Results 15,681-15,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: I propose to take questions Nos. 156 and 161 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to fully implement the Six Year Capital Plan (2016 - 2021). As the Deputy is aware, the Six 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...

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

Richard Bruton: My Department is very aware of the importance of small schools to rural communities and particularly the most dispersed and remote communities. To sustain primary schools in these communities my Department has a more favourable staffing schedule for small schools that are more than 8km distant from the next nearest school of the same type of patronage and language of instruction. This...

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 Staff (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: Teacher Recruitment (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 previous 30 September. The Deputy will be aware that Budget...

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

Richard Bruton: A campaign to promote apprenticeship is currently being developed by SOLAS in consultation with key partners including the Apprenticeship Council. The campaign will raise awareness and promote the value of apprenticeship for individual apprentices and for employers and it will cover both existing apprenticeships and the new apprenticeships now coming on stream. This Government has...

Topical Issue Debate: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Heydon for raising this issue. The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts are set out in an objective way and are applied uniformly across the country. In budget 2016, the then Minister announced a one-point improvement to the primary staffing schedule which reduced the average pupil-teacher ratio to 27:1. In September 2015, enrolment at Rathangan boys'...

Topical Issue Debate: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Unfortunately, the two tests of the developing schools criteria and the alternative criterion G are the ways by which the Department has sought to provide some flexibility in the scheme. It is a scheme that has to be applied uniformly throughout the country and a school has to meet the criteria. Obviously, the appeals board exercises some judgment as to how schools are operating. It is...

Energy Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I will pass on what is said to the Minister, as will the officials. I am sure he is temporarily delayed.

Energy Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: He will be here any minute.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (29 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: Departmental Strategies (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos 76 and 84 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for a Partnership Government provides for a three year Statement of Strategy for my Department within the first 100 days and a framework for measuring its progress. The Strategy will be informed by the Government's Programme for a Partnership Government and will aim to advance the transformation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The pupil teacher ratio in the current school year is 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils. Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing allocation to primary schools, which will be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is widely accepted that the quality of school leadership is a key determinant of school effectiveness and the achievement of good learning outcomes. Indeed international research indicates that school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil learning. Therefore my Department, in consultation with the representative school management bodies has commenced an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Lansdowne Road Agreement (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: ASTI members voted recently to authorise the ASTI Standing Committee to direct its members to cease fulfilling the Croke Park hours. ASTI's decision to withdraw from these hours is a serious issue that has implications beyond the question of whether these hours are fulfilled or not. As I have stated previously, this decision means that ASTI is withdrawing from the Lansdowne Road Agreement....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Implementation of the new framework for Junior Cycle is proceeding. Members of the TUI are fully co-operating with the implementation. The teachers involved are benefiting from extensive continuing professional development and are availing of professional time to support the implementation. The ASTI continue to operate a directive of non-cooperation with the framework. The effect of this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Shortages (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Skills Bulletin is produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) and highlights a number of areas where there are skills shortages. The scale of these shortages varies and there can be a variety of reasons that impact on the ability of employers to recruit. The work of the SLMRU provides...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Services Provision (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with key commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government (May 2016) in relation to encouraging the use of school buildings outside school hours which the Government has committed to delivering progress on within the first 100 days, my Department is working closely with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in considering how to facilitate schools who wish to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Services Provision (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: An interdepartmental working group has been established with officials from my Department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to progress the key commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government (May 2016), in order to improve the range and quality of options for Parents for afterschool care for school-age children. My department has undertaken to consider how to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (29 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 87 together. As the Deputy is aware, the review of the DEIS programme is currently underway and it is my intention that a New Action Plan Educational Inclusion will be published by the end of this year. The current DEIS Action Plan, was published in 2005 and currently provides support to 836 schools serving a total of 169,500 pupils. The DEIS...