Results 25,661-25,680 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Department’s inspectorate conducted a Whole School Evaluation (WSE) Inspection in Castleknock Educate Together and the report was published on my Department’s website on 04 September 2018. The report made a number of recommendations for improvement to the school management. Responsibility for the implementation of improvements identified in the WSE lies in the first...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: Meeting requests and/or invitations to attend events in schools are managed in conjunction with visits by the Minister to the relevant areas. The request from the school referred to in this question will be considered in that context.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Centre Network (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: Education Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary Management Committees elected annually and comprised mainly of teachers. My Department is the main source of funding for Education Centres through direct budget allocations towards administrative staff pay and operating costs. All funds held by Centres are subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is the policy of the Department that all children with Special Educational Needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in recognised school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides a number of mechanisms through which improvements are carried out in schools. Through the 6 year Capital Programme, the investment plan is about looking to the future and ensuring that our school infrastructure is well prepared to accommodate our growing school population. The programme also addresses the requirements of many schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Junior Cycle Framework presents a dual approach to assessment that supports student learning over the three years of junior cycle and also measures achievement at the end of those three years. This dual approach reduces the focus on one externally assessed examination as a means of assessing students and increases the prominence given to classroom-based assessment and formative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's capital programme. Officials in my Department have identified a preferred site for the school and negotiations are ongoing at present. Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. I can assure the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Facilities (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving an application for funding from the school in question for upgrading works to the school's existing facilities. As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school is included in my Department's capital programme. Officials in my Department have identified a preferred site for the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 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 a new 1,000 pupil post primary school to serve...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. In June 2018, the schools and their design team were authorised to commence the prequalification process to select a shortlist of contractors...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a major capital project for the provision of permanent accommodation for the school in question is being addressed through my Department's Capital Programme. It is envisaged that permanent accommodation for the school will be provided through a campus arrangement with a local Institute of Further Education on its current site. This project will also include...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers recently submitted its stage 2b report to my Department together with an application for additional funding. A decision on this will issue as soon the documentation has been fully assessed. The report submitted is for the Department's file. The school's Design Team will be aware of this and have its own copy of the report.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 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 a new primary school to serve Kilcoole/Newtownmountkennedy to open in September...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Design (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally. Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income, before deduction of income tax or universal social charge, is assessed with certain...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: To answer the Deputy, though schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools, where staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by the Department, these schemes have been largely phased out and have been superseded by the more extensive capitation grant schemes. Under these schemes, the majority of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's six Year Construction Programme. I wish to advise the Deputy that the project is progressing to the architectural planning stage and is expected to be delivered by an external agency to my Department. Arrangements are currently being made in this regard and my Department will be in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: This Government is committed to ensuring every child with special educational needs has the opportunity to fulfill their full potential. Department of Education and Skills funding for special education provision in 2018 will amount to some €1.75 billion, up 43% since 2011 and equivalent to 18.7% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training. The funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: Very significant numbers of third-level students move out of home to go to college and continue to be supported by their parents while in full-time education. Confirmation that a student is living separately from his/her parents is of itself, not sufficient to establish independent status. When considering whether a student meets the conditions to be assessed independently of his or her...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 to 112, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy around the individual maps of the 314 school planning areas is not readily available and would represent a significant administrative burden to compile. However, if the Deputy wishes to nominate a number of school planning areas, I would be happy to provide individual maps of these...