Results 15,401-15,420 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third-level admissions scheme for students with a disability. The DARE scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions under the DARE scheme are regulated by the institutions themselves. Each higher education institution determines its own admission policy in relation to DARE, the number...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, 2015-19, contains a number of targets that are intended to promote participation rates for those groups that are currently under-represented in higher education. These targets were developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders during the consultation process that informed the National Access Plan. These national targets...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Student Assistance Fund provides financial supports to students who are experiencing short-term or ongoing financial difficulties. The Fund is administered locally within each higher education institution. Funds are provided on an annual basis to each institution by the Higher Education Authority. The attached tables provide the level of funding provided through the Student Assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, 2015-2019, was published in December 2015. One of the actions in the National Access Plan is for each higher education institution to reflect the goals, objectives and targets of the Plan in their individual, institutional level, access plans and in the annual compacts arising from the strategic dialogue process. This process of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Provisional results from the 2015/2016 National School Annual Census showing the breakdown by county of the number of children at primary level in classes of 25 or more are shown in the attached table. Final figures will be published at the end of June. Further details on individual school class size are available on my Department's website at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Data (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The numbers of primary and post primary teachers paid on my Department's payroll in May 2016, on less than full hours on temporary and CID contracts are as follows: Number of Post Primary RPT (temporary) staff on less than 22 hours per week is 1,859. Number of Post Primary CID (Contract of Indefinite Duration) staff on less than 22 hours per week is 960. Number of Primary RPT (temporary)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Welfare Board Staff (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). My Department, over the course of recent economic difficulties, has not only maintained...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the 6 Year Capital Plan (2016 - 2021), announced last November, as part of the Government's €2.8 billion schools capital investment programme, details the major school building projects that are scheduled to proceed to tender/construction over the lifetime of the Plan. It is my Department's intention to progress these projects, including the projects listed for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Department approved funding for window works to the school referred to under the Summer Works Scheme (2014/2015). The school subsequently reverted to my Department seeking additional funding for a revised scope of works. This application is currently being assessed by my Department to confirm whether the project needs to be retendered. A decision will be conveyed to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (9 Jun 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: Special Educational Needs (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177, 178 and 191 together. City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) provides funding for some of the services provided by the group in question. I am aware of the difficulties that have arisen in relation to accommodation and last week I requested CDETB to make contact with representatives of the group to discuss possible options.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Board of Management is responsible for the direct governance of a school and for the use of school resources and facilities subject to the approval of the Patron. The giving of consent to the use of classrooms in a school is a matter for the Patron of the school. My Department does not have a role relating to the agreement between the school and the group in question. The City of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware a comprehensive review of the Irish apprenticeship system was undertaken by an independent review group that reported in December 2013. The review group confirmed that a central feature of apprenticeship should continue to be that there is a requirement participants to be employed with an approved employer prior to registration as an apprentice. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cóiríocht Scoile (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Táim in ann a dheimhniú gur chuir an scoil dá dtagraíonn an Teachta iarratas isteach ar chóiríocht bhreise. Tá an t-iarratas á measúnú faoi láthair agus cuirfear an cinneadh in iúl don údarás scoile a luaithe a bheidh an próiseas seo tugtha chun críche.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved grant aid for 3 stand alone classrooms and a WC for assisted users. This grant aid was subsequently increased in line with the Department's recently revised basic building costs. The Department reviewed the case again recently in light of planning conditions and unforeseen site conditions. I am pleased to be able to tell the Deputy that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 202 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that, in general, school authorities have a considerable degree of autonomy in relation to how their premises are managed and utilised at local level. It should be noted that the vast majority of primary school buildings in the country are in private ownership, including the school referred to by the Deputy. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not directly fund school patrons. Changing the patronage of primary schools should not therefore impact on the day to day running costs of schools or their method of funding. Primary schools are funded on a capitation based system. There is a standard capitation rate for all primary schools of €170 per pupil subject to a minimum payment of €10,200 for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department did not spend any money purchasing copies of the Public Sector Timesmagazine in 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Information in respect of payments made from by my Department's administrative expenditure for the purchase of newspapers or magazines has been extracted from the Department's Financial Management System (FMS). The Deputy should note that it is not possible to identify the costs of daily newspapers separately. Total expenditure in 2015 was € 8,959.58. A list of the publications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (14 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 190 together. There are currently 17.33 whole time equivalent (wte) staff employed in the Human Resources (HR) Unit of my Department across three locations, namely Athlone, Dublin and Tullamore. Of these, there are currently 3 wte staff on maternity/long-term sick leave.