Results 15,821-15,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level and to commencing a review within three months of teacher appointment thresholds in small schools with four teachers or less. The primary staffing schedule currently operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils. Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that officials in my Department have been working closely with officials from Cork County Council towards the acquisition of a permanent site to meet the needs of the school to which he refers. A number of potentially suitable sites were identified and attempts to progress their acquisition were unsuccessful. However, an alternative site is currently under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scéim na nOibreacha Samhraidh (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Is mian liom a chur in iúl don Teachta go bhfuil iarratas faighte ag mo Roinn ón scoil dá dtagraíonn sé faoi Scéim na nOibreacha Samhraidh (2016-2017), Catagóir 6, i leith oibreacha Dín. Cáileoidh iarratais bhailí faoi Scéim na nOibreacha Samhraidh (2016-2017) i leith Chatagóirí 3 go 10, ó scoileanna nár baineadh...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included on the six year construction programme announced on 17th November 2015 and is listed to proceed to tender and construction in 2017. The project has recently completed early architectural planning, Stage 2A – the Developed Design Stage and has been authorised to progress to Stage 2B, Detailed Design, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017), valid applications from schools that were not reached for funding reasons from within the funding made available in 2016 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available in 2017, subject to the overall availability of funding. If this arises, the terms and conditions of the scheme as outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Data (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy regarding the schools in County Donegal that received approval for works under the multi-annual Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) and Emergency Works 2016 is set out in the following table. Roll Number County School Name & Address Category of works Approved Description of Works 11843O Donegal Niall Mór National School, Killybegs, Co...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for additional accommodation. The application concerned is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs attending Special schools. The NCSE operates within my Department's policy in allocating this support. Staffing arrangements for special schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Recruitment (5 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together. In 2009 the Government introduced a moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the Civil & Public service in order to reduce staff numbers and generate a saving on the cost of staff payrolls. Under the terms of the moratorium it was not possible to fill a post however it arose, unless a Government Department could present a case...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Site Acquisitions (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising the matter. I share his enthusiasm for the development of this school under Dr. Alan Sheehan. There is no doubt it is a very popular school. It opened in 2013 and is in temporary accommodation. The last Minister for Education and Skills included it in the current six-year construction plan announced in November 2015. It was designated to go to...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Site Acquisitions (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I have been assured by the officials dealing with this that they recognise it is a priority. If they were in any doubt, I will convey to them the Deputy's points about the dual site, the pressure it is putting on the school and the ambitions, scale and growth of the school. I will take a personal interest to see that this can be delivered. These deals have to be nailed down permanently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school building project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council. The project is at Stage 1 of the building process which is the preliminary design stage. When the stage 1 process has been satisfactorily completed by the Design Team, my Department expects to be in a position to allow the project to move through the remaining stages of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was allocated funding to build a stand-alone classroom under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2014. Extra funding was subsequently approved to enable the school authority to convert its GP room to a classroom while the classroom is being constructed. These conversion works were completed in December 2015. The school more recently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, from 2017 a new grading scheme for the Leaving Certificate, which will reduce the number of grade bands from 14 to 8 at each level will be introduced. Under the revised scale, the maximum points available in each subject is 100, and the overall maximum points available, excluding Bonus Points for Maths, is 600. This is the same as the points available under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the Government will introduce a stronger complaints procedure and charter for parents, and commence the Fitness to Teach provisions of the Teaching Council Act. The Programme also provides that the role and the power of an Ombudsman for Education, to whom a parent could complain and appeal on foot of a decision by a board of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables. It should be noted that the 2016 apprentice population is based on forecast figures. Table 1 Year Cost €’000 * Apprentice Population 2010 68.015 10,172 2011 43.353 8,327 2012 32.166 6,222 2013 27.942 5,711 2014 25.900 6,913 2015 34.800 8,317 2016 43.000 11,250* Direct provision costs in ETB...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the Apprenticeship Council has provided feedback to category 2 and 3 consortia in relation to their proposals. Consortia engaged with the call for proposals on the basis that details would only be published of proposals approved for progression to a detailed planning stage. At this stage, I do not propose to publish details of category 2 and 3 proposals. The Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The projected apprenticeship population in the existing trades for the years 2016 – 2018 is set out in the following table 1 provided by SOLAS. SOLAS do not currently have forecasts beyond 2018 but their Skills and Labour Market Research Unit will review and extend apprenticeship forecasts later this year. In addition to forecast numbers in the existing trades, apprentices will also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 to 107, inclusive, together. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions, including Institutes such as Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (6 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: For the Deputy's information, comprehensive information in relation to the composition of the State boards of non-commercial bodies under the aegis of my Department is available on my Department's website () and this information is updated as appointments are made. The Deputy should note that there board appointments were made, as laid out below, according nominations made by other bodies as...