Results 16,341-16,360 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received an application for temporary accommodation from the school in question. The application will be considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority when the assessment process is completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: In the second report of the Public Service Benchmarking Body (issued in December 2007), the Body evaluated the pay and jobs of 109 grades across the public service, including school Principals. The Body recommended pay increases for 15 grades, including changes to the allowance payable to Principals of primary schools and of small post-primary schools. Under the Towards 2016 Review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. In order to receive funding from SUSI, an applicant must be an Irish, EU/EEA or Swiss Federation national and have been resident in the state or the EU/EEA/Swiss...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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.   There has been no change to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy since last year.  The school has a mainstream staffing of Principal and 3 classroom teachers for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The position is that under my Department's free fees schemes students are not eligible for tuition fee funding where they are pursuing a second undergraduate course of study. This rule applies to all students and is regardless of whether or not they received exchequer funding for their first course of study. Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: A review of the Public Works Contracts commenced in December 2013 during the terms of office of Minister Ruairi Quinn.  Following engagement between the Office of Government Procurement (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) and industry stakeholders, in December 2014 the Government Contracts Committee for Construction, (GCCC), published its Report on the Review of the Performance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to schools is determined by the numbers of eligible pupils enrolled and the associated levels of those pupils' language proficiency. Reforms introduced in the 2012/13 school year created a single simplified allocation process for both learning and language support. At primary level, learning/language support hours...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2014/15 (and were therefore liable to pay the Student Contribution), and taking into account overall expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my Department of abolishing the Student Contribution for the 2017/18 academic year would be €206.56m. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Sep 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 been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level. Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing allocation to primary schools, which has been implemented for the 2016/17 school year. The primary staffing schedule now operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Each 1 point adjustment to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Matters in relation to school books are dealt with at local school level.  My Department does not therefore have data in relation to overall school book costs at primary and post-primary level. However one estimate from publishers' sources suggested that the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum. Circa. 94% of primary schools and 65% of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The data requested by the Deputy is not collected or collated by my Department. There are over 3,700 individual employers in the education and training sector and it would require a disproportionate amount of time and administrative resources to gather the data sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The data requested by the Deputy is not collected or collated by my Department. There are over 3,700 individual employers in the education and training sector and it would require a disproportionate amount of time and administrative resources to gather the data sought by the Deputy.

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

Richard Bruton: Children who are diagnosed with Autism may be enrolled in an early intervention class attached to a mainstream school from the age of three years. From the age of 4 children with Autism may be enrolled in a mainstream school either in a special class or in a mainstream class with supports including access to SNA support if appropriate and resource teaching hours. Such placements facilitate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Since September 2012 at post primary level guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. The 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Children First Guidelines (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together. In autumn 2011, my Department issued "Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools" based on the "Children First – National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011”. These procedures apply to all primary and post-primary schools. The purpose of the procedures is to give direction and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Children First Guidelines (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for teaching. The role of the Council is to promote and regulate the teaching profession, including establishing and promoting professional standards and supporting teachers’ learning. The Teaching Council’s criteria for initial teacher education (ITE) programmes set out, for professional accreditation purposes, learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Stay Safe Programme (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) has responsibility for supporting the implementation of the revised Stay Safe Programme.  The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework which PDST has developed in this regard includes support for the revised Walk Tall materials for primary schools.  PDST has a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team with appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Protection (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has overall responsibility for developing the State’s policy and legislative framework in relation to child welfare and protection. A central element of this framework is the Children First – National Guidance published originally by that Department in 1999 and updated in 2011. The Children First Guidance operates as the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department, through the teacher support services and education centres, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the...