Results 1,661-1,680 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for a continuum of special educational provision to be made available for children with special educational needs who are enrolled in school, so that regardless of the level of need of the child, educational provision can be made for them. My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. In this regard a Board of Management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or on the basis of some other criterion. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The position is that the student services charge, often referred to as a registration charge, was replaced by the student contribution in 2011. Under the Finance Act 2013 qualifying fees in excess of €2,500, raising annually by €250 to €3,000 in 2015, are eligible for tax relief. This means that families with two or more siblings attending approved higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technology in Schools (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: As Minister I do not endorse or promote any product for use in schools. Schools may decide which technology to use to support implementation of the curriculum. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (Technology in Education) is available to advise schools on how to integrate technology in teaching and learning.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I asked my Department to develop Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in schools because of my consciousness of the significant cost for parents of buying textbooks and workbooks. These Guidelines outline a number of strategies to avoid the need for workbooks or to allow workbooks to be used from year to year. However, it is a matter for the Board of Management of each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. I will arrange for the information sought by the Deputy to be forwarded directly to him.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Under the Student Grant Scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. In order to be considered for a grant a student is required, under Section 8 (1) (b) of the Student Support Act 2011, to be in attendance on a full-time basis....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Responsibility for the delivery of the school referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the Office of Public Works (OPW). Following a recent tender competition the OPW has issued a "Letter of Intent" to the apparently successful tenderer. Construction works will commence on site as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is completing stage 2(a) of architectural planning. My Department held the Stage 2(a) Stakeholders meeting recently with the Boards of Management and their Design Team. Following this meeting the Design Team are working on an addendum report in order to clarify a number of points. Upon satisfactory completion of this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Eligibility (27 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that commensurate with the level of funding available for the Summer Works Scheme, applications are currently being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (59/2013) is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. It is my intention to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Feb 2014)

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 schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Primary school teachers have been working with pre-school children since the mid 1990s when the early start programme was established in 40 primary schools as a preventative measure for children at risk of educational disadvantage. Primary teachers also work with pre-school children with autism in units attached to primary schools. The remit of the Home School Community Liaison Service...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 74 and 77 together. The Deputy will be aware from the response to previous parliamentary questions including the one to which he refers that my Department's policy is to promote a child-centred approach to the education of all children with special educational needs including those with autism. The preferred approach is that children with autism are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together. My Department provides for a comprehensive system of continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers in the area of special educational needs including teachers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Central to this is the Special Education Support Service (SESS) which was established in September 2003. The brief of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The staffing and redeployment process for the 2014/15 school year is currently under way in my Department. The information sought by the Deputy concerning CID applications is not readily available. My Department's Teacher Allocation Section is currently focussed on the allocation process for the coming school year and I do not propose to divert them from this work at this key time. While...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise that the policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, in order to ensure that as many children as possible can be educated with their peers within their own community. My Department therefore provides for a range of placement options and supports for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I will arrange for my Department to contact the Deputy directly regarding this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 to 86, inclusive, together. The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the National School Annual Census. Results from the Census for the current school year (2013/2014) are being finalised at present. Publication of all data at first level and a final list of schools and their enrolments will be on my Department's website by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has received an application for grant aid from the school referred to by the Deputy to provide equipment for a newly established multi-sensory room. Additional information was requested from the School Authority and this information was recently received. The application is now being assessed and the School Authorities will be advised of the outcome.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is expected that the school to which the Deputy refers can accommodate approximately 600 pupils. The enrolment return from the school in September 2013 indicated that there were 572 pupils enrolled at that time. The Department does not hold information on applicant levels in schools. I can confirm that the school has not applied for additional accommodation to my Department and I...