green Party Government. These changes included an increase in the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant. I understand the concerns of students with...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The staff employed in my Department broken down by grade are set out in the following Table 1. The latest pay scales for non-administrative staff in my Department are set out in Table 2, which has been forwarded to the Deputy. The latest pay scales for General Service Grades which came into effect on 1 January 2010 are set out in Circular 28/2009: Revision of pay of Civil Servants available...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy applied to my Department for funding under the Summer Works Scheme 2011. Unfortunately, due to the scale of demand for funding under the scheme, it was not possible to grant aid all applications. As outlined in the Circular governing the operation of the scheme, applications for works in the higher categories of eligible works were...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In September 2005, my Department announced the allocation of funding of €300 million for an Education PPP Programme comprising of 23 new post primary schools and 4 new primary schools under a major expansion of the Government's Public Private Partnership Programme. The provision of the proposed new secondary school in Skibbereen was included in that announcement. The first bundle of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware, a major project for the school to which he refers was included on the list of projects on the work programme for 2011, which was announced on 24 January 2011, where accommodation briefs will be formulated and the process of appointing a Design Team will commence. In order to progress this matter further, the Department is, in the first instance, reviewing the Schedule...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The financial circumstances of the country are such that I am not in a position currently to reverse any of the changes to the student grant schemes introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil – Green Party Government or to make extra funding available. However, students on particularly low incomes will continue to receive a "top-up" in the special rate of grant and the Student Assistance Fund...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy is referring to the change to the student grant schemes introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government which removes the automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent rate of grant. It is estimated that some 6,900 mature students live 45 kilometres or less from their institution. From September 2011, students qualifying for the maintenance element...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers was among those 453 primary and post primary schools across the country who will be receiving funding under the 2011 Summer Works Scheme. Details of the schools in question are available on my Department's website www.education.ie. The school in question has received written notification to this effect from my Department.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware, 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 to schools to support children with special educational needs. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assisting technology is required. The NCSE...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the student grant scheme and application form for the 2011/12 academic year was published on www.studentfinance.ie on 27 June, 2011.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The case in question was admitted by the Section 29 Administration Unit of my Department on the 10th June 2011. In accordance with Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, appeals are generally dealt with within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of the appeal. This appeal hearing is due to take place on 8th July 2011. Following the receipt of the Committee's determination, the...

Written Answers — Overseas Students: Overseas Students (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Details on the number of overseas students attending third level institutions in September 2011 will not be available until such students have registered with their respective colleges. I understand from the Higher Education Authority that preliminary figures for the 2010/11 academic year show that there were 24,399 international students in higher education institutions in Ireland (not...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that preliminary discussions have taken place between officials from County Donegal Vocational Education Committee (VEC), Donegal County Council and my Department in relation to a proposed campus development in Buncrana. The VEC appointed consultants to carry out site suitability assessment reports on a number of potential sites in the area and one of these...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding. 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 works, including...