Results 24,781-24,800 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (26 Jun 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. A number of sections of the EPSEN Act have yet to be commenced. Legal advice provided to my Department indicates that the EPSEN Act,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Speech and Language Therapy (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I recently announced that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services will be introduced for the 2018/19 school year. The project will be managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education. The model has been developed by the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive, and is part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of capitation by 1% in primary schools is circa €1m. I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education. Budget 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of capitation by 1% in post-primary schools is circa €1m. I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education. Budget 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI) was introduced in September 1998. It involved the introduction of Italian, Spanish, German and French for 5th and 6th classes. The MLPSI was a pilot scheme across 550 schools with an annual budget of approximately €2.5m. A 2008 Report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment recommended against a further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Healthy Living Strategies (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Active School Flag (ASF) is a Department initiative where schools are recognised for striving to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community.  My Department allocated €175,000 for the initiative in both 2016 and 2017.  The budget allocation for 2018 is currently being considered. In addition to this, Healthy Ireland, which is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Jun 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 also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school, which are enrolment related, are set out in Appendix B of Circular 0010/2018. The enrolment required for administrative principal in ordinary schools, and gaelscoileanna and schools in the Gaeltacht is 176 pupils, or 113 if operating a specialist autism unit.  Schools that do not meet these criteria have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and training service the best in Europe within a decade. Budget 2018 provides for an additional 1280 teaching posts in the 2018/19 school year. This includes a one point improvement in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the DEIS Rural Coordination Service was discontinued with effect from 31 August 2011.  At that time there were 46 Rural Coordinator Posts at a cost of €2,714,000. The impact of socio-economic factors on educational outcomes can be different between urban and rural settings and we need to take account of that. Evidence strongly suggests that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to schools is determined by the numbers of eligible pupils enrolled and the associated levels of those pupils' language proficiency. The new Special Education Teaching allocation which was introduced from the 2017/18 school year provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, following the publication of the DEIS Review Report and DEIS Plan 2017 in February 2017, 79 new schools were included in DEIS for the first time and a further 30 schools were upgraded from Band 2 to Band 1 status. These schools have been receiving supports since September last year.  My Department currently invests over €125m annually to fund the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Measures announced by my Department as part of Budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018 mean that 500 of the 600 guidance posts that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2018. All of these 500 posts are allocated separately and transparently on the normal staffing schedule of posts for schools.  These posts have been ring-fenced so they can only be used...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers is included in my Department’s 6 year construction programme. Officials in my Department continue to liaise with officials in Fingal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable location for the school in question and have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Recently published Circular 40/2018 is available on the Department’s website and outlines the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in a school year in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school to facilitate administrative functions to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, work is ongoing to identify the causes of flooding on the site to which he refers, with a view to identifying appropriate remediation measures and the feasibility of these measures. This process is ongoing. In the meantime, my Department has identified a suitable site for the new school and is progressing acquisition of this site.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is in the process of acquiring a site to accommodate the school to which the Deputy refers.  There are some outstanding clarifications required with regard to the site before matters can be progressed and, with a view to progressing the site acquisition, my Department has been in contact with the vendor requesting an update on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that in 2017 my Department approved the provision of three special education teaching rooms at the school referred to.  These have yet to be delivered.  In addition, my Department recently received an application for the provision of additional mainstream classroom accommodation.I wish to advise that my Department has approved the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education. Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2b – Detailed Design. This project was authorised to commence the Pre-Qualification of Contractors in May 2018.The pre-qualification and shortlisting of suitable contractors normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete. When pre-qualification is complete the project will then be progressed...