Results 101-120 of 14,576 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Anti-Bullying Procedures (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: When the new anti-bullying procedures for schools were published last September, it was acknowledged that schools would need time to develop an anti-bullying policy in line with the new procedures. Accordingly the accompanying circular allowed schools a period up to the Easter break of this year to make the necessary arrangements, including consultations with the school community, for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I am advised by the State Examinations Commission that the Leaving Certificate results are issued 7.5 weeks after the written examinations in June. Following each days examinations the candidates' scripts are returned to the SEC offices before being despatched to the examining team for marking. The marking schemes must be finalised and examiners trained before commencing to mark. Each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Statistics (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I have already asked the Teaching Council, the professional standards body for teachers, for advice on the matter of teacher supply and demand. The Council is currently working to provide that advice with the overall goal of ensuring that there is timely information to inform the system generally and for planning in my Department. The Teaching Council has approved a roadmap and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: In 2013 my Department spent some €1.3 billion supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs. This represents approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department. This Government has continued to protect resources for Special Education and in some areas there have been increases in 2014, despite the ongoing severe financial position continuing to face the country. An initial...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Expenditure supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs was some €1.3bn in 2013, which represents approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department. These resources have been protected, or in some areas have been increased in 2014 to take into account increased demand and demographic growth, despite the ongoing severe financial position and a requirement to make expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to provide improved accommodation for Gaelscoil Phádraig in the building currently occupied by Ballyowen Meadows Special School. This building will be vacated following the completion of the building project to construct a new school for Ballyowen Meadows. Planning Permission for the new Ballyowen Meadows school project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The specific information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I wish to assure the Deputy 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 available funding. I also wish to advise the Deputy that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Statistics (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. Unlike most other areas of the public service teaching vacancies are being filled in accordance with published Department criteria. The main priority for the foreseeable future is targeting resources to cater for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that County Kildare has been identified as an area of significant demographic growth. My Department's 5 Year Plan prioritises major school projects to meet this demand. During the period 2012 -2016, eleven new schools are being provided across the County together with 14 major extension projects. My Department will also consider applications from individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Issues (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I understand that by 30th June, Caranua had received 2,921 applications and had made 368 payments in respect of 118 applicants. The first stage of the application process involves verifying an applicant's eligibility and proof of identity. Once confirmed applicants are contacted by one of Caranua's Application Advisers, who discusses their needs and how Caranua can meet those needs. While...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) administers the Student Grant Scheme on behalf of my Department. The Student Grant Scheme provides that in order to qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions: 1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703. 2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: A building project for the first school to which the Deputy refers is currently in architectural planning. An application for planning permission is currently being prepared and this will be submitted to the local authority shortly. This building project has been included on the Department's 5 year construction plan and my Department will be in contact with the school shortly regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 39 small primary schools are losing a classroom post for the coming school year due to the increased pupil thresholds announced in Budget 2012. The loss of a classroom post in 12 of these schools is due to the final phase of the Budget 2012 measure. The loss of a classroom post in each of the other 27 schools is due to the effect of the earlier phase of the Budget 2012 measure combined with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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 qualifying children. My Department recently issued Circular 30/2014, which sets...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18th June 2014. The report recommends that a new allocation model should be developed, based on a schools educational profile, while also providing a baseline allocation to every mainstream school in order to support inclusion. It was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The National Council for Special Education published its Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18th June 2014. The report recommends that a new allocation model should be developed, based on a schools educational profile, while also providing a baseline allocation to every mainstream school in order to support inclusion. It was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Funding (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: This is an operational matter for City of Dublin Education and Training Board (ETB) and I have asked the ETB to contact the Deputy directly to clarify the position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: 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 NCSE are in regular contact with this school and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information Data (8 Jul 2014)

Ruairi Quinn: The following table gives details of FOI requests from 2009 to date received by my Department. The total number of FOI requests for each of the years includes requests that were withdrawn, handled outside FOI or transferred to another public body. Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Education and Skills -1st January 2009-30 June 2014 - - Requests Requests Requests...