Results 15,221-15,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: In 2004 the school in question was allocated a devolved grant of €100,000 to enable it to provide a one classroom special needs unit. This grant was subsequently increased to €281,000 to provide a second classroom and to cover the extra costs associated with the delivery of the project. The final payment in respect of this grant was made in October 2005. The Department...

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

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently funded by Ulster Bank under a Skills and Opportunity Fund which aims to build entrepreneurial and employability skills amongst young people with special needs, aged 16 to 19 years, who are senior students in two special schools in County Louth. My Department's policy in relation to the provision of supports to students with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In relation to reasonable accommodations in the examinations all applications are considered in the first instance by the SEC. The SEC provides a rationale for its decisions in refusing accommodations where these are not warranted at the initial decision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school in question is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme announced last November and is scheduled to proceed to tender and construction in 2018. My Department will be in contact with the school regarding the appointment of a Design Team for the project in due course.

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

Richard Bruton: Developing provision for languages in education remains a priority for my Department and under the Action Plan for Jobs 2015, a new Foreign Languages in Education Strategy will be published later this year. The priority at primary level is to provide high-quality language learning in our two national languages, Irish and English. A new Integrated Primary Languages Curriculum,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 to 326, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that details of the 197 successful school applicants in Categories 1 and 2 under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) were announced on 28th April last, details of which are also published on my Department's website,www.education.i.e. I also wish to advise the Deputy that the SWS will be applied on a multi-annual basis for the years 2016 and 2017. Under SWS (2016-2017),...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ombudsman's Remit (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the role and power of an Ombudsman for Education, to whom a parent could complain and appeal on foot of a decision by a board of management, will be examined by the relevant Oireachtas Committee to ensure its consistency with the need to ensure better local decision making and accountability to parents. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government 'A Programme for a Partnership Government' has a commitment to enhance the guidance counsellor allocation in our secondary schools. The current budget provides an improved staffing allocation to second level schools for the purpose of enhancing guidance provision. This improvement takes effect from next September. It brings the basis of allocation from 19:1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the planning difficulties associated with this educational campus, related largely to the means of access to the site. Planning permission has been sought and refused for both a new primary school and a physical education hall for the existing post-primary school. An Bord Pleanála has indicated that the matter of assessing alternative means of accessing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including entry pay levels. The terms of reference and timescale for the Commission's work are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 333 to 335, inclusive, and 337 together. The Programme for Government 'A Programme for a Partnership Government' has a commitment to enhance the guidance counsellor allocation in our secondary schools. Up until September 2012, an ex-quota allocation was provided for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation to post primary schools. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget Measures (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The previous Government sought, against a very challenging economic backdrop, to protect education spending and maintain frontline education services as far as possible. While difficult savings measures had to be implemented across areas of the Education Sector, including in Budget 2012, my Department has continued to provide high levels of services through efficient and effective use of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy points out, a grant has been approved for the school in question for a building project. The delivery of the project has been devolved to the school authority. The progression of the project is now, therefore, a matter for the Board of Management.

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that in accordance with the approach adopted in relation to all such amalgamations, additional non-teaching resources are provided by my Department in respect of eligible pupils from the former DEIS school by way of continued support for the targeted cohort of pupils as a transitional measure. In the case of a primary school these supports continue to be supplied...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (31 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 staffing arrangements at primary level also include an appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of having received an application under the Emergency Works Scheme from the school referred to by the Deputy. It is, however, open to the school to submit an application under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme in respect of essential works required. The appropriate application is available on my Department's website,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers was authorized to proceed to tender in late November 2015. Following recent clarification on matters raised the Design Team is currently finalizing tender documents and it is anticipated that the project will proceed to tender in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The position is that the higher education institutions, such as University of Limerick, are autonomous bodies and therefore the day to day operation of the institution, including issues surrounding the collection and administration of the Student Contribution and relevant action where there are outstanding debts, are matters for the Governing Authority of each institution. However, where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding in respect of the third phase of the additional accommodation project. The application is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process is finalised.