Results 15,181-15,200 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government is very conscious of the concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students. The reality is that dealing comprehensively with this issue will only take place as part of a more general programme to address the major housing and homelessness issue, and the new Government has appointed a specific Minister for Housing with a commitment to develop an Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the new Programme for Government outlines that this new Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities. This is in line with the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 which provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030. With regard to the institute of technology sector, the Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Details of the draft financial statements for all Institutes of Technology (IoTs) for 2014/15 are set out in the following table. The draft financial statements for the IoTs for the year 2015/16 are not yet available. All the institutes showing a deficit, with the exception of two - Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) - have reserves which can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I will arrange for the information in relation to this case to be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelcholáistí Issues (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new schools which will open in 2017 and 2018 to cater for increased demographic demand nationwide were announced in November 2015. At that time it was stated that a Gaelcholáiste to serve the North Kildare area will open in 2019, subject to sufficient viability of the Irish-medium Aonad, which is currently part of Maynooth Community College. The Gaelcholáiste will operate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Support Services Funding (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates significant resources to ensure that students can participate fully in their academic courses and are not disadvantaged by reason of a disability. The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department and provides funding to students in approved colleges for further and higher education for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2016/2017 school year is set out in Circular 0007/2016. 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 30 September 2015. The school referred to by the Deputy will have a mainstream teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department has funded the Professional Development Service for Teachers to revise the Walk Tall materials for primary schools. My Department is currently considering a continuing professional development framework to roll out support for the revised programme. Support will be rolled out in conjunction with support for the revised Stay Safe programme. My officials have made contact with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education. Parents can choose to enrol children with autism in an early intervention class from the age of three and where such a placement is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that spending on provision for children with Special Educational Needs has been prioritised in recent years, despite the enormous pressures on all public spending. Funding for special education provision in 2016 will amount to some €1.4 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 17% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department published anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. The anti-bullying procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. The anti-bullying procedures make clear that schools also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: A comprehensive review of the Irish apprenticeship system was undertaken by an independent review group that reported in December 2013. Following consideration of their recommendations and consultation with stakeholders on implementation arrangements, an Apprenticeship Implementation Plan was published in June 2014. A key recommendation of this review was the establishment of an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The current annual paybill for the Chief Executives of the 16 Education and Training Boards is in the region of €1.95m. Therefore at present a 10% reduction in pay would yield savings of approximately €195,000 per annum. The Deputy might wish to note that ETB Chief Executives' pay was reduced in line with the pay cuts for public servants earning €65,000 and over as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Data (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department operates payrolls for teachers serving in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools and for certain non-teaching staff. It also operates a payroll for payment of pension to retired school staff. The number of teachers and other school staff who retired on pension in the years from January 2011 to December 2015 total 7,000 approximately. The cost of lump sum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Residential Institutions Redress Scheme was established under the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 to administer a redress scheme to persons who as children were abused in any of 139 scheduled institutions. Awards under the scheme were made following applications from and evidence provided by the survivors, including evidence of having been a resident in one or more of these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Funding available to the Department is used in mainstream education initiatives. However, if a school decides to invite any music group to their school, then it is a matter for the school in question and for them to fund such an initiative. I am aware of the excellent work being done by the group Seo Linn to promote music and song in the Irish Language. I will be responding shortly to your...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (31 May 2016)

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 2016. There are no plans to amend the definition of an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 (Enhancing Teaching, Learning & Assessment), launched in October 2015, sets out a clear vision for the role of ICT in teaching, learning and assessment in primary and post primary schools. The Strategy is focused on realising the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students by helping them become...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: In identifying the requirement for additional school places in a school planning area, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection, local authorities and the Department's own databases. With this...