Results 24,241-24,260 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The curriculum has to evolve if our schools are to successfully equip young people with the capacity to meet the requirements of a modern, competitive economy. I am confident that the actions being taken by my Department will serve to meet these requirements. The Action Plan for Education details clear curriculum change and other commitments that will secure the step-change needed to equip...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. I was very pleased to announce last Friday that 800 additional Special Needs Assistants will be allocated for the beginning of the next school year, with a further 140 expected to be allocated by the end of the year. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Compensation Schemes (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Widening the parameters of the ex-gratia scheme introduced following the ECtHR judgment in the Louise O'Keeffe case to include cases where there was no prior complaint but there was a criminal conviction has been examined. Such an approach would unfairly discriminate against those who were abused but whose abusers were not convicted (e.g., due to no complaint, level of response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for 1. Early educational intervention for children with autism who meet the schemes eligibility criteria 2. Children with special educational needs, including autism, seeking an educational placement in a...

Questions on Promised Legislation (23 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The position is that the means tests that are applied in the case of the different rates of grants under SUSI are separate from social welfare means tests, so different means tests are being applied. I am aware of some difficulties that have arisen with the highest rate of grant where there is an income threshold and also a social welfare eligibility requirement. The SUSI grants are being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 May 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. The application is currently under consideration and my Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities when the assessment process has concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (23 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: To answer the Deputy, the majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services. Capitation related grants are issued to the majority of primary and post-primary schools to employ such staff.  Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (23 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As a consequence of the economic crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilize the country's public finances. The Government approved a number of measures relating to public service allowances following a public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments conducted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (23 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: In recognition of the fact that the introduction of the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015 has implications for school leaders, extra hours were allocated to schools with effect from 2016 on an interim basis pending the restoration of leadership posts in schools to help with the facilitation of this additional work. The position in relation to the school year 2018/19 will be considered in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (23 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The withdrawal of the Higher Diploma in Education allowance in 2012 following the public service-wide allowances review was one of a number of measures taken by the Government to stabilise the public finances. The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (23 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Transitions at all stages and levels including starting school; the move from primary to post-primary school; moving between mainstream and special school settings and preparation for life after school can be a difficult time for all parents and students, including those with special educational needs.  My Department has committed itself to a range of actions aimed at supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can assure the deputy that the views of special schools will be included in this review. The purpose of the review of career guidance is to ensure that high quality, relevant career guidance information is provided to students from post–primary level up to further and higher education.  The review will examine, inter alia, the quality of information available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning - Stage 1. A revised Stage 1 submission, including an up to date cost plan, was requested from the Design Team following an increase in the schedule of accommodation to cater for up to 1200 pupils. The Department has this week received a soft copy of the revised Stage 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers, for the development and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with special educational needs. The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year, and where special provision is required it is planned and established to meet that need.  The NCSE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: There is a historic block grant provided to the minority faith Protestant churches. It is provided through a mechanism put in place by the Protestant churches, the Secondary Education Committee (SEC) whose function is to support the children of minority Protestant faith in accessing education. The SEC operates a means-tested student support scheme that enables necessitous children of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As I set out in my reply to the Deputy’s question on this matter in PQ No. 27933 on 29 September 2016, the current members of the Board of the Higher Education Authority have been appointed in line with the terms of the Higher Education Authority Act, 1971 and it should be noted that the legislation does not state that in order to be appointed to the Board a member must be ordinarily...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Administration (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The HEA has confirmed that a WhatsApp group has been established by members of the HEA board. It has also been confirmed that the purpose of this group is to arrange meetings and other logistical arrangements and is not used to discuss the on-going work of the Board. I understand that content from WhatsApp, which has been accessed from state-owned mobile devices, has been previously...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Eligibility (24 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, an update of the identification model is currently underway. This will take account of updated school data as provided by schools for the current school year combined with the Pobal HP Index of Deprivation, based on CSO Small Area Population statistics derived from the 2016 National Census. Should this exercise reveal that any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 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 similar...