Results 21,841-21,860 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 85 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that St Angela’s College, Sligo is the sole provider of initial teacher education for teachers of Home Economics in Ireland. The Deputy may wish to note that I have increased from 85 to 101 the number of students admitted to St Angela’s, Sligo to follow the Home Economics ITE programme in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: There were 711 post-primary schools in Ireland in 2016/17. Of these, 586 (82%) offered Home Economics at Junior Cycle level and 567 (80%) offered Home Economics at Senior Cycle.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information sought is not available to my Department, however one estimate from publishers' sources suggeststhat the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum. My Department supports the operation of book rental schemes through the funding provided under its school books grant scheme.  Under this scheme, my Department provides funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to have been in a position to significantly expand the recruitment of teachers at primary and post primary levels. Some 2,300 new teachers were recruited in 2016-2017 and 2,900 will be recruited in 2017-2018. The figure of 2,900 is 21% more than the number announced in budget 2017 so we have in fact been able to recruit more new teachers than we have announced. All of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change.  Following surveys conducted by my Department in areas of stable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department's funding relationship with Kerry ETB for the organisation referred to by the Deputy is predicated on the basis that it is self-financing and that its financial activities are separate from the overall ETB finances. Accordingly, annual grants for same are contributory in nature.  Generally, only pensionable public servants who (a) are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Balance (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Information on the gender balance on the boards of each of the State agencies under the aegis of my Department is included in the following table.  Comprehensive information on board appointments to agencies under the remit of my Department can also be downloaded from my Department’s website . The current Government target is for at least 40% of each gender on boards. 14 of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2012 to provide 5 general classrooms, to relocate existing ball courts and to provide a set down and bus drop off area for pupils.  This project was devolved to the local Education and Training Board for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware currently universities are classified as outside General Government Balance for Eurostat purposes, while Institutes of Technology are classified as within. This arises primarily from the difference in funding sources in the two sectors, with the university sector raising a greater proportion of income from non-State sources. The classification of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: John Halligan T.D. was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development on the 14th June, 2017. A delegation order was made on the 18th July 2017 and is available at website.  Minister of State Halligan's responsibilities remain the same as was delegated in the delegation order made on the 12th July 2016, however the title...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Workplace Relations Commission (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Discussions on this matter are ongoing under the auspices of the WRC and it is not appropriate to comment further at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Island Communities (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following a review of the staffing allocation for Small Primary Schools, one of the measures announced in Budget 2017 provides for one teacher island schools. Where the school is the only primary school on an island, the school will be able to appoint a second teacher to the school. This will be effective from September 2017 and will be set out in the staffing schedule circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2012 to provide a 1 Classroom ASD Unit & 1 SET Classroom. Building work commenced in mid-2015 but due to difficulties with the appointed contractor works did not progress in a timely manner which resulted in the termination of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Since 2012 special schools are staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, as opposed to primarily by school designation, in accordance with Department Circular 0042/2011. Currently the awarding of Administrative Principal in special schools is governed by the Report of the Special Education Review Committee 1993 (SERC Report). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department, the HEA and GMIT Governing Body are fully committed to the continuance of the GMIT Castlebar campus. Myself and the then Taoiseach established a working group in March 2017 to formulate a plan to develop a sustainable future for the Mayo Campus in Castlebar. Membership of the GMIT Working Group comprised representatives of GMIT, my Department and the HEA. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The position is that to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. These rules apply to all students from all EU/EEA/Swiss states. ...