Results 24,841-24,860 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128, 131 and 132 together. The Government is committed to the future sustainability of the Castlebar campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). This is the reason why I established the Working Group in March 2017 to develop a plan that would safeguard the future of the Castlebar campus. The Report of the Working Group was published in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department’s Planning and Building Unit received an Emergency Works Application from the school in question in December 2015. The school authority were requested to scale back the works to repair only and apply for a replacement roof under the Department’s Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2016/2017. An application for scaled back works was not received. The school authority did...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally on the same basis to both employed and self-employed applicants. Gross income before the deduction of income tax or the universal social charge, is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded. The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Justice and Equality is responsible for the national criminal justice framework and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is responsible for national policy in relation to the protection and welfare of children.  My Department’s role is to give guidance and direction to schools in relation to meeting their statutory and other obligations in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible 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 accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible 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 accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Regarding the property referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that it is not in the ownership of my Department. The owner of the site is Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: In April 2018 when the company referred to by the Deputy entered into the examinership, my Department worked closely with the ETB’s concerned to monitor closely the progress of projects during this period. As part of contingency planning arrangements, officials from my Department and the relevant ETBs met with the contractor and the examiner in mid-April to discuss their plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 143, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware the delivery of the two schools in question has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) under a Service Level Agreement (SLA). In total, a SLA requires 18 interactions between my Department’s Planning and Building Unit and the relevant agency delivering the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, together. The school building project to which the Deputy refers is currently at Tender Stage. The tender return date was the 6thJune 2018. It is anticipated that construction will commence in Quarter 3 this year. The construction period is 44 weeks. The new school is due to be ready for occupation by September 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Visiting Teacher Service (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As my colleague will be aware the statutory and policy remit in area of attendance, participation and retention in the school system lies with the Education Welfare Service of Tusla which incorporates the function of the former Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers. In May 2011 a range of functions under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, including the operation of the National Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Judgments (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may be referring to the ex-gratia scheme established in the aftermath of the ECHR judgment in the Louise O’Keeffe case.  Since this Judgement, the State Claims Agency (SCA) which is mandated to act on behalf of the State in cases of historic child abuse, has been notified of many claims.  These are either (a) claims which are entirely newly instituted or (b) are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Judgments (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may be referring to the ex-gratia scheme established following the ECHR judgment in the Louise O'Keffe case.  While I am very familiar with individual cases who are in the position that they don't meet the terms of the ex-gratia scheme, neither I nor my officials have met with this group of sex abuse victims.  I have, however, met with the Deputy on a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The building project referred to by the Deputy is for an extension and refurbishment to bring the school up to a 12-classroom school incorporating a 3-class Special Needs Unit (SNU). The project has recently commenced the Design Team and Project Supervisor of the Design Process (PSDP) appointment procedure whereby an Architect, Civil & Structural Engineer, Mechanical and Electrical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Electric Vehicles (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The details sought by the Deputy are not readily available. Officials in my Department are collating the information and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available. 

Seanad: Education (Digital Devices in Schools) Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senators Craughwell and Boyhan for sponsoring the Bill and all Senators who participated in the debate. Everyone agrees that this is an important debate. As previous speakers noted, I do not intend to oppose this Bill. On the one hand, technology has phenomenal power and can be used to transform education. It is an area of great potential. On the other hand, like any powerful...

Seanad: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am advised that the Parliamentary Draftsman would like to reconsider the wording and submit that on Report Stage.

Seanad: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senators for their contributions. This issue was raised on Committee Stage in the Dáil and we sought to draft an amendment that would be constitutionally sound and we did produce such an amendment. A range of amendments were tabled by other Senators and we sought legal advice on how this could be done robustly. It was very clear that in order to be robust, the right to...

Seanad: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am happy to engage with Members, but the definition is the definition and I cannot change it but it will have to be interpreted. We can offer guidance because the intention is that it is a high bar, but I cannot introduce changes. This will be the text in the legislation. This will be the legal definition. It is what is legally robust and acceptable. I do not want to give a false...

Seanad: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: This is an issue on which there have been many differences of opinion. In a previous Dáil, the then Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, introduced the 25% cap and I think another former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, talked of 10%. Senator Ó Ríordáin, who was a Deputy at the time, wanted 0%. To put it in context, this...