Results 16,921-16,940 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Water Charges Exemptions (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will appreciate that the implementation of the Government decision on water charges for schools is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning Community and Local Government in conjunction with Irish Water. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: In March 2015, the then Minister for Education and Skills announced the introduction of an interim measure to give some certainty for children with Down syndrome in relation to their teaching allocations, until a new model for the allocation of resource teachers in mainstream schools is in place. Provision was made for the NCSE to make additional allocations of 2.5 Resource Teaching hours...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: ACELS (the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the recognition and inspection of English language schools.  It is administered by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).  ACELS has been closed for new applications since January 2014, therefore there are no new applications for ACELS recognition awaiting a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs. The NCSE identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable, because...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Nov 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: State Examinations (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am disappointed at the decision of the ASTI to take industrial action and the major disruption caused last Thursday to over 250,000 students and their parents and potential further disruption from Monday onwards. Talks between ASTI and my Department are continuing this week. I have continually stated that dialogue between my Department and ASTI is in the best interests of schools, parents,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application concerned will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Byrne for raising the issue. I absolutely agree this is a major concern for students and parents alike. I am very disappointed at the decision of the ASTI to take industrial action, and it will cause serious disruption for up to 250,000 students and their parents. However, talks have been continuing all this week and last week on both of the issues to which the Deputy...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department cannot make a decision for a school whether it opens or closes. The school has to make that decision on the basis of whether it can provide the level of supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety of the pupils. That is the responsibility of schools. We have leaned over backwards to put them into a position in which they could do that. We sought to have such an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the group in question has been in contact with me seeking support with their archive material.As this is not an area that my Department funds, I will be referring them to a more appropriate organization to see if they can be of assistance.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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. This decision also required that such new entrants would start...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for a new school building. The Deputy will be aware that my Department’s current priority is focused on the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic demand and this will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years. As a project for the two teacher school in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Universities and institutes of technology, under the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts, are autonomous bodies and, as such, have responsibility for their own academic affairs, including issues relating to the admission of students. Therefore it is a matter for the institutes themselves to set admissions requirements for individual programmes of education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a major extension project for the school in question, to meet the demographic demands in the area, is included in my Department’s 6 Year Construction Programme (2016-21). Given the complexities and constraints presented by inter alia the school site and location of existing school buildings, the Department will be proceeding with a single construction project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Exchange Scheme (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The provisions of the teacher exchange scheme are set out in my Department’s Circular Letter 0017/2015 the contents of which were agreed under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council (TCC). The scheme is designed to facilitate primary teachers to temporarily exchange their posts for educational purposes. The minimum period for which an exchange may occur is one year and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Administration (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: There is a Code of Governance in place in the universities whereby universities make annual returns to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in respect of their compliance regarding a range of issues consistent with the requirements of the Code. As part of the HEA role to promote, monitor and ensure good practice with regard to governance and accountability for the higher education sector, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: There is a Code of Governance in place in the universities whereby universities make annual returns to the Higher Education Authority( HEA ) in respect of their compliance regarding a range of issues consistent with the requirements of the Code. As part of the HEA role to promote, monitor and ensure good practice with regard to governance and accountability for the higher education sector,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Following a lengthy consultation process with all stakeholders, the Report of the Expert Group on Fixed Term and Part Time Employment in Lecturing was published in July 2016.  The Report contains a number of recommendations that will assist in addressing concerns raised about the level of part-time and fixed-term employment in lecturing in the third level sector. My officials are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is a requirement of the secondary teachers superannuation scheme that pension contributions are paid on all pensionable service. A person is therefore liable for contributions in respect of personal pension and lump sum for all service notwithstanding that pension is calculated based on a maximum of 40 years’ service. For the duration of his membership of the scheme the person...