Results 361-380 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Individual higher education institutions have autonomous responsibility for the management of their staff resources. While teaching hour norms are specified under standard agreed contracts for academic staff in the institute of technology sector, in the case of the university sector there would be a variation of individual teaching loads as part of overall academic duties. I have made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: It is the responsiblity of the student to ensure that their application for a student grant is submitted before the deadline. Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the closing date for the 2013/14 academic year of 5th August 2013 was further extended to 20th November, 2013. However, late applications are accepted by SUSI for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A permanent teacher, who holds a post of responsibility allowance, retains the allowance on a personal basis even if the post is subsequently not warranted by reference to the schedule of posts. However, the post holder must continue to perform duties while he/she continues to teach in the school. There will be no changes to the location of resource base posts for the 2014/15 school year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD). This includes provision for the establishment of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. Applications to establish such classes are considered by the school's assigned Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) and those meeting the criteria for establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. Where children have significant care needs whereby they may need additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The new specifications for all subjects in the new Junior Cycle will state a minimum time for the delivery of the subject. This will be 200 hours for science and other subjects apart from English, Irish and Maths. This is not a maximum or target time and is intended to give schools flexibility to plan a Junior Cycle Programme that will meet the educational needs of their students. Schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Statistics (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this, material has been provided by the SEC for the first two parts of this question. Of the total of 4,861 superintendents appointed to the 2013 examinations, 1,016 were either substitute or unemployed teachers; some 1,049 superintendents were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A substantial programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Mathematics is funded by my Department. The Mathematics CPD programme is provided through a combination of learning opportunities. Since 2008, 10 workshops have been provided for post-primary mathematics teachers and a series of modular evening courses, hundreds of school visits and a national conference have taken...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has recently advertised for posts in both the Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) and National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT). Applicants are required to have a broad range of knowledge, experience and skills therefore ensuring that a high level of expertise will be in place for these positions. The competencies necessary for these posts are commensurate with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that a new post-primary school, Kishogue Community College, Clonburris, Lucan will open in temporary accommodation in September 2014. The construction of a permanent building for Kishogue Community College, a 1,000 pupil school, commenced on site last March. There are no new primary or post-primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department has no plans to undertake a cost benefit analysis of the type suggested by the Deputy. The Constitution does not allow either the positive or negative discrimination of schools based on their religious ethos. Second level schools such as Kilkenny College, and previously Wilson's Hospital, have demonstrated that they believe they can maintain and promote their Church of Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In accordance with Section 30(1) of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 (the Act), each education and training board will consist of 21 members as follows: 12 members elected by the relevant local authority; 2 members elected by ETB staff; 2 members appointed by the ETB from nominees of the National Parents Council; 5 members appointed by the ETB from bodies specified by the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The 20 year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 -2030 contains a number of actions relating to improving the quality of Irish Teaching which need further consideration including the introduction of a Gaeltacht scholarship scheme for primary school teachers to attend intensive Gaeilge courses in the Gaeltacht. This Government is committed to supporting the overall thrust of 20 Year Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy seems to be referring to the redeployment arrangements at primary level. These arrangements are set out in a detailed FAQ document that is published on my Department's website. The redeployment process at primary level is a huge logistical operation. Its focus is on facilitating the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools in that area that have vacancies....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs including autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I can confirm to the Deputy that a total of 18 primary schools closed between 2011 and 2013. Four primary schools closed in 2011, eight closed in 2012 and six closed in 2013. The initiative for closing a school may come from a variety of sources, such as parents, staff, Board of Management, Patron and my Department. Any proposal to close a school must involve consultation with all of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with disabilities, in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream national school to assist school authorities in making suitable provision for a pupil or pupils with special care needs arising from a disability. The first priority is that the care needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (19 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together. In the context of the implementation of the new Framework for Junior Cycle the only subjects that will be "compulsory" are English, Mathematics and Irish. This decision has been taken to give schools the flexibility to develop their Junior Cycle programme mindful of the educational needs of their own students and mindful of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources. The means test arrangements of the student grant scheme are applied nationally. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded. There are no particular supports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental...