Results 25,701-25,720 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (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. Following on from the announcement, the locations for all of the schools, including the new primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (9 Oct 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: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos.138 to 140, inclusive, together. Section 21 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 provides for the appointment by the Minister for Education and Skills of one or more than one person to act as an independent appeals officer to consider appeals against decisions of Caranua. Mr Patrick Whelan was appointed as appeals officer in February 2014...

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

Richard Bruton: The cost of employing 500 new Special Need Assistants in the 2019/2020 school year is estimated at €13.8m. This estimated cost includes the pay increases due in 2019 under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018 to 2020 and employers PRSI.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Funding (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, or school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school. Eligibility is assessed having regard to, although not limited to,...

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

Richard Bruton: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs published a report in 2007, "Tomorrow's Skills, Towards a National Skills Strategy" which contained a target that the percentage of the labour force at levels 1 -3 on the National Framework of Qualifications should decrease to 7% by 2020. This indicator was carried over into Ireland's National Skills Strategy 2025 which was published in January...

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

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB). Under this arrangement, it will be a matter for the ETB to appoint a Design Team for the design and construction phases of the project. As the project has not yet commenced architectural planning, it is too early in the process for a timeline for completion of the works.

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. In the context of progressing the building project, officials from my Department have undertaken a site visit to the school. The building project for this school will be devolved to Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) for delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Communications (9 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not have a specific policy regarding Ministerial use of private email addresses to conduct Government business. However, as stated in parliamentary responses reference number 38550/18 and 39582/16, from late 2016 I have only used dedicated Department email addresses to communicate official Department business. The Information Technology Unit of my Department regularly...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am sharing with the Ministers for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Michael D'Arcy. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and understand his concern. The budget is strategic and fair and a budget for a changing Ireland. We are facing challenges that require a strategic approach....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: Approximately 3,000 leadership posts have been invested in our primary and post primary schools in the past year. 1 in 3 (34.5%) teachers are now in promoted positions in our schools. Budget 2017 allocated €2.75m to allow for the commencement of restoration of middle management posts as part of an agreed distributed leadership model and meant lifting the rigidity of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: My aim for Budget 2019, as it has been in previous years, is to progressively deliver on the commitments set out in the Action Plan for Education, in the Programme for a Partnership Government and in the Confidence and Supply Arrangement and to meet demographic and demand pressures, which can have significant resource implications. It is in that context that I will formulate my specific...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I negotiated, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. As a result of these changes, the current starting salary of a teacher is €36,318, and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools. The Programme for Government commits to capitation increases in primary and post primary schools. My Department will increase capitation rates by 5% from September 2019, the full year cost of which is €10m. This increase is the beginning of the process for the restoration of capitation which is one of the actions included...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Payments (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: On 14 September 2018, the announcement of the major package of investment in education under Project Ireland 2040 provided confirmation that primary schools will receive the minor works grant in either December or early January of each school year. The rates payable under the Minor Works Grant are €5,500 per school plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department is currently liaising with the school referred to by the Deputy in the context of the application for capital funding. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school authority when the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: Primary school teachers are employed by the managerial authorities of schools. The documentation necessary for the placement of teachers on payrolls operated by my Department must be approved by the managerial authorities and submitted to the payroll division to enable the teachers to be paid. There are legislative matters such as vetting and registration of teachers which the managerial...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (10 Oct 2018)

Richard Bruton: The student grant scheme administered by SUSI, provides maintenance grants to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Prospective applicants who register as homeless will not lose their grant, provided they continue to meet the eligibility criteria regarding means, nationality etc.