Results 21,141-21,160 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade.   The budget provided for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools in the 2017/18 school year. Each 1 point adjustment to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the joint committee for giving me the opportunity to discuss the recent matters concerning fire safety. My Department takes fire safety very seriously. I am announcing today a series of measures to deliver best practice in terms of fire safety. The measures cover the following three broad areas: a programme of audits to ensure compliance with fire certificates; a range of measures...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank members for the comprehensive range of questions. The rapid build approach was introduced in 2008. After planning permission was obtained, the contractor did the design and build work. The contractor signed off in 2008 that the buildings were compliant with the terms of the fire certificate. However, defects were found in a particular school in the batch from 2008. The Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: -----or demonstrated significant or persistent deficiencies in the performance of a public contract which led to its early termination. The situations in which one can or cannot exclude a builder from a particular application process are very clear. It is true that although we are carrying out an audit of every building constructed by Western Building Systems, the Department is confident...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: There is an ongoing court case involving the Office of Public Works.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: As there is a court case, I am not in a position to comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I recognise and agree fully that the schools should have been informed, but the policy of the Department at the time, before the protocol was put in place, was to pursue issues with the fire office and the contractor in order to have works conducted. That was the approach taken. In this case, of course, the Department discovered that the undertakings made were not conducted in the manner...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand that in the case of a sealed contract there is a 12-year period for defects. We are consulting with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor in respect of all of the issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Breaches of Fire Safety Standards: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Chairman and members.

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Murphy O'Mahony for raising this issue. I am happy to reply on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan. The Department and Government are very aware of the importance of small schools in rural communities. That is why it is in the programme for Government that small schools will not be closed without the consent of parents. The initiative for closing a school may...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand the Deputy's request but chaperones are a very significant cost. We provide chaperones for 12,000 children with special educational needs and they are a very significant cost. Those are a growing area of need.

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: In applying a national scheme, the Department has to decide if it will extend chaperones to children below a certain age in any circumstances where children might be using such services.

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Such an extension of the scheme would be a significant extension; it would not be a minor extension of the scheme. That is the dilemma faced. As I understand it, which the Deputy acknowledged, arrangement was made for support for the ferry so children would be carried free on the ferry and Bus Éireann has arranged that the bus picks the children up at the pier where they land. It is a...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The 2.4 km that some children are expected to walk does not apply here. A more convenient collection point has been arranged. Unfortunately, with a scheme of this scale, where there are so many children with different ages and needs involved, the Department has to apply a consistent approach and that has been the approach applied in this case.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Two Ministers of State were appointed at my Department, Mary Mitchell O'Connor T.D. as Minister of State with responsibility for Higher Education and John Halligan T.D. as Minister of State with responsibility for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development. There are two Delegation of Functions Orders in place. These Orders were made on 18 July 2017 and are available at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department administers a number of grants which together aim to improve and maintain school buildings and which can be used to address the issues raised. The Minor Works Grant for primary schools and the Capitation grant for post primary schools may be used to improve the physical infrastructure and appearance of schools without needing to deal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff Appeals Mechanism (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 operates in a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Speech and Language Therapy Provision (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 to 97, inclusive, together. My Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD) including provision for the establishment of special classes for Specific Speech and Language Disorder in primary schools. Speech and Language Therapy services are provided to these classes by the Health Service...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 represented the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The budget provided for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools in the 2017/18 school year. Each 1 point adjustment to the staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The budget provided for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools in the 2017/18 school year. It is my intention to make further...