Results 24,261-24,280 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Bill will be debated in the Chamber. We have had detailed consultation on it and the proposal is based on that considerable discussion. We value the diversity in the system which includes Church of Ireland, Methodist, Presbyterian and, of course, Catholic schools. However, that does not mean that an admissions policy should exclude someone unfairly from access to his or her local...

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: A review of career guidance is under way, a matter raised by Deputy Kathleen Funchion last week. Specifically, it will consider the issue of whether provision needs to be made in special schools. The closing date for submissions to the review was last week, but I extended it by a week. If the Deputy wants to make a submission, we would be pleased to receive it.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Instruction to Committee (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I move:That, pursuant to Standing Order 154, it be an instruction to the Committee to which the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 may be recommitted in respect of certain amendments, that it has power to make provision in the Bill: (a) to amend section 7 of the Equal Status Act 2000 in relation to its application to recognised primary schools and to further amend that Act to provide...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Order for Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I move: “That Report Stage be taken now.”

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 1:In page 3, line 16, to delete “a school,” and substitute the following: “a school; and to provide that, following a report from the National Council for Special Education, in certain circumstances the Minister may issue a direction in respect of the additional provision of education for children with special educational needs;”. These...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputies for their general support for the provision. Deputy Thomas Byrne is concerned that children are not at the centre of this provision. It is important to see it in the context of the overall Bill which provides explicitly for the banning of discrimination in school admissions policies based on a child having special needs. It also provides that the NCSE can compel a...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: To respond to Deputy Thomas Byrne, we provide that the publication of notices issued will happen within seven days of issue. There is transparency in the process and it will be clear that that request has been made to the school. I will have to get back to the Deputy on the issue of capitation. I think he is right, but I am not sure. On the allocation of SNAs, Circular 0030/2014 sets...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I will examine the issue.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 2:In page 3, line 16, after “school,” to insert the following:“to amend section 7 of the Equal Status Act 2000 in relation to its application to recognised primary schools, to further amend that Act to provide for the application for admission to recognised primary schools by students of minority religions;”. This is an amendment to the Long...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputies will be familiar with it because it was debated on both Second and Committee Stages. During the course of Committee Stage I indicated the direction we were taking in our thinking. As Deputies know, in the intervening period I have had consultations on a number of options on which we did not reach consensus. I am of the view and have said publicly that I think it is unfair that...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputies for participating in the debate. Clearly, if we were designing an education system today we would not be designing one in which virtually 100% of our primary schools are privately owned and 95% of them are denominational. We are working with the system that is in place and trying to reform it to reflect the new realities in Irish society. That is what I am trying to do...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I accept Deputy Funchion feels torn in two directions. Given that our schools are 95% religiously owned and that many people want to raise their children in their faith, we have to respect that diversity and gradually continue to expand diversity. That is what I am seeking to do through the transfer of patronage, through new schools, by changing admissions policies and by having better...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) 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 allocates SNA support to schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Development Plan Funding (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Since 2007, my Department has invested €1.8m of capital funding in the college referred to by the Deputy. This includes €0.343m of funding approved during the summer of 2017 for refurbishment and repair works related to an increase in its student intake.   The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is currently in discussions with the college in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The contractor in question has not withdrawn from the tender competition for the project to which the Deputy refers. However, the local Education and Training Board, to whom the project has been devolved for delivery, has excluded the contractor from the competition and has now moved on to evaluating the tender from the next lowest bidder. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative, the Exchequer provides funding towards tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of study within the State. In order to qualify for funding under the Free Fees Initiative, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia, EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Planning (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data in a way that takes account of the significant local and regional variations in demographic trends and enrolment projections, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas, of which some 40 are in Dublin.  Using school planning area boundaries within my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Planning (29 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. Each school planning area, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Facilities (29 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's focus in recent years has been on prioritising the funding available for the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic need. As the Deputy will be aware, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise the available funding in this manner, it is not possible at this...