Results 25,521-25,540 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers to was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2015. The development approved consists of the demolition of 2 prefabricated classroom buildings and the erection of a two-storey detached building. The new building will include 8 resource rooms, a library, a kitchen, a breakfast room, an entrance lobby/reception,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (25 Sep 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 is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a major building project for the school to which he refers, is included in my Department's Capital Programme. It is acknowledged that this project will involve complex and careful master-planning of the site. A full technical site visit has taken place and the project brief for the school is currently being formulated. In that regard, my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: A project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's Capital Programme. My Department is awaiting information from the school in respect of their new school site. Once this information is provided the project can be progressed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 1 of the Architectural Planning Process. Stage 1 is the Preliminary Design Stage where the Design Team, in conjunction with the school authority, analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and ensure that the preferred option is the best option for the delivery of the brief. The school's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: Building on measures in previous budgets to enhance school leadership, Budget 2018 made €0.4 million available to fund almost 4600 additional release days for teaching principals in primary schools. This additional funding has provided an increase in the number of release days available to teaching principals in the 2018/19 school year to 17, 23 or 29 days depending on the size of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 allowed for the commencement of restoration of middle management posts as part of an agreed distributed leadership model and meant lifting the rigidity of the longstanding moratorium on these posts at primary and post-primary levels. This recognises the key role school leadership has in promoting a school environment which is welcoming, inclusive and accountable. €2.75m...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, I developed the new schools reconfiguration for diversity process, which is aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment for 400 such schools by 2030. There are two Phases to the new process – the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. In this regard, a schedule of accommodation, for the purposes of the school's project brief was furnished to the school authorities. In the context of progressing the project to the next stage, a technical site visit is necessary and the details are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department is presently finalising the acquisition of 0.43 acres of land adjacent to the school in question's playing field. Additionally, I can also confirm that agreement has been reached in principle between officials from South Dublin County Council and my Department on the acquisition of an additional portion of land totalling 0.96 acres which also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next four years. This announcement followed nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country, and included provision for the school to which he refers. Following on from the announcement, the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): School Admissions (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Bacik for raising this issue. To put it in context, it is important to state that, under our education system, patrons' boards of management have an independent role. It is a right of religious institutions to run their own schools, which is protected in the Constitution, and to have their own characteristic spirit, but they must do so within the laws of the land. The issue...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): School Admissions (25 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: We must recognise there is diversity and diversity is a good thing. That means there needs to be a diversity of teachers capable of maintaining the ethos of a given school. We have recognised that the right to have distinctive strands of teachers should be protected. The parent and student charter legislation will come before the House for a thorough debate. It is my intention that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: History is only a compulsory subject in voluntary secondary schools. It is not compulsory in half of the sector. Despite that, 90% of people take up history. The new curriculum will be much more creative in its content and we believe it will attract people to take up history. It will also be more fulfilling in that they will look at history in the context of their own community and it...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the Deputy's interest in this issue because the role of leaders in our schools is hugely important and I wish to give him some reassurance. We have successfully recruited 6,000 additional teachers to our schools in the last three years and as the Deputy knows, the standards of reading and mathematics among our ten years olds are the best in Europe. We have a great deal to be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Kelly is long enough around the House to know the current Government, the previous Government and all Governments I know of have engaged in collective bargaining across the sector with the public service unions. It has not been a question of segregating different groups or principals within that. We collectively negotiate arrangements. We have recently, as the Deputy acknowledged...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: They were recruited because of that. The Deputy asked about the posts of responsibility that there used to be. I do not know whether the Deputy listened to my reply but I have restored-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: -----2,600 such posts. That means 37% of teachers are now in positions where they have assistant-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: I do not know if the Deputy is interested in the answer or just in imparting information.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Sep 2018)

Richard Bruton: I do not know how I can answer without interruption when every moment I am interrupted. We are restoring this. The centre for school leadership is a fantastic initiative. We are investing in it and seeing more principals getting the opportunity to develop their skills. That is really important. I am extending and have extended the days when teachers who are teaching principals have time...