Results 261-280 of 14,576 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the contract has been signed for the school building project to which she refers. Construction on site is due to commence shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that differing teacher allocation ratios are applied under the General Allocation Model (GAM) in relation to boys, girls and mixed schools in order to account for differentials of prevalence of learning difficulty between boys and girls. The objective of this differentiation is to ensure that resources provided to schools to support children who have additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 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: Physical Education Facilities (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together. The specific information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, the Deputy can be assured that my Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve PE facilities for all pupils attending schools within the constraints of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism that choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced details of the schools that will receive Summer Works Scheme funding in 2014 in respect of applications submitted for Categories 1 to 6 i.e. Gas, Electrical, Mechanical, Toilet Facilities and Roof Works projects. In total, I have approved the spending of more than €70 million on the Summer Works Scheme to allow over 770 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Application Numbers (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 495 grants were approved under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme in 2013. A breakdown of these approvals is attached as requested by the Deputy. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is solely for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for special needs pupils. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Information in respect of all school projects where funding has been approved under various schemes, including the Additional Accommodation and Emergency Works Schemes is available on my Department's website, broken down geographically, at www.education.ie, and this is updated regularly. The level of grant awarded is confidential to the Board of Management at the time of approval. School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A key priority for my Department is to prioritise and target resources in schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. To this end, resources in DEIS schools have been protected under Budget 2014, with no overall changes to DEIS-related staffing levels or DEIS funding in 2014. I do not intend to give any specific commitment on future budgetary decisions. This is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the relevant Local Authority in relation to acquiring a suitable site for the school in question. Due to sensitivities associated with land acquisitions, it is not possible to provide further information in relation to the ongoing work to acquire a permanent site for the school at this time. The Deputy will be aware that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. A design team was appointed in March to commence the architectural planning process. However, the Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) subsequently ceased trading and my Department is now dealing directly with the Consultant Architect with a view to filling this position. Due...

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

Ruairi Quinn: As the Deputy is aware my Department's position is that as each child with autism is unique, they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs. Applied Behavioural Analysis, or ABA, is one of the approaches used in special classes for children with autism. The use of ABA as part of the range of interventions is particularly useful for addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established in December 2002 under the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 to make fair and reasonable financial awards to victims of institutional childhood abuse. Applicants had a period of up to 3 years in which to submit an application to the Redress Board, that is until 15th December 2005 during which time the Board undertook an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Agencies Funding (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board was established under the Residential Institution Statutory Act, 2012, to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. Contributions from congregations are deposited in the special investment account...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 210 together. The Board of Management (BOM) of the school in question advised my Department that the school will continue in its current locations until the end of June, 2015. My Department has confirmed its willingness to provide grant aid to the BOM to facilitate it renting the premises referred to for the coming school year. My officials and the...

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

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the grant application of the student referred to by the Deputy was refused. The student appealed to the Appeals Officer in SUSI and a letter issued on the 26th May 2014, upholding the original decision. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains of...

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

Ruairi Quinn: A Clerk Typist Scheme for the employment of secretaries in primary and secondary schools was initiated in 1978 as part of the then Government's job-creation programme. While a small number of secretaries employed under the 1978 scheme remain in schools, the scheme is being phased out - no new posts are being created and posts which fall vacant are not being filled. The 1978 scheme has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The major school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The Stage 2(b) submission (Detailed Design) has been approved by the Department, however, as the project was not included in the Department's Five Year Building Programme, the project was not authorised to proceed to tender. Due to competing demands on my Department's capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Eligibility (24 Jun 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: An approval letter was issued to the Management Authority of the school referred to by the Deputy on 8th May 2013 advising them that they had been approved €12,750 under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to enable them address dampness and mildew issues at their school building. All approved funding was paid to the school authority on the 11th October 2013 and no funding was...

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

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together. The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources. Where the student, their parents, legal guardian, spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, as applicable, get a payment from any other government department or state agency details must be submitted as part of the grant application...