Results 12,441-12,460 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy may be aware of the decision of the previous Government to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector. In respect of Vocational Education Committees, including Co Donegal VEC, positions other than teacher and SNA posts in schools, and teacher equivalents that are directly providing tuition to pupils in schools, in special programmes or in adult and...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The proposal referred to by the Deputy was included in Co. Donegal VEC's 2011 Service Plan, received by my Department on 27th June 2011. Funding for outdoor education centres is approved on the basis that they are self-financing and that their financial activities would be separate from the overall VEC finances. Accordingly, my Department's annual grants are contributory in nature and the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing of applications for enrolment in schools. Once a child has been enrolled in a school, the school can then contact the National Council for Special Education (NCSE),...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy 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 — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce the total number of public sector employees by between 18,000 and 21,000 by 2014, compared to the total number at the end of 2010. The key to ensuring the successful fulfilment of this commitment is by ensuring that the Public Service Agreement 2010 – 2014 is implemented fully throughout the public...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (29 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Four positions under my control in the Higher Education Sector will be affected by the new salary cap of €200,000. They are the Presidents of UCD, UCC, NUIG and the Provost of TCD. The approved salary for each position will be reduced by €11,000 approx. No impact on the ability to recruit or retain these positions in the next 12 months has been identified.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the student grant scheme for the 2011/12 academic year was published on 27 June 2011. The scheme, application form and guidance notes are available on the studentfinance.ie website. The rates of grant for 2011, which applied since January of this year, are as follows:

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Jun 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. There is therefore no panel system in place for SNAs. A...

Written Answers — Emergency Works Scheme: Emergency Works Scheme (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: An application under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to fully refurbish the home economics room, address Health and Safety issues in the corridors and classrooms and for the provision of disabled access facilities has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is solely for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 191 together. 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. A technical assessment of the school has been completed and my Department has agreed the Schedule of Accommodation with the school authority, which includes the provision...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Two Ministers of State were appointed to my Department. The Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, has responsibility for training and skills and the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Sherlock, has responsibility for research and innovation within my Department and in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Set out below, for the Deputy's information, is a note on the roles and...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Since the formation of the Government, there has been one formal EU Ministerial Council meeting and one informal meeting of Education Ministers. I attended the formal Education, Youth and Culture Council meeting in Brussels in May 2011 and Minister for State Ciarán Cannon attended the informal Ministerial meeting in Budapest in March 2011.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Jun 2011)

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

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 180 together. The project for the school referred to by the Deputies is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The Board of Management and Design team have submitted a report to my Department for review. Upon completion of that review my Department officials will respond directly to the Board of Management. Until planning permission...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy is one of 8 new schools which were approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership (PPP). The procurement of these schools is ongoing and it is expected that subject to the successful completion of the tendering and local authority planning process that a contract for the delivery of these schools will be...

Written Answers — Irish Sign Language: Irish Sign Language (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together. The Deputy may be aware that Section 2 of the Official Languages Act 2003 states that "the official languages" of the State are (a) the Irish language (being the national language and the first official language) and (b) the English language (being a second official language) as specified in Article 8 of the Constitution. I wish to advise...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of Resource Teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes and the discontinuation of such classes...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The correspondence provided by the Deputy covers a wide range of budgetary and other measures in order to comply with the terms of the Programme for National Recovery and the EU/IMF Programme of Support for Ireland. The focus of my Department is to ensure that we achieve the maximum from whatever resources we can make available to schools. It is only by taking the difficult but necessary...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (28 Jun 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: As part of the new transport regime for Cabinet Ministers, as decided by Cabinet on 15 March 2011, I am subject to the normal civil service regulations and rates in respect travel and subsistence expenses as set out in Circular 11/82 (as amended by Circulars 22/2005 and 07/2009) with some exceptions which are listed below. There are no other allowances payable to me or the Minister of State...