Results 1,841-1,860 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school referred to by the Deputy was included in the list of school building projects announced to go to construction in 2014/15 and I can confirm that this project is among those budgeted for in the 5 year capital programme. The acquisition of a site for permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being progressed by my Department. However, due to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Representations (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The service referred to by the Deputy is one element of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) and meets an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications. In some cases, applicants may opt not to use the established...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The two schools referred to by the Deputy have agreed to amalgamate and submitted an application for a major capital project. As the Deputy is aware, this school project is scheduled on the Five Year Plan to proceed to construction in 2015/2016. Further to a technical site visit by Department officials, the girls school was deemed to be the most suitable location, subject to additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can inform the Deputy that in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Rulings (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: With the assistance of the Attorney General, I have sought further legal advice on the implications of the European Court of Human Rights judgment for outstanding school child abuse cases. The State Claims Agency has informed my Department that there are 45 current day school abuse claims on hands. I have asked my Department, with the Attorney General's Office and State Claims Agency, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published comprehensive policy advice on Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Schools last year. This policy advice is available at www.ncse.ie. Table 5 of Appendix 1 of this publication details the approximate number of students for whom resource teaching hours (RTHs) were allocated to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has a designated Data Protection/Freedom of Information Officer who is responsible for implementing data protection legislation in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. The DES has published a 'Data Protection Code of Practice' which outlines the steps taken when processing personal data and the manner in which my Department responds to requests for access to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Department will continue to provide a book grant as usual to all primary schools. This grant, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme. I want to commend all schools that have used it to help build up book rental schemes over the years and I am aware of the difficulties faced by schools in relation to these schemes. Their efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that an extension to the deadline for the drawdown of funding will be considered on receipt of a request from the school management authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is aware of the rising enrolments in schools both at Primary and Post Primary level and is forecasting an increase of more than 45,000 primary pupils and 25,000 post primary pupils by the start of the 2017 school year. I have already announced that 20 new primary and 20 post primary schools are to be built to meet those rising enrolments. Alongside the building of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (20 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Contributions to pension schemes and pension or retirement products, within the limits allowed by the Revenue Commissioners, are deducted in determining the reckonable income of an applicant as set out in the Student Grant Scheme 2013. However, 'unrelieved' contributions carried forward from previous years are excluded for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme even though they may qualify...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by the Pope: Motion (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I will leave it in the Senator’s capable hands.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I thank all Senators for the welcome they have given the proposal and for their generally supportive comments. I will try to respond as comprehensively as possible to everything that has been said but if I fail to do so, I will communicate with Members later. Senator Power raised the issue of facilitating principals. We are recognising the leadership role of principals, to which Senator...

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: None of those relationships has changed.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: One was on one's own.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: To what are the costs related?

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: That is a very small problem now. The council has effectively closed the door on untrained or unqualified teachers.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can assure the Senator that does not apply to teachers.

Seanad: Teaching Council of Ireland: Statements (19 Feb 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: We call them elections.