Results 21,541-21,560 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: To repeat what I said in my reply, the public service pay agreement has embraced this issue and it has put in place a process which has not been left for 12 months, as was provided for in the agreement, because the process has already started on 12 October 2017. This issue is being taken seriously. It is worth reflecting on how this came about. Back in the midst of the crisis, there was an...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Lahart for raising this. He has more than eloquently outlined the history of Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna, which has been on the Department's six year programme. As he outlined, the Department has been working with South Dublin County Council to acquire the site on which it is currently located in temporary accommodation in order to facilitate the permanent building. Agreement in...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I confirm that Deputies Colm Brophy and Katherine Zappone have been on to me about this project, the frustration around which I can understand. Its history has been very difficult. It is the Department's intention to initiate architectural planning for the building project in conjunction with the completion of the site acquisition process. That suggests no undue delay will occur. I...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Yes.

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. This is unusual in that I am not sure I have before seen such a consensus across a number of Members of the House on a Topical Issue. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, who is unavoidably unable to be here, but I think people recognise that he is dealing with particular issues of significant urgency at the moment....

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: SOLAS is not the successor to FÁS in respect of community employment schemes. The successor for those schemes is the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. SOLAS received the training element when FÁS was broken up and the other element went elsewhere. I will certainly convey to the Minister the strength of people's concerns about this. I do not think it is...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: It was not the normal Labour Court hearing where people went in together and looked for an adjudication. That said, there is a recognition and an effort by the Department to put together a detailed scoping exercise. There is a commitment that this will be presented on 2 November, which is only a matter of days away. I will convey to the Minister the concerns of the Members who have spoken,...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is an unusual circumstance that has created difficulty over a considerable period. That difficulty has been recognised by many parties that have been in government over the period. It is not just some particular quirk of the Minister of the day. This has created difficulties for all the Ministers for Finance over the intervening period. It is a tricky issue but I will convey to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: A primary language curriculum for Junior Infants to Second Class has been developed. Implementation commenced on a phased basis in 2016, starting with the oral strand. This was prioritised to allow teachers to emphasise the importance of speaking Irish as a living language. There two curricula: one for Irish-medium schools, where Irish is the language of instruction. The other is for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation. My Department has discussed the matter with the school and I understand that the school has indicated that the school site is constrained in terms of additional accommodation.  My Department will continue to liaise with the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund 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. Section 8 of that Act provides that the Board...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The System uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The new Framework for Junior Cycle gives students the opportunity to develop a wider range of knowledge and skills to equip them for further learning, for work, for responsible and active citizenship and for healthy living. It gives students better learning opportunities and recognises non academic achievement. Implementation of the new Framework for Junior Cycle is now fully proceeding and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: In order to plan for school provision, the demographic data for the Swords school planning area, as with other school planning areas nationwide, is being kept under ongoing review by my Department to take account of updated child benefit data and updated enrolment data.  It is anticipated that decisions based on these exercises will be announced before year end. As the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the project in respect of the education campus in Buncrana is included on my Department's capital programme. Officials in Donegal County Council have been assisting this Department under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites in relation to the procurement of a suitable location for the campus. Despite the best efforts of all parties,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached in September 2016 will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4600 and €6700) for new entrant teachers.  The agreements also provide for earlier permanency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the deputy that I was pleased to receive a copy of the report on Positive Mental Health in Schools following its launch on 12th September last. I have also been asked by the Joint Committee on Education and Skills to respond the range of recommendations therein following their comprehensive examination of this important matter. I have requested that officials of my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Approved postgraduate courses for the Student Grant Scheme 2017 are prescribed in the Student Support Regulations 2017 and in the Student Support Act 2011. The Regulations prescribe that an approved postgraduate course is a full-time course leading to a major higher education and training award which takes a minimum of one year to complete in an approved institution. There are no plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the facility in question is included in my Department's 6-year construction plan (2019-2021). The delivery of this project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and my Department is engaging with the Patron body in this context.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is satisfied that the recent delivery of a project at the school referred to by the Deputy, to provide six new mainstream classrooms and new toilet facilities, provides sufficient accommodation to cater for the schools mainstream requirements.  In addition, this now allows for reconfiguration of existing permanent accommodation to meet resource teaching requirements. In...