Results 1,301-1,320 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school. In that regard, in view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year Plan, to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential additional school places to meet demographic demand, my Department is not in a position...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, I announced that some 20 new post primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. While new post-primary schools are planned for the Cork South Suburbs/Carrigaline and Middleton/Carrigtohill feeder areas, that announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new school for Cork city. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In June 2011, I announced that some 20 new post primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. That announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new school for the city of Dublin. I recently met with an advocacy group for a new multi-denominational school for the north side of the city in this regard. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos.105 and 107 together. Following a detailed nationwide demographic analysis, I announced that some 20 new post primary schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. That announcement did not include a proposal to establish a new post-primary school for the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: This information for school year 2013/2014 will not be available until June 2014. Here is a link to the provisional figures we have available on our website at the moment:

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: While this Department sets out the constitution of Boards of Management and rules of procedure it is not directly involved in the management of schools. Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school, and it is the Board of Management which employs the teachers at the school. The schools Board of Management...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Work and diary commitments would not facilitate a visit to Co. Kerry such as outlined by the Deputy. I have already made clear to the House on a number of occasions that school communities should have no reason to feel that there will be a forced closure of their local school. As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, there is a phased increase in the number of pupils required to gain and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Services Provision (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: At the time when St Columba's and St Luke's schools were awarded their current broadband connections next generation access (NGA) was not available in their area. The schools were awarded the following connections: St Luke's 12mb St Colomba's 17.408mb These contracts were awarded for 3 years ending in June 2015 following a public procurement process. NGA is in the process of being rolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (2 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy may be aware that I signed a Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and the County and City Managers' Association (CCMA) in 2012. This Memorandum of Understanding fosters increased levels of cooperation and formalises the Local Authorities' part in identifying and securing sites for educational use. In that context, my Department is working closely with Cork County...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. The contact details for the EWS is Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Under Budget 2011, the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of student grant increased from 24kms to 45kms. The proposal to amend the distance to qualify for the higher non-adjacent rate to 45km took into account a reasonable radius in which students could be expected to commute on a daily basis. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Visiting Teacher Service for children with Visual and Hearing Impairment provides assistance for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and children who are blind or visually impaired. In May 2013 the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) brought forward policy advice which recommended that the service should be reviewed. Accordingly, an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department will continue to provide a book grant as usual to all primary schools. This grant, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme. I want to commend all schools that have used it to help build up book rental schemes over the years and I am aware of the difficulties faced by schools in relation to these schemes. Their efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with the awarding authority, Cork County Council, that the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded 50% registration fees for the academic year 2013/14. The student was not awarded a grant towards maintenance as the income was over the income threshold. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government gave approval last week for drafting the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill 2014. This new legislation aims to ensure that the enrolment process in all primary and post-primary schools is inclusive, transparent and fair. The General Scheme has since been referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel by the Government with a request to commence drafting as soon as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Administration (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Eligibility (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that on 20th March last I announced that 386 schools have been approved funding under the Summer Works scheme to undertake school improvements. This first round of funding will allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works across three categories of projects - Gas, Electrical and Mechanical. A second round of the scheme is expected to be announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. The contact details for the EWS is Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Eligibility (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that on 20th March last I announced that 386 schools have been approved funding under the Summer Works scheme to undertake school improvements. This first round of funding will allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works across three categories of projects - Gas, Electrical and Mechanical. In the case of the school, referred to by the Deputy, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Residential Institutions Redress Board provides compensation to those who suffered abuse as children in residential institutions. The independent Board makes awards in accordance with the framework set out in Towards Redress and Recovery, the report of the independent compensation advisory committee which advised on the appropriate levels of compensation. By the end of 2013, the Board had...