Results 1,681-1,700 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

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

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm that my Department has received an application from the school, referred to by the Deputy, for funding to facilitate its growth to a third stream, i.e. a 24 classroom school. My Department is currently liaising with the Patron of the school and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities when this process has been finalised. The Deputy will however appreciate that my...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Details in relation to external consultants engaged by my Department in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in the table below. Legal costs incurred by the Department, in connection with cases which are brought to court, are generally not met directly by my Department. In accordance with financial procedures in cases involving damages or compensation against the State, costs are generally charged...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (26 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Programme for Government includes a commitment that the Government will take steps to ensure that all State Boards have at least 40% of each gender represented among the members. In 2012, women members represented 38% of board membership of State Boards in the Education sector. However, I aim to ensure that the Programme for Government commitment of 40% is achieved in the Education...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I do not wish to make a commitment in advance of getting the model report. We will then need to consider the implications whether to phase-in any change, to maintain the present system or to alter the present system. I hope to have that report within six to eight weeks.

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I will consider my reply and I may write to the Deputy to provide her with further information but it is not possible to anticipate at this point in time.

Other Questions: School Curriculum (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 112, 122 and 282 together. I thank the Deputies who have tabled these questions as the topic is of interest to anyone who is a Deputy. I have decided to make the subject politics and society available to students at senior cycle. On foot of this, my Department recently wrote to the NCCA seeking its advice on a number of issues which need to be addressed...

Other Questions: School Curriculum (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have no doubt that Deputy Conway and many of her colleagues will get back in here again.

Other Questions: School Curriculum (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It certainly will be no thanks to Deputy Dooley either.

Other Questions: School Curriculum (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am meeting with the Teaching Council next week and I will discuss this matter with the council. It is a question of identifying the teaching qualifications. As we all know, we may all be elected but that does not necessarily mean we are qualified politicians, per se. We have arrived here with different sets of qualifications. The teaching of politics is not as specific as teaching one...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy has placed on the record a series of questions to which answers are not contained in the briefing material provided to me. I will obtain the information he requires and reply to him directly when it is to hand.

Other Questions: Third Level Qualifications Issues (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The objective of the student grant scheme is to help as many students as possible obtain one qualification at each level of study. Given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first-time students and those who are progressing with their studies to a higher level, there are no plans at present to change the arrangements in place. Eligibility for the back to education...

Other Questions: Third Level Qualifications Issues (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy made some interesting points and we will ensure that they are considered in the context of Springboard and other specific labour market-friendly programmes. If skills shortages are identified, those to whom the Deputy refers can apply for entry onto such programmes and maximise the possibility that they will eventually be offered employment.

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Pupils with Down's syndrome who have a mild general learning disability receive resource teaching support from teachers allocated to schools through the general allocation model. The recent National Council for Special Education, NCSE, report on supporting children with special educational needs recommended that, under a proposed new allocation model, all children, including those with...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department's policy is that children with special educational needs, including those with autism, should be educated in an inclusive environment in mainstream schools, unless the extent of their needs is such that they require specialist support which cannot be provided in mainstream settings. Schools are supported in integrating children with special needs in schools by the national...

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I know what the Deputy is saying and I will look into the matter.

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: We do collect the information. Part of the difficulty relates to the ability to retrieve it in a user-friendly format. That is one of the things we are looking at. We had this exchange earlier in respect of primary schools. The information is gathered but it is stored in such a way that it takes a long time for it to be checked, double-checked and made available. I am not satisfied with...

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I welcome the Deputy's comments and acknowledge her personal experience in this area. I do not intend to return to the ex-quota system. I would like to see additional resources become available in order that we could increase the staffing allocation generally, but it is for the school leadership and principals of schools to decide how best to deploy those resources, although I believe I am...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to note that under the leadership of the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock, an educational review group is carrying out work specifically in the STEM area, which has been identified as an area of skills shortages worldwide. This flows naturally into engineering and information and communications technology skills. The Department will soon receive the report on the issue...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I have sought to prioritise within available funding the replacement of prefabricated accommodation with permanent accommodation and that this work is progressing. Under the prefab replacement initiative, almost €60 million has been approved with the intention of replacing 575 rented prefabricated units in respect of 216 schools nationally. The permanent...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: If the Deputy can persuade the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to release more money to me, I will have more prefabricated buildings replaced.