Results 20,221-20,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (22 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Health. The position is that there are 2,427 approved consultant permanent posts and 201 temporary posts. I am informed by the HSE that there are 392 other approved posts. The current status of these posts has not been reported at this time but it is expected shortly. It points out that this does not...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Consultant Recruitment (22 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: Those are fair points. The Senator should realise that if the advertising of vacancies is advanced there will be a surge in the number of vacant posts in the short term. If the Senator is tracking the number of vacant posts he will, by his own suggestion, see a big increase in them. Notwithstanding that, it is probably a good idea to plan and anticipate workforce planning. I will alert...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water Safety (22 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Conway for raising this issue. The truth is that the curriculum does have a considerable element devoted to physical education at primary level. The teacher training programme is designed to enable teachers to deliver all the elements of the curriculum, including aquatics and water safety. There is a module in the curriculum that deals specifically with the issue raised by...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water Safety (22 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will consider the Senator's proposal but I am very conscious that the physical education element of the curriculum has so many aspects to it and to single out just one part could cause difficulties. I am also conscious that many school principals bemoan circular overload from the Department and I do not want to be adding to their load. To some degree, an awareness of water safety should...

Order of Business (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: First, I will make the general point that the Department would only consider acquiring land where there is an identified need. We have a very detailed approach to identifying where need occurs. That is what we pursue. We obviously have a restricted budget and we have to cater for 15,000 additional pupils every year so we have to take an approach that manages our resources to provide...

Order of Business (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I said to Deputy Thomas Byrne's party leader last week, we have a memorandum for Government. As soon as that is approved, we will proceed to drafting as quickly as possible.

Educational Research Centre (Establishment) (Amendment) Order 2017: Motion (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: I move:That Dáil Éireann approves the following draft Order:Educational Research Centre (Establishment) (Amendment) Order 2017,copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 15 June 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers recently applied to my Department for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme to build an extension at the school comprising three resource rooms, link corridor, toilets and associated works.  These works were outside the scope of the Emergency Works Scheme which is only for sudden and unforeseen emergencies.  Accordingly, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together. As the Deputy is aware, the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation. The application will be considered and my Department will convey a decision to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment was published in October 2015. The Strategy set out a plan to embed ICT in teaching, learning and assessment. A detailed Action Plan for 2017 was recently launched, based on the objectives outlined in the Digital Strategy. Timelines and lead responsibility have been assigned, and progress will be measured...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers was announced as part of the Six Year Capital Programme in November, 2015.  A suitable site for the school has been identified and negotiations in respect of its proposed acquisition have commenced. Due to the commercial sensitivities which attach to property acquisitions generally, I am unfortunately not in a position to provide further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a project to deliver permanent accommodation for the schools to which he refers is on my Department's Capital Programme.  The acquisition of a site was required in order to facilitate this project. This acquisition is currently at a very advanced stage.  Planning permission has been received in respect of this project and once the site acquisition is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. My Department has reviewed the preliminary tender report and has authorised the Design Team to issue a letter of intent to the preferred bidder and subject to no issues arising it is envisaged that the project will commence on site later this year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Applications (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The key factor, as the Deputy will be aware, is not the level of disadvantage in the area where the school is located, but the level of disadvantage among the actual pupil cohort. Schools included in the list published by my Department on 13 February are those whose level of disadvantage has been identified as being at the same level as the current DEIS category for schools serving the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Property (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take question Nos. 195 and 197 to 199, inclusive, together. The Congregation of the Christian Brothers have not raised with me any requirement to pass the proposed sale of lands, currently used by a post-primary school as playing pitches, to the Charities Regulatory Authority for examination and approval.  Referral to the Charities Regulatory Authority is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Property (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department became aware of the decision by the Congregation of Christian Brothers to sell lands owned by the Congregation. In its correspondence in early May last, the Congregation advised that it was its intention to use part of the proceeds of the land disposal to meet its outstanding redress contribution relating to the voluntary offer it made in 2009 in response to the findings of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools.  Staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by my Department and are not paid via grant funding.  The 1978 and 1979 schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive capitation grant scheme. The majority of primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are provided to assist recognised schools to cater for pupils with disabilities, who have additional and significant care needs, in an educational context and where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in medical and other professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require additional adult assistance in order to be able to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Data (27 Jun 2017)

Richard Bruton: The final report of the Technical Working Group on teacher supply, ‘Striking the Balance’ was published on 9 June 2017.  The report focuses on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, while outlining the work which will be required to establish a sustainable long term model of post primary teacher supply. The report sets out an approach to planning...