Results 13,481-13,500 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: Over half of the Gaelscoileanna are under catholic patronage and the redeployment of surplus teachers from these schools is through the relevant diocesan panels. My Department had discussions recently with An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to its request for a separate panel for Gaelscoileanna under its patronage. These discussions are on-going and a key issue for my Department is how best...

Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to negotiate the transfer of school infrastructure currently owned by 18 religious orders cited in Ryan Report, at no extra cost, to the State. Following publication of the Ryan Report in May 2009, the then Government and this House called on the Congregations to commit to making further substantial contributions by way of reparation. In...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department intends to issue funding to primary schools in April and post-primary schools in June to enable them to provide assistance for school books. Details of the funding were notified to schools by circulars 0023/2011 (primary level) and 0024/2011 (post-primary level), which are available on my Department's website. In these circulars, schools were...

Written Answers — Third Level Statistics: Third Level Statistics (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 1996/97, there were 100,204 full time students enrolled in higher education institutions in Ireland as well as 22,795 part time students. Provisional enrolment figures for 2010/11 show that there are currently 159,056 full time students enrolled in our institutions and 26,645 part time students. This includes both undergraduate and postgraduate students. This is a 59% increase in the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have an equal chance of realising their full potential at all levels of education, from primary through to third level. The student grant schemes have a fundamental role to play in ensuring that this objective is achieved in promoting equity of access to higher education. In this context, I am committed to keeping the student...

Written Answers — Departmental Staffing: Departmental Staffing (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement 2010-2014 sets out how the Civil Service needs to be re-organised in the context of reduced resources and numbers in order to provide a more effective and focused service. My Department and its agencies provide action plans under the Agreement to the Implementation Body which are updated on a quarterly basis as progress is made on issues such as...

Written Answers — School Size: School Size (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: A review is underway at present in order to establish the value for money being achieved from state funding of small primary schools. This value for money review is part of the normal review processes undertaken by Departments on an annual basis on selected areas of expenditure. The closing date for receipt of submissions to the value for money review of small primary schools was Friday...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The process of allocating teaching resources to schools for 2011/2012 and the arrangements for filling vacant or new teaching posts takes place in the context of the Programme for National Recovery, the EU/IMF Programme of Support for Ireland and the Public Service Agreement 2010/2014. It is necessary for my Department to exercise additional control and reporting measures this year to ensure...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: For the 2011 capital provision the primary and post primary sectors are combined under a single subhead and the total allocation amounts to €383m of which approximately €222m is designated for the primary sector. The corresponding combined allocation in 1997 as published in the Revised Estimates for Public Services amounted to €73.723m of which €35.127m related to the primary sector.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive information relating to pupil teacher ratio (PTR) and class sizes in primary schools. The figures for 1996/97 show that there were 21,035 teaching posts, the average class size was 26.6 and the teacher pupil ratio was an average of 1 teacher for every 22.3 pupils at primary level. The most recently published figures relate...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department's records indicate that in the 1996/97 school year there were 43 primary schools that were not under religious patronage. The combined enrolment for these schools in 1996/1997 was circa 5,340 pupils. In the 2009/10 school year there were 130 primary schools that were not under religious patronage. The combined enrolment for these schools in 2009/2010 was circa 22,734 pupils....

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The commitment in the Programme for Government is that 'As resources allow, this Government will invest in a targeted early childhood education programme for disadvantaged children, building on existing targeted pre-school supports for families most in need of assistance such as the young Ballymun project.' There are existing wholly State-funded intervention programmes for young children at...

Written Answers — Departmental Reviews: Departmental Reviews (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government clearly states that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. To that end, we will endeavour to protect frontline services in education. However, the fiscal position is extremely difficult. This country is effectively in receivership. It...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government clearly states that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. To that end, we will endeavour to protect frontline services in education. However, the fiscal position is extremely difficult. This country is effectively in receivership. It...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The report from the Commission on School Accommodation on the review of procedures for the establishment of new primary schools is about to be published. Upon publication of the report it will be necessary to consider the policy matters and necessary arrangements and revised procedures that will need to be put in place. Based on demographic information my Department, in consultation with...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism is a key education objective of the Programme for Government which will provide a platform for what I believe is an essential debate in the education agenda. I am currently considering Terms of Reference for the Forum together with the necessary organisational arrangement to make it happen as quickly as possible. It is my intention to make an announcement...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: In 1996 there were 250 Special Needs Assistants (SNA) employed in Primary and Special Schools and in 1997 there were 270 SNAs employed in Primary and Special Schools. At end December 2010 there were 10,543 SNAs in place. The Programme for Government clearly states that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The implementation of the various commitments in the Programme for Government will be addressed by Government over its period in office.

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. To that end, we are committing - during the tenure of this Government - to improving the co-ordination and integration of the delivery of services to the Traveller community across all...

Written Answers — Third Level Funding: Third Level Funding (24 Mar 2011)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government provides a commitment to undertake a full review of third level funding with a view to introducing a funding system that will provide third level institutions with reliable funding but does not impact on access for students. This review will be advanced as part of the wider implementation plan for the higher education strategy and links to recommendations made...