Results 15,581-15,600 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Daly for her question. The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act was enacted in July 2012 and provided for the establishment of a statutory fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse. The Act also provided for the dissolution of the Education Finance Board which was established in 2006 and financed by a €12.7 million contribution...

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: This operation started in January 2014 and the review was to take place within two years and the period in respect of that has somewhat slipped but it will now take place. The terms of reference will be agreed in July and the review will take place in the autumn. At the time when previous Ministers made commitments that was done having regard to the maximum funds available of €110...

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do not have the full context of the legislation at my disposal, but I understand the role of the fund is to use the contribution of €110 million to fund approved services to support survivors' needs. The fund has 15,000 applicants and is processing their applications. Quite a number have been deemed to be eligible and payments will be made in respect of them. I do not have access...

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do not have any material with me which suggests how the fund is being managed, but I note that it is being managed by a former Secretary General of the Department of Defence who has been an Accounting Officer to the Houses and the Committee of Public Accounts. I have every reason to believe such an official is managing the funds in a prudent and careful way. I am willing, of course, at...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible for allocating special needs assistants, SNAs, to schools in accordance with my Department's criteria for allocating such support. An additional 860 SNAs will be available for allocation to schools from September 2016, bringing to 12,900 the total number of SNA posts available, at a total annual cost of €425 million....

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: To put matters in context, the provision for special educational needs has been increased by 27% in the past few years while, for example, funding for higher education has fallen by approximately 22%. This area has not been neglected but rather is one in which the Government has, rightly, made significant contributions. The amounts are allocated on two bases. Some is provided as a general...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The allocation to children has not changed. It is being honoured throughout. There was a cut of 15% per child some time back, but the allocation has been provided throughout the period. My information is that there are still 18 SNAs in the school to which the Deputy referred and that there has been no cut to eight, but I will investigate the matter. The mother and child concerned are...

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (28 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...

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: In the Deputy's question, he recognised that this measure applied across the public service. It is not confined to teaching. Indeed, it applies in the House where newer Deputies are on lower pay than long-standing ones. It will be resolved across the public service and within the context of collective agreements, which is the importance of the Lansdowne Road agreement. We are...

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Teachers have a rightful case to make for the restoration of pay. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, pointed out that the Lansdowne Road agreement would cost the State €300 million this year. If the whole agreement was unwound in one go, it would cost €1.4 billion, more than double what is likely to be available for spending in the forthcoming budget. In recognising the pressures...

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: This issue has started to be addressed within the context of the Haddington Road and Lansdowne Road agreements, in that the former introduced an element of co-ordination of payscales to counter some of the impact. Under the Lansdowne Road agreement, teachers will get a flat-rate increase of €1,000 as well as the substitution payment of €796. These will be proportionally more...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that in the case of proposed amalgamations, including those of rural schools, my Department is prepared to consider the provision of additional accommodation or other works, subject to available funding. Requests for accommodation in the context of amalgamation proposals associated with an amalgamation may range from demands for new school builds or an...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department adopts a flexible approach and seeks to facilitate amalgamations wherever it can. However, where capital funding is concerned, the merits of each case have to be assessed. If the Deputy has a particular instance in mind, I can ask the Department to assess the needs in that case. Clearly, this is an area in which the Department seeks to facilitate the wishes of patrons,...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: While the Department tries to take a flexible approach, I cannot offer the Deputy a blank cheque in respect of every proposal that is produced. These decisions are not taken at a political level but by the Department. The Department has developed a good protocol to ensure people have confidence in the way in which this matter is dealt with, notwithstanding which schools are involved. While...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I cannot see any reason not to make it available other than that it is being developed with a particular association which, I presume, also wants to manage its stakeholder engagement, so to speak. I have no doubt it can be made available to the Deputy and I will ask that this be done.

Other Questions: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the Constitution and in accordance with section 30 of the Education Act 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religion classes if they so wish. The manner in which any school ensures the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most...

Other Questions: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: We could consider this issue further. I understand the admissions policy will improve the position in that it will clarify the matter by requiring schools to set out their policy. If a schools policy were discriminatory, parents could pursue the matter through equal status legislation and they would also have redress through the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, which could investigate...

Other Questions: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's suggestion goes a good deal further. We must recognise that the Constitution protects the right of religions to run schools and provide for their religious ethos. Equally, parents have a constitutional right to choose not to have their children participate in religion instruction and their participation should be in a programme of values that does not make the child feel...

Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the review of the DEIS programme is under way and it is my intention that a new action plan for educational inclusion will be published by the end of this year. I advise the Deputy that the current DEIS scheme has not been suspended but that changes to the current programme will not be made pending the outcome of the review. The current DEIS action plan was...

Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The position is that we are now opening this process to new applications but only when we have a new process that can assess every school on an equitable basis. The Department is developing such a model. I hope it will be in force from the next school year. It will be a statistical model in the sense that it will use objective data from the census. As Deputy Connolly is aware, information...