Results 25,221-25,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school building project to which the Deputy refers is currently at tender stage. A Letter of Intent for this project issued on 29th June 2018. The Letter of Acceptance appointing the contractor is expected to be issued in Quarter 3 of 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Jul 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. My Department has been informed that the Design Team Leader is in a position to publish the contract notice inviting contractors to tender for Pre-Qualification on e-tenders by the end of this week....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The building project referred to is for a new 24 classroom school including a Special Needs Unit, with a floor area of approx. 4,748m2. The project is currently at Stage 2B of the Architectural Planning process – Detailed Design Stage. Planning permission, fire certificate and disability access certificate for this project have been granted and the Department has recently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Jul 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 April 2018. The pre-qualification and shortlisting of suitable contractors normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete. The Design Team has confirmed that it is currently assessing expressions of interest...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Development Plan (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227 and 228 together. The Mid-Term Review of the Capital Plan 2016-2021 identified an additional €663m for the education sector of which €191m is in respect of 2019. This additional capital funding for 2019 will be expended on the following sectors: Schools Sector - €109m Higher Education Sector - €65m Further Education Sector -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The underspend at the end of June 2018 on the Department's capital programme relates to a number capital subheads. The PPP capital subhead is approximately €14m behind profile. This is due to the impact of the Carillion liquidation on the timing of completion of Schools Bundle 5. The profile had estimated the completion of Schools Bundle 5 in the first half of the year which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The annual allowance currently payable for the post of Assistant Principal 1 is €8,520 and Assistant Principal 2 is €3,769. The annual costs of appointing 250 posts at AP1 & AP2 level are outlined below: Assistant Principal 1 Annual Allowance: €8,520 Annual Cost of 250 AP1 Posts: €2,130,000 Assistant Principal 2 Annual Allowance: €3,769 Annual Cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department has been working closely with a number of organisations, and in particular with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), in Brexit planning for the higher education sector. The HEA has published a Brexit issues paper and has held meetings with the HEIs to discuss ongoing planning and issues with them as the process develops. My Department will continue to engage in this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: General Data Protection Regulation Data (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: With the commencement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act, 2018 my Department has updated its procedures to assist data subjects exercise their rights including access to any of their personal data which my Department may process. Full details of how a data subject may exercise their rights in respect of personal data processed by my Department are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department has designated a Data Protection Officer (DPO). Two other members of staff have been re-assigned by my Department to assist the DPO in the performance of his role.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: General Data Protection Regulation (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: As provided for under Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) my Department, as a data controller, will undertake Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) where a type of processing, in a particular using new technologies, and taking into account the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing, is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Data (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for the 2011/12 academic year, including the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 kilometres to 45 kilometres. The 24km distance criterion was originally set in 1968 and had not been updated in more than 40...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: School planning areas were developed for use with the Geographical Information System (GIS) in 2008. With the introduction of Small Areas in Census 2011, these areas were amended to align with Census Small Areas. Census data indicate that a total of 37 Small Areas were amalgamated in 2016 due to reduced household numbers, 309 Small Areas were created in 2016 arising from the splitting of 151...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Sharing Arrangements (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Data Sharing and Governance Bill was published on 8 June 2018 and is currently at Report Stage in the Seanad. The purpose of the Bill is to promote and encourage data sharing between public bodies by providing a statutory framework for data sharing for legitimate and clearly specified purposes that are compliant with data protection law; and to improve the protection of...

Seanad: Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the opportunity for this important debate. I will not oppose the legislation. The decision by the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, in 2017 to recognise the ethnicity of the Traveller community was a significant milestone. We in government and the Oireachtas must see that the vision underpinning it is realised. This legislation is proposed very much in that spirit. I draw...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Eligibility (12 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is my Department’s main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage.  I wish to advise the Deputy that the DEIS Programme is only available in primary and post-primary schools and it is not available in any crèches. DEIS Plan 2017, published in February 2017, seeks to build on what has already been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (12 Jul 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 were withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2018. These 500 posts are allocated separately and transparently on each school's staffing schedule.  These posts have been ring-fenced so they can only be used for guidance activities and to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Fees (12 Jul 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: Third Level Expenditure (12 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, under my Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible students with students paying the student contribution currently stands at €3,000. To maintain this system at current rates, and taking into account the expected increase in student numbers over the next five years, the amount...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (12 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is my Department’s main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage.  I wish to advise the Deputy that the DEIS Programme is only available in primary and post-primary schools. DEIS Plan 2017, published in February 2017, seeks to build on what has already been achieved by schools who have benefitted from...