Results 22,761-22,780 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school referred to by the deputy has reached an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b), which includes the pre-qualification of contractors and the preparation of tender documents. In May 2017, my Department gave approval to the school authorities to have their Design Team commence the process of Pre-Qualification of Contractors. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Inspection Reports (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department has recently received documentation from the building owners confirming that they have completed the works in the schools referred to by the Deputy.  An independent fire safety consultant is currently reviewing the documentation. My Department is also liaising with the schools involved in relation to general "house keeping" issues and independent works that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: A contract exists between my Department and the PPP Company Inspiredspaces in respect of the Schools Bundle 5 PPP programme.  Inspiredspaces is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for the design, construction, finance, and maintenance of the buildings included in the programme.  A subsidiary of the company referred to by the Deputy is a 50% shareholder...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Eligibility (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement for whom such a placement is not available.  Provision is also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: Where undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees they are required to pay fees to their higher education institution at either an ‘EU rate’ or a higher ‘Non-EU rate’. As autonomous institutions, the determination of the fee rate applicable for individual students is a matter for the higher education institutions. Due to a particular concern regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The tenders for the construction project at the school referred to by the Deputy have recently been received and are currently being evaluated by the Design Team. My Department is  awaiting the return of the completed tender report and when this is received and considered my Department will revert directly to the school regarding progression of the project to the next...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received an application for the provision of additional accommodation at the school referred to in respect of both classroom and ancillary accommodation. When assessing the application it was noted that the existing school accommodation comprises of four mainstream classrooms, two Special Education Teaching (SET) rooms, a library/computer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally. The onus is on the grant applicant to provide the necessary documentary evidence as proof of reckonable income. Under Section 21(2) of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: A number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children. The Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which would have conferred a statutory entitlement to –...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health and Safety (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers has not brought the issue in question to the attention of my Department.  As Health and Safety issues are a matter for school authorities in the first instance, my Department advises that the parent should raise her concerns with the Board of Management. There are a number of ways in which the school can address this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Act Employment Targets (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: As outlined in my response to parliamentary question 401 of 16 January 2018, the Disability Act 2005 requires public bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and to achieve a target of 3% of staff with disabilities. Under the Act, aegis bodies of my Department are required to report to my Department’s Monitoring Committee on the number of people...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 Feb 2018)

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 delivery. Following the tendering process, a number of issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is our aim to become the best education and training system in Europe by 2026 and to do this we need to expand our pool of people with digital skills and capabilities. My Action Plan for Education includes an action to introduce Computer Science as an optional new Leaving Certificate subject introduced in two phases. Phase 1 will see the introduction of the subject in a representative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: I have been advised by SUSI, that the person referred to in the details supplied, has not made a student grant application to SUSI under the 2017 Student Grant Scheme. The online application system for the 2017/18 academic year has now closed and it is anticipated that the SUSI’s online system will re-open for the 2018 Scheme in early April 2018. Students attending college in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an appeal from the school in question relating to its application under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) (2016-2017). My Department is considering the appeal and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: The curriculum and assessment arrangements for Junior Cycle are as set out in the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015 and in the related subject specifications and syllabuses developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The Framework for Junior Cycle gives students the opportunity to develop a wider range of knowledge and skills – to equip them for further learning,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: Through the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary and post primary schools, and some 98% of schools are included in this scheme. All post-primary schools and some special schools are now included in the 100Mbps programme. The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: There are no secondees from the companies mentioned by the Deputy engaged at my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (6 Feb 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 209 and 221 together. The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I negotiated together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. The agreements to date have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently...