Results 24,081-24,100 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Over the lifetime of the NDP, Government and EU energy efficiency and climate change legislation will require upgrading of the energy performance of existing schools. My Department, with SEAI, completed an energy pilot project in 2017 for the energy upgrade of ten existing schools to establish opportunities and innovative delivery models, as well as a menu of best practice retrofit options....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff Appeals Mechanism (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am delighted that the Seanad has chosen to discuss this area of public policy. I think the Oireachtas can be proud of what we have done in the area of special education. Despite the very difficult environment in which we have been working in recent years, we have consistently increased the resources in the area. Since 2011, the provision in special education has been increased by about...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senators for their contributions to the debate. I will try to deal with each issue in turn. Senators Ó Domhnaill, Gavan and others acknowledged the earlier allocation of special needs assistants. This is welcome. Fórsa was very keen to see this done. It makes for better planning. Whether we can bring the date back to March is probably an open question. We allow...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is related to the issue that Senator Devine raised regarding St. John of God special school. As I understand it, the HSE is reconfiguring and moving to a model where it is seeking to have a range of supports within the community and that it would support the children with disabilities in the community, regardless of whether they are in a special school or not. That is the model it is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The system caters for 3,200 schools and it is based on a schedule of allocation. There is an appeal process which is independently run. With such a scheme there is no ministerial discretion to deviate from it. It is provided and administered equitably across every school that applies. There is an appeal mechanism. I will check the position of the school the Deputy referred to but that is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is in both the programme for Government and the confidence and supply agreement that we will address capitation over the lifetime of the Government. In the first two budgets we gave priority to areas such as special education, the provision of SNAs, the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio and support for disadvantaged schools and we have to make decisions within the available resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Counselling Services Provision (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department promotes a comprehensive and whole of school approach to the promotion of wellbeing and positive mental health. This approach considers the entire school community, as well as focussing on groups and individual young people with identified need. This approach spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The position is that in order 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. Where undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that Section 21(6) of the Student Support Act 2011, provides for a person who is aggrieved by a determination of the Appeals Board, to appeal to the High Court against that determination on a specified point of law. The question of legal aid is a matter for the Legal Aid Board. Details of the services provided by the Legal Aid Board can be accessed at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: A number of correspondences have been received by my Department from the individual referred to by the Deputy, all of which have been responded to. Applications for a maintenance grant are means tested based on the reckonable income from the previous tax year. However, article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme provides for a review of eligibility during the academic year, if there is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The contract for the project to which the Deputy refers was terminated on 8 May last by the contracting authority which is the local Education and Training Board. The Design Team is currently preparing schedules of work to complete the project which will require to be tendered when available. Finishing out the project is being given the highest priority in the Department and by the ETB and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy is a special school which provides for the special educational needs of children with autism who have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school. The new school building project is due to proceed to tender at the end of this month for the delivery of a new 2-storey 6-classroom base special needs school with a General Purpose Room and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers is progressing and the research and design stages are substantially complete as is the tender documentation. Currently pre-tender cost estimates are being finalised in compliance with my Departments Design Team Procedures and public procurement requirements. The Pre-Qualification stage has also been completed and suitably qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: A building project for the new post-primary school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s current 6 year construction programme. Officials from my Department have been working closely with Limerick City and County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites in order to identify and procure a suitable site for the school. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project at the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b. According to the Stage 2b documentation submitted in November 2017, the estimated stage 2b cost plan increased substantially from the approved costs at stage 2a. In accordance with Departmental Design Team Procedures, where the approved cost limits have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers is being devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board. My Department is currently preparing a Service Level Agreement for issue to the ETB to underpin the project delivery. This is expected to issue shortly. Once this formality has been completed, the next steps are for the ETB to appoint a Design Team to design the project and to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: An independent Expert Panel was appointed by the HEA in 2016 to review the current allocation model for funding higher education and to make recommendations on the most appropriate funding model for the future. I approved and published this report it in January 2018. The review of the Funding Model provides a roadmap for transitioning towards a reformed funding model that is more...