Results 17,261-17,280 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. My Department is in receipt of applications for additional accommodation from both of the schools referred to by the Deputy. The applications concerned are currently being assessed and my Department will be in contact with the school Patrons in the matter shortly. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (24 Nov 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 Circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to takes Questions Nos 100 and 104 to 105, inclusive, together. This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the schools to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained. In September 2016, the Design Team was requested to review the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Preschool Services (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not provide funding to pre-school services other than in early intervention classes in recognised primary schools or special schools. Supports for childcare, including pre-school education, are provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of pre-school education is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the apprenticeship branding and marketing campaign which will be run by SOLAS in partnership with the Apprenticeship Council, the Higher Education Authority and Education and Training Boards, will commence in early 2017. The tender process is at an advanced stage and SOLAS expects to award the contract to the successful bidder in December. As the tender process...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: This scheme has a budget of €175 million. Under it, there are guaranteed places for people who fall within the eligible categories and, after that, concessionary places are made available. We have maintained a high level of commitment in this area but most of the requests are for people to move outside the established rules. The Minister of State has undertaken to examine it and he...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides capitation funding to recognised primary schools. The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools with...

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

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers is being delivered under the Departments Design & Build Programme. The planning application was lodged in August 2016. Clare County Council issued an additional information request on 27/09/2016. The Project Management Team is currently finalizing a response to this request and it will be submitted to the Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: On 17th November 2016, I announced the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017, totalling €28.5 million. Payment will issue to primary schools this week. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Administration (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school, for children with special educational needs awaiting a suitable educational placement and for early intervention for children with autism. Parents engage tutors directly and prior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As I have already announced, it is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks. A process to review DEIS - the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion established last year is now nearing completion. The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, particularly the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pensions Legislation (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that Montessori schools are private educational entities and not recognised schools under the Education Act 1998. Therefore the employment terms and conditions of their workers, including access to paid holidays and pension entitlements are matters for the owners/managers of those facilities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Local Authority Functions (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As indicated in my reply of 16 November, the proposed project is primarily a matter for the relevant local authority, which would be best placed to provide further information. My Department is not directly involved in the project and accordingly I am not in a position to provide the type of information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Services (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychological 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 in the NEPS section of my Department's website....

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

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Letter of Acceptance for the preferred Tenderer for the project in question is expected to issue this week.  I understand that all outstanding issues for the project have been resolved to enable this.  My Department now expects that the project will commence on site early in the New Year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Funding (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills currently provides more than €400m in student supports to assist some 80,000 disadvantaged students to participate in higher education.  Currently for the 2016/17 academic year students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post graduate tuition fees paid...

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

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180, 222 and 223 together. In response to the Deputy’s questions, all major school projects which were on the Construction Programmes announced by the previous Ministers and have not reached tender and construction stage will continue to be progressed through the architectural and design stages and remain to be considered for progression to tender...

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

Richard Bruton: In response to the Deputy’s question, all major school projects which were on the Construction Programmes announced by the previous Ministers and have not reached tender and construction stage will continue to be progressed through the architectural and design stages and remain to be considered for progression to tender and construction stages over the course of 2017. It is my...