Results 25,121-25,140 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: 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 and I remain committed to achieving this. However, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cóiríocht Scoile (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: Tógfaidh mé ceisteanna Uimh. 112 agus 113 le chéile. Dearbhaím don Ionadaí go bhfuarthas iarratas le haghaidh cóiríocht scoile bhreise ón scoil atá luaite. Rinne mo Roinn teagmháil leis an scoil maidir leis an iarratas agus chuige sin, fuarthas eolas breise an tseachtain seo. Eiseofar cinneadh go díreach chuig an údarás scoile...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Training (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has provided a number of information events on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation for the staff of the Department. My Department has also organised advanced training in data protection for a number of its staff. It is the intention of my Department to extend this training to other staff as the need arises. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will note that the performance of students in Ireland in mathematics and science is relatively high by international standards. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) report, which included the survey of mathematics teachers' qualifications, the results of which were published last week by the Educational Research Centre, found that only six out of 39...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: Under my Department's Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2018. The institution referred to by the Deputy in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the committee for accommodating discussion of this matter. Essentially this arises out of the merger of the colleges of education which took place when the former Church of Ireland College of Education became part of Dublin City University, DCU, along with St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra and the Mater Dei Institute of Education in 2016. Part of that arrangement was that there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: Taking the questions in reverse order, there is no preordained reason why the reserved places have lower entry requirements. They are treated as another course. If a lot of people apply for them, there could be a high threshold. There is a competition for this particular segment. It may have historically been somewhat lower. In regard to the issue of how the State supports schools of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: There is no intention that there would be discrimination on the basis of people's beliefs or lifestyle. The only issue is whether account may be taken of the suitability of a recruitment candidate in terms of the ethos of the school. It is worth examining whether the provisions are too wide in that regard. I do not know of any test cases to the Workplace Relations Commission involving such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: -----and am trying to answer it off the cuff.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: We will consider the basis of that provision.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the support of Senator Gallagher for the measure. Education is a very fluid and changing environment. Deputy Paul Murphy is correct that an education system being designed today would not be 95% composed of denominational schools. The question is whether such system would have no denominational schools, which the Deputy puts forward as the optimum situation. The wishes of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: That concern is explicitly referenced in the mandate of the NCCA. The existing arrangement allows for a policy statement along with the delivery of the programme. As the Deputy said, the programme must still be delivered. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, must examine it. There are concerns about whether it is being delivered to the standard we want. Apart from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Employment Equality Act Order: Minister for Education and Skills (5 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: Thank you.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I acknowledge the contribution of Deputy Byrne and Senator Kelleher. The changes are small but significant in that they speed up the process through which a school could be required to open a special class and make it clearer that the Minister will act on recommendations that come forward. They also provide for a review not later than three years after this goes into operation so that we...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputies on all sides for the work that has gone into this Bill. When we brought it forward on Report Stage, we had a series of amendments that were well intentioned, but there was a need to take more time to consider what would meet the issues we had sought to pursue. That opportunity was taken in the Seanad and we are now back with an amendment that I think has a broad basis of...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: May I make the renumbering amendment?

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: These four amendments were all agreed to on Committee Stage in the Seanad. They are technical and proofing amendments to section 9 of the Bill.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: These amendments were made in the Seanad where a request was made that, not later than five years after the section comes into operation, the Minister commence a review and make a report on the findings of the review to each House of the Oireachtas within 12 months of the expiration of that period. It was to be a review of the way we were implementing the removal of religion as a criterion...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputies and Senators on all sides for their co-operation on the Bill. It has taken a long time to get it through, but the time taken has been well used in that we will succeed in getting to introduce new provisions that Deputies on all sides want to see. One deals with religion in the context of admissions policy. We now have a provision that has broad support. We have also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Data (10 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203, 230 and 231 together. Information for 2018/19 academic year is not yet available, and pre-med courses are not available in all of the medical schools. I am arranging for the latest information to be collated, and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.