Results 18,201-18,220 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded shortly.

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on how we propose to achieve the second goal that I have set out for our education plan. As Members will be aware, I set the goal that we would have the best education and training service in Europe within a decade. I have five goals but I do not propose to go into all of them now. The second goal is to develop a pathway to ensure children of...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: A considerable number of issues were raised. I will try to deal with them as quickly as possible. Senators said there was confusion over how decisions on DEIS status were reached. The criteria used are based on a statistical model. It is some form of HP model. Essentially, the ingredients are population decline, dependency ratios, the educational levels of parents, which are based on two...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: We need to do more of that. To pretend it is all negative is unfair. In many disadvantaged areas, teachers are putting in a massive effort. There are great success stories but we need more of them. Senator Lynn Ruane raised a number of issues. She is correct that there is no systematic collection of data on children in care. It appears that because the children go to different schools...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Even in Dublin, not all schools are oversubscribed. Senator James Reilly raised a number of issues, including an acute problem in Swords. I will ask officials to examine the data for Swords where there are 13 schools. According to the data, while some schools in the area are oversubscribed, based on population figures, it should be possible to cater for an intake in the 13 schools...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: There is some resistance to compelling schools to open X or Y.

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: That is precisely the issue. Should we take the legislative route or a different approach? I am open to discussing the issue and my Department will engage with the Senator and others to ensure that, as we move to Committee and Report Stages of the Bill, we will have an understanding of what is the best way to address the matter. I assure Senator Michelle Mulherin that, in my view,...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The truth is that many schools did not bother to apply for DEIS status because they did not want it. Some principals, on whom we rely to gather the data, were not as good at gathering them as others. We are now using an objective method for making decisions which will no longer be based on who was more strenuous in collecting data or anything of that nature. Decisions are based on hard...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: If a school believes it has been unfairly treated, we will review the decision.Senator Ardagh asked why postal codes would be relevant. It is if some child was left out - if, for some reason, the child's name and postal code was not provided. It is the postal code that identifies the statistical data they would go to collect. If a child was left out, it is important that not only the name...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I was not sure whether I was under pressure to-----

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Senator Craughwell's point about further education was that it was-----

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Senator Maria Byrne made the point that we are planning to have 40 new apprenticeships and 30 new traineeships. We will be relying on the further education system to deliver those. That will require an upgrade of investment in them. If there is potential to sweat the assets and use them more intensively, it would certainly be very welcome because, as we all know, capital budgets will be...

Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I make the general point that we have a very professional Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court which have huge experience and the idea of individual Ministers getting involved in industrial disputes is unwise in my view. We have been in close contact with the various bodies providing school transport to ensure, as best as possible, that we can protect that service. We are very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I have had meetings in recent months with the EU Commissioner for Education and other EU Ministers and officials at which a wide range of Brexit-related issues, though not specifically student fees, were discussed. My Department's Secretary General attended the UK/Ireland Permanent Secretary/Secretary General Summit in London in October 2016 at which he and his UK...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: For school planning purposes, my Department plans school provision across some 314 school planning areas.  As you will appreciate, my Department's resources are prioritised to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area and that every child has access to a school place.  In this context, my Department uses a Geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The data requested by the Deputy on post-primary enrolments in schools in Drogheda for 2016/17 is included in the following table. Drogheda PP 2016 Academic Year Roll Number Official School Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 County Principal Name Phone School Gender Pupil Attendance Type Irish Classification - Post Primary Fee Paying Ethos/Religion Open/Closed Status Female Enrolments Male...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the deputy is available in the following table. Please note that all pupils number for the 2016/2017 academic year are currently provisional. List of Drogheda Schools Mainstream and Special 2016-2017 County Description Roll Number Official Name Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Louth 00851C PRESENTATION CONVENT BALLYMAKENNY ROAD DROGHEDA Louth 01434O S N...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is completing Stage 2(a) of the Architectural Planning process, the Developed Design Stage. Following the Stage 2(a) Stakeholder’s meeting which was held on the 30th November 2016, the ETB and its Design Team were requested to submit a Stage 2(a) addendum addressing issues which arose at the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department's role is to clarify for parents how their grievances and complaints against schools can be progressed. If a parent wishes to make a complaint against a teacher or a school they should contact the relevant school authorities. The complaint procedures adopted by most schools are those that have been agreed between the teacher unions and school management bodies....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (22 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The procurement of the services of the company referred to by the Deputy was facilitated by the Educational Procurement Service (EPS). A Request for Tender issued in March 2012 and the company appointed as the preferred bidder in May of that year. Following the liquidation customers who had used the services lost varying amounts of funding depending on the option...