Results 15,561-15,580 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: In general, school authorities have a considerable degree of autonomy in relation to how their premises are managed and utilised at local level. The use of school facilities must be approved by the school authority. In 2005, my Department issued a circular to Trustees, Boards of Management and Principals of Primary and Voluntary Secondary Schools (Circular Letter Prim 16/05) to encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the revised Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations being considered by my Department, Regulation 3 (Montessori and Other Categories) will be accommodated under Route 4. Under this route of registration a teacher currently registered under Regulation 3 may maintain his/her registration on the basis of the qualification which was recognised in order for the Teaching Council to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2b Detailed Design, which includes obtaining the necessary statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. A planning application was lodged in October 2015 and the Design Team have recently submitted the necessary information to the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Arts in Education Charter (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Arts in Education Charter, launched in 2013, was a landmark development in relation to the promotion of arts education and arts in education in Ireland. The Charter is an initiative of my Department, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, working in association with the Arts Council. The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises the Charter as providing an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Arts in Education Charter (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises the Arts in Education Charter as providing an unprecedented opportunity for children and young people to engage in a proactive and meaningful way with arts in education in Ireland and commits to its implementation. In the context of the Charter, a number of artist residencies have been supported at the Colleges of Education in Ireland....

United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (27 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The British people have made a major decision, albeit not one we would have wanted. This is not the time for analysing how it happened or for speculating on where it might take us in the very long term. It is about managing the issues that will be presented in the short term. Ireland has benefited enormously from EU membership. We can see it in our workers' rights code, social welfare...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: ASTI members voted recently to authorise the ASTI standing committee to direct its members to cease fulfilling the Croke Park agreement hours. The decision to withdraw from these hours is a serious issue with implications beyond the question of whether the hours are fulfilled or not. This decision means the ASTI is withdrawing from the Lansdowne Road agreement. These hours represent a real...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The ASTI was invited by my Department to participate in the discussions with the TUI, but it declined to do so.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It had also declined an invitation from the previous Minister. However, I did recently meet it on the issue of junior certificate reform and I am glad that today it has indicated that its representatives are willing to meet me following my invitation to discuss the issues involved further. I am very disappointed, however, that it has also signalled today that it will trigger the measure on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Yes. In implementing the Lansdowne Road agreement my Department is conscious of the requirements of data protection legislation and putting in place arrangements to distinguish between teachers who are represented by unions that have accepted the agreement and those represented by unions that have not. These arrangements are being finalised and my Department will publish a circular in early...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Lansdowne Road agreement is an absolutely vital framework and every trade union within the public service has been within it. It is allowing us to manage our resources and make investments in important areas that are crying out for resources. Working within collective agreements of this nature has been crucial to the development of stable industrial relations. That is the way to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The well-being area of learning will be introduced to the junior cycle programme from the start of the 2017-18 school year. Up to 400 hours will be available for learning in the area of well-being in the junior cycle. It will begin with a minimum of 300 hours of timetabled engagement from 2017 and move to the full complement of time as the new junior cycle is fully implemented in schools....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I recognise that not every school has access to a PE hall. Hopefully, within their wider communities they can ensure children have the opportunity to participate in the PE component. The suggestion of an audit of availability is sensible. I am conscious that resources for investment are under pressure to meet the growing numbers of children coming into the system. It has been given a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The well-being programme has been designed to be inclusive and conscious that certain communities are under particular pressure. It is reflected in the fact that they will have better pupil-teacher ratios, capitation and access to the National Educational Psychological Service and counselling services. There are in-built provisions that will support the effective roll-out of the well-being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Admissions (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The programme for Government contains a commitment to publish new school admissions legislation taking account of current draft proposals and addressing issues including publication of school enrolment policies, an end to waiting lists, introduction of annual enrolment structures and transparency and fairness in admissions for pupils and their parents. I have commenced a process of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Admissions (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Children from outside the area of a local school are often given preference over children who are in the school catchment area but who are not of the denomination. Deputy Joan Burton's Bill seeks to address this. The Bill may raise complex issues such as the impact on minority religions, and they need time and space to allow hearings by the Oireachtas education committee to tease out the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Admissions (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The former Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, did much of the work on the admissions Bill, and I would like it to proceed, given that there is much consensus on many of the issues in it. Another issue which is not in the admissions Bill has been raised, and we should take the opportunity to tease out the practicalities of the Labour Party Bill, parallel to the passage of the admissions Bill,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Admissions (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am sympathetic to the case the Deputy has made in that Bill but I am conscious that the previous Oireachtas education committee, which conducted pre-legislative scrutiny of the Education (Admissions to School) Bill 2015, acknowledged the potential tensions between articles of the Constitution relating to education and religion and concluded that it poses a particular difficulty when...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Admissions (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It has become standard and good practice to have pre-legislative scrutiny of all Bills that will come before the House. This Bill raises complex legal and constitutional issues, which I do not say make it unviable, but they need to be examined. That was recognised by the previous Oireachtas education committee and, bearing that in mind, we need to do that. I refer to the way minority...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Admissions (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do not share the Deputy's poor belief in the longevity of the Government. I am optimistic that new politics will result in longevity because that is what people want. The Bill was not part of any legislative proposal scrutinised by the House previously. That is clear from the conclusion of the previous Oireachtas committee. We need to examine the complexities, and the responsible way...