Results 23,901-23,920 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The annual allowance currently payable for the post of Assistant Principal 1 is €8,520 and Assistant Principal 2 is €3,769. The annual costs of appointing 350 posts at AP1 & AP2 level are outlined below: Assistant Principal 1 Annual Allowance: €8,520 Annual Cost of 350 AP1 Posts: €2,982,000 Assistant Principal 2 Annual Allowance: €3,769 Annual Cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Exact expenditure figures regarding the teaching of Computing or Coding in primary schools are not available, as funding is not allocated by my Department on a subject-by-subject basis. However, work in this area is taking place at both primary and post-primary levels. Shortly after being appointed, I asked the NCCA how coding and computational and creative thinking skills could be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the Programme for Government commitment to increase financial supports for post graduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In response to this commitment, additional funding of €4 million was secured in Budget 2017 and a further €3 million in Budget 2018, to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: According to the CSO, prices on average, as measured by the CPI, were 0.2% higher in March 2018 compared with March 2017. In the academic year 2016/2017 the total amount spend on maintenance grants was €170.9m. Applying a 0.2% increase to the maintenance grant expenditure of €170.9m would increase the cost by €341k.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: In December 2012, an additional €3 million was approved to supplement the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) following a survey conducted by the HEA in relation to the demand for the Fund. This supplementary funding was a once-off exceptional measure which was taken in the context of long grant delays/issues encountered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) in its initial year of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Summer Works Scheme is designed to allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings. This scheme is additional to other capital funding schemes that are operated by the Department such as the additional accommodation scheme, Emergency Works scheme i.e. for projects of such urgency that they would prevent some or all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Applications (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Schools are not required to make an application for inclusion in the DEIS programme, as all schools are assessed using a new uniform identification model. We have, for the first time, introduced an objective, statistics based model for deciding which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (3 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. For school planning purposes Meakstown/Charlestown is located in the Finglas East-Ballymun-Dublin 11 school planning area, in which there are currently 9 primary schools. As the Deputy will be aware, I recently...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this issue with which he is very familiar. Kolbe special school was originally purpose built in 1984. Time has moved on and its needs have dramatically changed, as Deputy Stanley noted. It has 39 pupils, seven teaching posts and a principle and 16 special needs assistants. It is under the patronage of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary's service....

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I assure the Deputy that the Department does drive projects forward. It has completed more than 200 new schools and 175,000 places have been provided in either new or replacement schools. That is a substantial increase on what had been there. There is a pipeline of projects being driven forward all the time within that programme. It is not a question of the Department waiting to be told...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: In earlier responses to Parliamentary Questions, I explained to the Deputy that because the type of abuse suffered by an individual is personal to that individual, the information can not be disclosed by any State body or organisation holding that data.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the review of career guidance is to ensure that we are providing high quality, relevant career guidance information to students from post–primary level up to further and higher education. The review will look at the quality of information available to students and adults in relation to career guidance, the sources of this information and how the system is organised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 to 146, inclusive, together. The current standard rate of full maintenance grant (non-adjacent rate) is €3,025. For the academic year 2016/17 there were 19,440 undergraduate and postgraduate students who qualified for this grant rate. If the grant was increased by €1,000 and a similar number of students qualified, the cost would be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question applied for funding under the Summer Works Scheme, under Category 9 - Curricular Requirement Works. The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is designed to allow schools to carry out small and medium sized building works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings. The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is a multi-annual Scheme. Over 1,650...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together. My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs, including those with Autism in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: In line with the provisions of the annual student grant scheme and in order to deliver an efficient service and timely outcomes for students, SUSI implements key dates relevant to the submission and processing of student grant applications. The SUSI online student grant application system for the 2017/18 academic year opened on 3 April 2017. Students were encouraged through all SUSI...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has recently approved grant-aid at the school referred to for the provision of an ASD Unit and general classroom accommodation. The relevant ETB has been informed of the decision and an approval letter, outlining the terms and conditions of the grant, will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I would like to thank the Deputy for the details supplied in this instance. In the event a new school is required, the Department will examine all potential options, including those in state ownership.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (8 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for significant capital funding to provide additional classroom accommodation and a general purpose room. My Department advised the school that the current priority is the provision of additional mainstream classrooms where a new teaching post has been sanctioned and cannot be accommodated...