Results 16,721-16,740 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The main support available to assist students with the cost of higher education is the student grant scheme. One of the criteria in the student grant scheme relates to 'progression'. This means that a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another, where the award for the subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to Special Schools and to mainstream Primary and Post Primary schools to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. There are currently no plans to extend this to the PLC programme. However, PLC participants may be eligible to supports under the Fund for Students with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 45, 50, 56, 58, 59, 61, 63, 64, 66, 71 and 72 together. I am aware of the report referred to by the Deputies. I strongly support any measures that can be put in place to reduce costs for parents. All schools must be sensitive to the financial pressures on parents in making decisions, not just about school uniforms or books, but about any matter that has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 43, 46, 51, 62 and 67 together. As committed to in the Programme for Government, a review of the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme has been undertaken. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. An application for planning has been submitted and the Planning authority has requested additional information. The response to this request is being prepared and will be submitted shortly. My Department is also currently finalising the site acquisition. Upon receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: To allow the Teacher complete the Droichead process, school personnel will need to have attended and completed Professional Support Team (PST) training with the NIPT and have commenced the Droichead process in the school with the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT). The NQT may then complete the Droichead process if s/he has submitted the DR1 form to Limerick Education Centre and has a minimum of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sick Pay Scheme (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Following a review of sick leave arrangements, a new Public Service wide sick leave scheme was introduced across the Public Service in 2014. The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Act 2013, provided the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with the power to make regulations that set out the specific details of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.  Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Molaim Ceisteanna Uimh. 53 go 55, cuimsitheach, a fhreagairt le chéile. Is iad na príomhghráid sa Roinn atá gafa le seirbhísí a sheachadadh ar phobal na Gaeilge ná na gráid a bhaineann le cigireacht na scoileanna agus le soláthar na seirbhísí síceolaíochta oideachais a chuireann An tSeirbhís Náisiúnta...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents. Circa. 94% of primary schools and 65% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme. My Department supports the operation of book rental schemes through the funding provided under its school books grant scheme. Under this scheme, my Department provides funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills has been made aware of the challenges faced by the third level institution in question with respect to its current library facilities. There are many competing demands on the limited capital budget for higher education and the library development proposal will be considered within the context of competing demands. I am not in a position to commit to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (13 Oct 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 engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (13 Oct 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 engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (18 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together. As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The project referred to by the Deputy has recently been approved to proceed to Stage 3 which involves the tender competition for appointment of the building contractor. The school and its design team have been informed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The delivery of a new school building for Ardee Educate Together has been devolved to Louth County Council. The project is currently at Stage 1 of architectural planning which is preliminary design stage. A review by my Department of the Stage 1 submission is due to take place this week and if approved the project will be allowed to proceed to the next stage of architectural planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (18 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217, 225, 249, 251, 260 and 269 together. I am aware of the report referred to by the Deputies. I strongly support any measures that can be put in place to reduce costs for parents.   All schools must be sensitive to the financial pressures on parents in making decisions, not just about school uniforms or books, but about any matter that has cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been secured and the Design Team have been authorised to complete...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting of Personnel (18 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. In April of this year, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable adults, including those working in...