Results 1,701-1,720 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 120 together. The survey cited by the Deputy is focused on guidance counsellors, in particular on the time spent by them in a one-to-one setting giving career guidance and student counselling. It is important to note that guidance is a whole-school activity and does not only involve the guidance counsellor. For this reason, the implications of the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy has pointed to a deficiency in the system that has existed for a long time. When I came into office, we had 19 colleges of education, providing initial teacher education for primary school teachers and for secondary school teachers. In light of the literacy and numeracy and on foot of advice, I agreed that the initial teacher education for primary school teachers should go from...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Any teacher who gets paid a salary by the taxpayer - 99.9% - from 31 January this year must be registered with the Teaching Council to get paid. There are 87,000 such teachers. We will now be exploring with the Teaching Council what their skill sets are. Most secondary teachers register and provide their first and second subject, and we will look at how that supply can be managed, as any...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Amalgamation (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I will wait for any official communication from both school communities.

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 138 together. As part of the Department's five-year school building programme, more than 20 new post-primary schools, usually of the order of 1,000 pupils per school, are being established across the country to cater for increasing demographics. A number of these schools have already commenced operation and the remainder will open between now and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Amalgamation (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware that some patrons have initiated consultation processes relating to amalgamation proposals. I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision-making authority for any school amalgamation belongs to the school's patron and this is subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills. The initiative for any amalgamation may come from a variety of sources such as parents,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Amalgamation (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am aware of the two locations where proposed amalgamations have been initiated by the management bodies and the patron. As the Deputy rightly said, the day-to-day responsibility for the management of former Christian Brothers schools lies with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. The patron for Roman Catholic schools is the bishop of the diocese in which the school is located. The prime mover...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for his supplementary question. The reply I have given clearly indicates to the House that I have probably met the two teacher unions in the second level sector, which are just two of the three unions involved in the education system and two of a large number of other education stakeholders, on numerous occasions. On every occasion, the future of the junior cycle was a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: All of the education partners in the junior cycle, many people outside it and many Deputies in this House have welcomed the proposed changes, including the system of moderation. The only two who have not welcomed it and are opposed to it as far as we can see are two teachers' unions. Deputy McConalogue keeps referring to the need for consultation. I believe in consultation but at the end of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I heard what the Deputy said and I can readily identity with the satisfaction parents and young students have of maximising their potential in the way the Deputy has described. We should have a debate on this when we get the NCSE's report because it covers more than just the Down's syndrome category.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department, in consultation with me, established an education partners consultative group to provide all the education stakeholders with a formal medium for assisting in the planning of the phased implementation of the new junior cycle. This group first met on Thursday, 27 September 2012. Subsequent meetings were held on the day of the framework launch on 4 October 2012 and on 28...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The matters raised by the Deputy are currently the subject of High Court proceedings against the Department. I am therefore somewhat constrained in what I can say in response to this question. The NCSE report on supporting children with special educational needs recommended that under a proposed new allocation model, all children, including those with Down's syndrome, should be allocated...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have an additional note that might be of assistance to the Deputy. The NCSE was asked to provide policy advice on the issue of whether Down's syndrome should be reclassified as a low-incidence disability in all instances regardless of assessed cognitive ability. As part of the NCSE's comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special educational...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the Deputy is referring to how students are categorised for student grant purposes. For such purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances - as students dependent on their parents or legal guardians, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on 1 January of the year...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand the Deputy is talking about people under the age of 23 who are still deemed to be dependent on their guardian or parental home. I presume that in the cases of manifest estrangement which have been brought to the Deputy's attention by his constituents or by others, the evidence that was produced was not deemed to be satisfactory to SUSI. Is that correct?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: If the Deputy gives me the details of the particular case, I will have a look at it. If the Deputy is suggesting that we should revisit the definition of estrangement in the case of a person under the age of 23, with reference to the level of proof and evidence that should be supplied to SUSI, I will have a look at that as well.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank the Deputy for the point he has made. I look forward to getting the precise information on that particular case. We will look at the general principle he has raised.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I apologise to the Deputy. The system, which has been in place for a long time, used to take a whole year to return the data he is requesting, which means we would not have the final figures until next September. However, I am told by my Department's statistical section that the latest information will be published at the end of June, which is an improvement on the end of the year.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Yes, but we are talking about a system that is very old. I am making special efforts to facilitate the Deputy. I hoped to have the information for him today but that was not possible in the time available to me. As soon as I can obtain it, I will convey the information to him directly and it will be available to any Member who wants it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Enrolments Data (25 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I assure the Deputy that having been a Member of this House for many more years than I was ever a Minister in any Department, I recognise the untrammelled right of Deputies from either side of the House to obtain information that is available. Regrettably, the information the Deputy is seeking is not readily available today, but I will get it for him or any other Deputy who requests such...