Results 18,021-18,040 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. Community National Schools were introduced in 2008 in response to the increasing demand for parental choice in the patronage of primary schools. The schools are multi-denominational, and they allow for belief nurturing during the school day. The Community National School (CNS) model was initially piloted in two schools. Since then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to 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: Religious Discrimination (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that there are no cases before the courts, equality tribunal, workplace relations commission or other such body in which my Department is the respondent in relation to discriminatory action or victimisation on grounds of religious belief. The Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are separate, independent and autonomous bodies which are set up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department considers it important that the supply of teachers with the required qualifications should meet demand at both primary and post primary levels, including teachers qualified to teach through Irish. Accordingly, my Department asked the Teaching Council to consider the matter of teacher supply with a view to developing better forecasting methods to ensure an adequate supply of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 5 application for toilet replacement works under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which she refers. Nearly 50% of schools have applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand. Details of successful school applicants in respect of Categories 1 and 2 were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment, €210m was committed to fund ICT Infrastructure for schools over the period of the Strategy. For the 2016-2017, some €30m was allocated and is now being distributed to eligible schools. The amounts to be paid per school are based on the number of qualifying students enrolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department refused grant to the school in question as it considers that the school has sufficient essential classroom accommodation to meet its current needs.  The school's application was considered in the context of the very significant challenges facing my Department in prioritising available capital funding for essential mainstream...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Relations Contracts Data (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to expenditure by my Department is not readily available. I will arrange to have the material compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of agencies is not held centrally by the  Department. The awarding of contracts, the expenditure incurred, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a site has been identified to accommodate a permanent school building for the school to which he refers and that the acquisition of this site is at an advanced stage. Unfortunately, as the Deputy may be aware, commercial sensitivities apply to property acquisitions generally and I am not in a position to provide further details at this time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I outlined to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of 18 January 2017, the school in question applied for funding under my Department’s Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for extensive works to the roof of its building. A project of this scale is outside the Terms and Conditions of the EWS Scheme. It remains my Department' s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Data (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: In my response to Parliamentary Question 69 of 3 November 2016 from the Deputy I set out the position in relation to contributions made by religious congregations towards the costs of redress. As I explained in that reply contributions are being made under the binding 2002 Indemnity Agreement and under voluntary offers made in 2009 in the aftermath of the publication of the Report of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing arrangements at both primary and post primary level for the 2017/18 school year are currently being finalized and will be published on the Department website in the next few weeks. Staffing schedules...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme (2019-2021). My Department is aware of the school's accommodation needs and will be liaising with the school in due course in the context of the proposed project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 215 together. The Inclusive Learning Initiative was a pilot initiative by Maynooth University that enabled a small group of students with an intellectual disability to participate in some modules of higher education programmes. I understand that Maynooth University took the decision not to recruit any additional students for this pilot initiative in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, DEIS Plan 2017 was launched yesterday. The Plan builds on the experiences of existing DEIS schools and draws on international best practice.  It sets out key goals, targets and actions to improve the supports available to schools to help children and young people at greatest risk of educational disadvantage to reach their full...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The HEA has a Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM) which allocates core recurrent funding to institutions. The grant is allocated as a block recurrent grant and the internal allocation of this grant is a matter for each institution.  In the case of occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and some students doing medicine, these student numbers are included in the RGAM....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b), 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. The Design team are currently working on the completion of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: A new specification for Junior Cycle History is being developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). This involved extensive consultation with key stakeholders and the public, during which over 200 submissions were received. The consultation on the background paper for History is now closed. A consultation report will be published shortly. The new specification...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together. 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: School Admissions (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware I have recently commenced a consultation process on the role of denominational religion in the school admission process and possible approaches for making changes. I believe that it is unfair that preference is given by publicly-funded religious schools to children of their own religion who might live some distance away, ahead of children of a different...