Results 1,481-1,500 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers applied to my Department for additional accommodation including a mainstream classroom, learning support/resource accommodation and ancillary accommodation. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department recently approved a significant devolved grant for 1 mainstream classroom and 3 learning support/resource rooms to allow the school to replace all of its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The detailed supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs for the 2013/2014 school year are set out in Departmental Circular 0037/2013 which issued on 1 July 2013 and which is available on the Department's website at the following address: . With effect from 1 May 2013 once an SNA with a minimum of one year's service is notified by his/her employer that he/she is to be made redundant then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of pupils enrolled in Primary schools (including Special Schools) for the 2013/14 school year is 536,319 and the number of pupils enrolled in all-Irish primary schools in the current school year is 41,659 pupils. I wish to advise the Deputy also that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed that the student referred to by the Deputy has appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the Independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The appeal will be heard within the timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011 and the student will be notified directly of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed that the student referred to by the Deputy has appealed the decision of the awarding authority to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The appeal was considered by the Appeals Board on 4th March 2014 and the decision issued directly to the student on 5th March 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commemorative Events (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together. The all-island schools' history competition is one of the measures adopted by my Department to mark the contribution of the education sector to the 'decade of centenaries' which covers the period 2012-2022. This competition has been organised in conjunction with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. The closing date for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to advise that my Department has recently commenced the process of identifying and acquiring a suitable permanent site for the school to which the Deputy refers. This will involve engagement with Cork County Council in respect of identifying a suitable site. In view of the financial constraints imposed by the need, as outlined in the Five Year Plan, to prioritise available...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology Issues (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Since 1998, the national ICT in Schools programme has focused on building capacity across the schools system for integrating ICT into teaching and learning and developing pupils' digital literacy, the ICT in Schools programme must now address new policy challenges and opportunities arising from major developments in curricular reform, digital publishing, digital content dissemination tools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The independent Apprenticeship Review Group, who were tasked with carrying out the Apprenticeship Review submitted their report to my Department in December 2013. The group made comprehensive recommendations, both on the expansion of apprenticeship into new industrial sectors on the enhancement of the model in existing apprenticeship trades. The review group recommended that its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2012 there were 355 appeals lodged to my Department and 214 were heard by a section 29 committee. In 2013 there were 403 appeals lodged to my Department and 203 were heard by a section 29 committee. The information requested in respect of 2014 will be available at the year end. My officials have provided a breakdown of the information requested by the Deputy on the following table....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 to 83, inclusive, together. Under the terms of my Department's student grant and free fees schemes, students who are entering approved full-time undergraduate course in an approved higher education institution are eligible to be considered for grants and free tuition fees. In general, students who previously pursued a course of study are not eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is not in receipt of an application in respect of additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. It is open to the school authorities to apply to my Department for additional accommodation by completing the application form which is available on my Department's website at www.education.gov.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Springboard is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part-time higher education courses to enable unemployed people who have lost jobs in sectors where employment levels will not return, to upskill or reskill in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. Unfortunately due to the limited resources available under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. The purpose of these procedures is to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. The procedures include specific requirements in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The gross capital allocation indicated for the Education sector in 2013 under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016 Programme published in November 2011 amounts to €415m. This was increased in 2013 by a carryover from the 2012 capital allocation and by savings that emerged on the Department's current allocation. The figure of €436 million provided in my answer to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm for the Deputy that while my Department is aware of the Patron's proposals to merge the schools concerned, I have not received any proposal from the Patron in the matter. The initiative for any amalgamation or re-organisation may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Boards of Management and patron. Any such proposal to amalgamate schools must involve...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides a national visiting teacher service to support the educational development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing or who are blind or have a visual impairment. Visiting teacher support for children with hearing impairment in the areas of Roscommon, Sligo and Donegal has been affected by the short-term absence of a member of staff. Services for children with visual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Customer Services (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has a number of internal tracking systems in place to process applications which are received in the Department. General and detailed information on a range of grants payable by the Department is available in the "Services" area of the Schools and Colleges section of the Department of Education and Skills website. Grants payable by my Department tend to be for a specific purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: For the information of the Deputy, I can confirm that neither myself nor officials of my Department have held meetings with Communicorp Group Ltd.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Administration (12 Mar 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the Home Tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. Parents engage tutors directly and the grant is paid to the parent...