Results 15,621-15,640 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is working on a Foreign Language Strategy and intends to complete it by the autumn. The Strategy will consider foreign languages from the post-primary sector upwards. The strategy will take into account the findings of a public consultative process with education stakeholders held in 2014. Following the analysis of the submissions received there were two further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (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 that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Jun 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. There is a reduced enrolment requirement for the retention of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Further Education and Training (FET) sector has undergone major structural and policy change over the last number of years. The purpose of this reform is to ensure that we have a FET sector that is flexible and responsive to the needs of learners and industry alike. Within the FET sector there is a range of flexible high quality programmes on offer to meet the needs of young...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers was included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme announced last November. The delivery of a project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site. Once a site is acquired, the project will be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender and construction in 2019-2021, as outlined in the programme.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is acknowledged that any change to the Equal Status Act would be extremely difficult as this is a hugely complex area legally, constitutionally, and in other ways. I note that the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, when conducting pre-legislative scrutiny of the previously published Admissions Bill, acknowledged the potential tension between...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is acknowledged that any change to the Equal Status Act would be extremely difficult as this is a hugely complex area legally, constitutionally, and in other ways. I note that the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, when conducting pre-legislative scrutiny of the previously published Admissions Bill, acknowledged the potential tension between...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department published a new National Skills Strategy in January 2016. The purpose of this new Strategy is to provide a framework for skills development that will help drive Ireland's growth both economically and societally over the next decade. Through the vision, objectives, actions and indicators, the Strategy will support the development of a well-educated, well-skilled and adaptable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Jun 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: Legislative Reviews (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that, Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, providing for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs and the sections of the Act which placed the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on a statutory footing, were commenced in 2005. The remaining sections of the EPSEN Act, have yet...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Students currently in second year of Junior Cycle who have not completed their first Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) will, as agreed with the teacher unions, have the opportunity to complete this early in the first term of the coming school year. It is a matter of deep regret that ASTI has failed to deliver on the 2015 agreement with their leadership. The refusal to cooperate with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) makes allocations for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants to special schools each year. In doing so, they take into account the number of pupils enrolled to the school and the care needs of the pupils attending the school, in accordance with my Departments allocation criteria. The number of special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: 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 and would require broad consultation, including engagement with staff representatives as was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is strongly supportive of the promotion of positive mental health awareness in both primary and post-primary schools as part of an overall healthy lifestyle for our young people. The Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with a broad range of problems, behavioural,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that funding for special education provision in 2016 will amount to some €1.5 billion, which is equivalent to over 17% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training. It has increased by 10% in the past two years. The investment which is being made to support children with special educational needs is an area of spending which has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools, to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The Deputy will be aware that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government recognises the importance of higher education to Ireland's future economic and social development and also the huge impact a higher education experience has on the lives of individuals. In considering the best way forward, the previous Government established an Expert Group to examine future funding requirements for higher education and to present options for developing a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 Jun 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 enrolment returns submitted by the school referred to by the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the review of the DEIS programme is currently underway and it is my intention that a New Action Plan for disadvantaged schools will be published by the end of this year. I also wish to advise the Deputy that changes to the current programme will not be made pending the outcome of the review. The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the...