Results 16,381-16,400 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: A response to the Deputy’s query issued recently. I understand that the student referred to by the Deputy, lodged an appeal with the Student Grants Appeals Board (SGAB) on 31stAugust 2016. The appeal will be heard within the 60 day timeframe set out in the Student Support Act, 2011. The decision of the SGAB will be communicated directly to the student in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Special Needs Assistants (SNA) may be employed by recognised schools or Education and Training Boards. The provision of SNA support is made through an independent process managed by the National Council for Special Education. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. The purpose of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme is to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that a building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's six year construction programme. This school project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and this process is currently in train. The architectural planning process for the new school building will commence as soon as the site is secured....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's six year construction programme. In this regard, my Department has undertaken a site visit to the school in the context of initiating the preparatory work associated with advancing the project. Pending completion of the project, my Department has approved funding to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: All current members of the Board of the Higher Education Authority have been appointed in line with the terms of the Higher Education Authority Act, 1971.  I selected the most recent appointees to the Board in July 2016, and all of those appointees had come through the State Board appointments process ran by the Public Appointments Service. It should be noted that the legislation does...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: There are currently one hundred and two thousand salary and pension payments issued on a fortnightly basis by my Department to serving teachers and non teaching staff employed in primary, secondary and community/comprehensive schools and retired staff who previously served in these schools.  The serving teachers and non teaching staff paid on these payrolls are employed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Retirements (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is not aware of any case where provision has been made for those retired from the Community School sector to receive 5 years enhancement as per technical and specialist civil servants on pension. Public sector pension schemes by their nature have varying rules governing their administration. They are mainly statutory schemes, set up by or under Acts of the Oireachtas....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. For a dependent student, the reckonable income for grant purposes includes both his/her own income and that of his/her parents/legal guardians. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The terms and conditions of the Job Sharing Scheme for Teachers are contained in my Department’s Circular Letter 0075/2015. These terms and conditions have been agreed under the auspices of  the Teachers Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am at the committee's disposal. Can I make a few general comments before we go into detail?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: This is my first opportunity to meet the committee and I look forward to a very positive relationship with it. Our mutual job is to champion education across the general view of the public as well as within the Houses of the Oireachtas. Education has a very strong case to make. As members are aware, we produced the first action plan for education. It is an attempt to meet what the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: No, that is included as part of the no policy change expenditure. The remaining money is for service improvements and meeting expected needs. Many needs are expected to emerge and they do not always get included in the no policy change allocation. For example, in respect of special educational needs, it is only in June that we have an estimate of what the demand will be for the coming year...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Access to what, sorry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: There are two analytical papers dealing with the prediction of demographics, which are based, obviously, on objective population numbers. The Department has approximately 300 different planning areas, on which projections of emerging needs are made. Obviously, at second level we are informed by the flow through in those areas of children in existing schools and the pattern they have adopted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: No, I cannot guarantee that. It depends on the schools completing certain projects that have to be done. I can say absolutely clearly to the committee that where this is being done the response by pupils and teachers is extremely positive. I went to Adamstown and saw the new curriculum in science, business and coding being rolled out for the first time in schools there. There was a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: No, I have not. I have asked the ASTI to give a derogation in respect of English, so that its teacher in English-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: They will not come to be tested for three years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The 10% is in respect of the final portion. Obviously, the curriculum has been set. It is unfortunate that some schools are not participating to the full in the curriculum. The Deputy spoke about how marks would be allocated. In future 90% of the marks in the junior certificate will be based on a State Examinations Commission assessment of papers. There will be 10% for the students' own...