Results 21,041-21,060 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: In July I announced that 975 additional SNAs will be available for allocation to schools from September 2017 which is a 7.5% increase to meet the demands for the new school year. A total of 13,990 SNA posts will now be available at a gross annual cost of €458 million. This is more SNAs than we have ever had previously and will ensure that all children who qualify for SNA support can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) is calculated at each level by dividing the total number of pupils by the total number of allocated posts (classroom teachers and support teachers). This calculation differs from other such calculations (for example the staffing schedule at primary level which is the basis for allocating classroom teachers to each school based on their enrolments). The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information as requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Stage 2(b) Detailed Design Report for the major building project at the school to which the Deputy refers has recently been reviewed by my Department and comments on the report issued to the Board of Management in July 2017. A response to these comments is awaited from the Board of Management and its Design Team. In parallel, the Board of Management and its Design Team are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: In order to plan for school provision, my Department carries out demographic exercises based on 314 school planning areas across the country. My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 together. Since the publication of the reports on Friday 1stSeptember 2017, in addition to written and verbal communication with the schools in question, an official of my Department and the Department’s Fire Consultant have met with the school authorities and briefed them on the progress on the fire safety remediation works. The relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department 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 schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 to 454, inclusive, together. The comprehensive document “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’ Approach” published on 2 May outlined in detail the structures put in place by the Government to ensure a strategic and whole-of Government response to Brexit that ensures a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Mid-Year Expenditure Report published in July, sets out the Pre-Budget Ceiling of €8,901 million current and €717 million capital for the Department of Education and Skills for 2018. The amount included in this ceiling reflects certain demographic pressures arising in the Education Sector. As outlined in the Mid-Year Expenditure Report, the increases planned in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Fire Safety in all buildings, including schools, is covered by the States Building Regulations. Schools are dealt with in exactly the same way as any other buildings under the State’s Building Regulations. The amendments to the Building Regulations BC(A)R 2014 which came into force in March 2014 introduced a system of certification requiring those professionals involved in the design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together. Under the Department’s 6-year capital investment programme (2016-2021) and in accordance with the Programme for Government, a multi-annual funding provision of €180 million is being made available from 2019 to replace school prefabs with permanent accommodation. To enable this development, the Department will be carrying...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Tender Process for this school project is currently in progress. The invitation to tender issued on 21/8/17 and tenders are due back 2/10/17. When the tender process is complete the project will then proceed to construction.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: 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. The programme is also available for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where a school chooses not to extend their services for July, all eligible...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for raising this issue. This is a very significant purchase by the Department. From our point of view, it is an area where it is difficult to get land and we were very pleased to get the opportunity to acquire this site. As the Deputy will be aware, courtesy of Dublin City Council the land has been rezoned from recreational and part residential zoning to Z15...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I have noted what the Deputy said. I have attended Harold's Cross on many occasions, not for schooling, only for the schooling dogs. Whether it would be appropriate to use that site as a temporary one for education while its longer-term potential is being designed and assessed by the Department is an issue that I would have to refer to those who are expert in designing and planning. I note...

Topical Issue Debate: School Management (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is disturbing and he has accurately outlined the backdrop to it. A whole-school evaluation of the school in Faughart was conducted in March this year and the report was published in May on the Department's website. As the Deputy indicated, the report found a number of significant problems with the capacity of the school to deliver on its...

Topical Issue Debate: School Management (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am taking a keen interest in this matter, but we deploy professional staff, including inspectors and others who have decades of experience, to support patrons, school managements and communities. One should not seek to politicise the solution because, from a departmental point of view, we are committed to providing the funding required. We stand ready to provide the teaching resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: There are significant differences between EU countries in terms of the level of public expenditure allocated to higher education and the types of direct and indirect supports given to students and private households. The student support system adopted in each EU country generally involves a combination of either grants (needs based grants and/or merit based grants), loans, tax benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Risk Assessment (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The National Risk Assessment process was initiated in 2013 when the Government announced it would publish annually a National Risk Assessment (NRA), as a process to identify the strategic risks that Ireland faces over the short, medium and long term. The Department of the Taoiseach co-ordinates the preparation of the NRA supported by a Steering Group of Government Departments and Agencies....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Departmental funding is disbursed in line with the overall principle that there should be transparency and accountability in the management of public money having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness and in compliance with the central guidelines, as set out in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Circular number 13 of 2014. The Department provides funding to a...