Results 18,061-18,080 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. Once the tender process is complete the design team will submit a tender report to my Department for review. Following that review and subject to no issues arising, it is envisaged that the project will then progress to construction in the coming months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Alleviating the housing crisis is a cross-Government priority and the available analysis indicates that the lack of suitable rental accommodation for students is driving up rents in the private rental sector, particularly in areas where demand for rental property is high. This is contributing to what we know is already a considerable strain on some students and their families to participate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205, 206 and 211 together. Decisions in respect of union membership are matters for the individual teacher concerned and my Department does not have a position on this issue. Where teachers have questions as to the benefits of membership of a particular union, those questions should be addressed to the relevant union. The current position is that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In accordance with Department Circular 31/2011, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers. In relation to...

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

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy 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. The stage 2b submission has been submitted to my Department and...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area. This will involve the Education and Training Boards in the initial phase, as the State’s local education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Library Project referred to is the Junior Cycle Schools Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project. My Department is not currently accepting any new applications for the JCSP. The JCSP will be subject to a review at a future date when a substantial proportion of the new Framework for Junior Cycle is in place.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 10 external environment project application 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: Site Acquisitions (14 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has identified a suitable site as a permanent location for the school to which he refers and the acquisition process is underway.  Discussions are ongoing in relation to the provision of access to the site and officials in my Department are working with officials from Westmeath County Council in this regard.

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The system for selecting schools is based on the census returns, which means officials are using the best data available from the CSO on the socioeconomic make-up of the schools concerned. For the first time we have been in a position to add 80 new schools to the 800 plus schools now in the disadvantaged category. In addition, we are upgrading a further 30 schools in terms of the provision...

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: We are providing significant support and we intend to evolve and refine this model so that there will be opportunities for schools to be considered in the future. This is an evolving model. This is the first time we have been in a position to add to the number of schools and we have done so on a fair and objective basis-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: -----based on CSO data which is the best material available to us.

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am glad to be in a position to tell the Deputy that we recruited this September 2,300 additional teachers and plan to recruit 2,400 additional teachers this coming September. Therefore, we are in a phase of expanding significantly the number of people employed in the teacher workforce. As the Deputy knows, with the INTO and TUI we have agreed a significant improvement in the pay and...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I can well understand the concern of the school in Waterville and many others. I will put the Deputy in the picture in terms of the capital budget, the backdrop against which I must deal with requests such as the one he has made. Every year we must provide approximately 20,000 new school places which roughly are split as follows: 15,000 for new...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I accept the point made by Deputy Brendan Griffin and must reassure him on a couple of points. First, there is no difference in the rules applied in commuter belts or any other area. The Deputy might point to commuter belts where there have been huge explosions of population and new schools are required to respond to them. The figures will indicate that we only replaced a handful of...

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: To avoid confusion, the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill does not involve the building programme. The Bill is about the admissions policies that schools operate. It deals with how schools deal with children with special needs, how they set their priorities-----

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's opening question was how the Bill would impact the problem in Swords. It is not designed to specifically build more schools. It is designed to have a consistent and transparent policy. That Bill is before the House and will go to Committee Stage. Pre-legislative hearings on some of these issues are taking place within the committee. I am very conscious that there is...

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: What do they prohibit?

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The difficulty with waiting list data is that waiting lists are maintained by individual schools and the same child may appear on several waiting lists. Therefore, they are not the only indicator of the relationship between supply and demand. The position my Department has outlined to me is that there are 13 primary schools in the Swords area. They obviously have a junior infant intake. I...