Results 17,181-17,200 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's priority is to ensure that each child will have access to a physical school place. In October 2015, my Department advised the school in question that its application for a PE hall could not be grant-aided due to the need to prioritise the limited funding available for essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic demand. Given the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was allocated funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2015 to provide 3 mainstream classrooms. The school subsequently applied for additional funding for the project. My Department has been in communication with the school authority about this application to ascertain how and why the additional funding request arises. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan on Bullying sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying and promoting an anti-bullying culture in schools. It recommended actions that focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aim to ensure that all forms of bullying are addressed. Implementation of the actions is ongoing and good progress has been made across all areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently out to tender. The closing date for the receipt of tenders is 12 December 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to fully implement the 6 Year Capital Plan (2016-2021). As the Deputy is aware, the 6 Year Capital Plan (2016-2021), announced last November, as part of the Government's €2.8 billion schools capital investment programme, details the major school building projects that are scheduled to proceed to tender/construction over...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do not think there is any point in calling Deputies back to hear me speak. I thank the 20 Deputies who spoke on this Bill and raised many issues. It has been a universally constructive debate. Much of what is in the Bill has been welcomed. I agree with the sentiments of many Deputies who have expressed a desire for us to address the baptism barrier, as it has been described. We will do...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Referral to Select Committee (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Education and Skills pursuant to Standing Orders 84A(3)(a) and 149(1).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Administration (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department's Planning and Building Unit has no record of receiving an application for funding from the school to which the Deputy refers.  If such an application is received it will be fully considered and a decision will issue directly to the school authority.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I have today announced the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017 and payments will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 144 together. I have today announced the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017 and payment will issue shortly, including to the school in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Applications (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Letters are not issued to primary schools advising on the likely payment or otherwise of the Minor Works Grant. Circular letter 0062/2013, which is available on my Department's website, states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits." I have today announced the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017 and payment will issue shortly, including to the school in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: P60s which are annual statement of earnings were issued in early 2015 and 2016 to the person referred to by the Deputy. This information has been issued to her again. The information in relation to hours worked has also been issued.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The position is that in September 2016 my Department published on its website the ‘Terms & Conditions of Employment for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools’. Chapter Four, Paragraph 1.1 of this book details the position for Oireachtas members i.e. that the career break scheme is designed to cater for public representation and states...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is, since 2006, the statutory regulator and standards body for the teaching profession in this State. A key function of the Council is to register teachers and maintain the register of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council is also the designated authority in this State for considering applications for registration from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Assistance (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university admissions scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions to the institutions are regulated by the institutions themselves....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was included in the announcement of November 2015 of new schools to be established by my Department in 2017 and 2018. When it is decided that a new school is required, my Department runs a separate patronage process to decide who will operate the school. The criteria used in relation to patronage of the new school place particular emphasis on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Funding (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Tenders have been received for the project to which the Deputy refers.  The project is currently under review subject to the availability of funding in 2017 for this type of project. Construction funding is allocated to a project when it is approved to proceed to site.  A decision is taken in this regard in the context of competing demands from other on-going capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (17 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: For the Deputy's information there are no semi-state companies under the aegis of my Department. Details of non-commercial state agencies under the remit of my Department are available from the Department's website.

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (22 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for the considered way in which she raised this complex issue. We must deal sensitively with the genuine worries of parents about how their children's needs will be catered for in the education system. My Department employs approximately 12,500 resource and learning support teachers who are allocated annually to mainstream schools. This is a significant investment,...