Results 18,381-18,400 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Heydon will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible for organising and planning provision for children with special educational needs, including the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools. Special classes offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: There is a long list of schools on the construction programme that will have special needs units, including the schools in Kilcullen and Athy. I will provide the list to the Deputy. I will bring the point he makes regarding 12 year olds and 13 year olds accessing special schools to the attention of the NCSE to see if it is a particular pinch point, if one likes, for parents. We have...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: This issue has been raised across the House. We are taking a power in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill to designate a school to take a child with special educational needs but we are not taking a power, if one likes, to require a school to provide an ASD unit. At least, we are not doing that legislatively. The reason we have not done it legislatively to date is that we have not...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: What is the question about?

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the Monasterevin primary school project is included on my Department's current six-year construction programme. The project is listed therein to commence construction in 2017. The project was authorised to commence stage 2(b) of architectural planning on 30 June 2016. This stage includes the applications for planning permission, a fire certificate and a...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: There have been some delays in the planning process which I would say are beyond the control of the Department or the school. There were some delays and traffic management issues that had to be overcome but the council no doubt feels it has to deal with these planning issues. Feedback from the council last month was positive and it appears that things are proceeding apace at this stage. I...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Securing planning permission and fire and disability access certificates is not within the control of the Department. These matters will have to be addressed before a stage 2B submission is made and the Department must be satisfied with the detailed submission at that point.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the administration of the Final Examinations that form part of the assessment procedures for Junior Cycle. The SEC has provided reassurance in relation to concerns that some students may not have opportunities to complete all elements of the SEC’s Junior Cycle Final Examination, in English, in 2017.  The Examination...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware from my earlier answer to Deputy Curran of the background to this project.  The stage 2(a) report is currently under review in my Department. Stage 2(a) is a critical stage in the progress of any project. It effectively sets the final design of the building to ensure a high quality of accommodation and to facilitate a smooth progression through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received an application from the school in question for significant funding to facilitate major reconfiguration works within the school building. The request is mainly to have classrooms which were partitioned in 1990 to accommodate a Gaelscoil restored to their original size.  The application included architectural plans prepared...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Report of the Expert Group on the Future Funding for Higher Education sets out a number of funding options for the sector including a predominantly State-funded system, a State-funded system supplemented with continuing student fees and an income contingent student loan scheme. As the Deputy will be aware the Report is currently with the Joint Oireachtas Committee for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Firstly, let me say very clearly that negotiations on the UK/EU relationship post Brexit have not yet begun. Ireland is part of the EU27 in terms of preparing for such negotiations and we will continue to respect our role in that process. I have had meetings in recent months with the EU Commissioner for Education and other EU Ministers and officials at which such barriers and other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will probably be aware that the school building project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the Local Authority. The Design Team for the project recently provided the Local Authority with an accelerated timeline for the project which will see the project being delivered for occupation in September 2018.  My Department received...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that a building project for each of the schools referred to is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme (2016-2021).  The additional accommodation being provided to the schools in question as part of the 6 Year Construction Programme is intended to meet demographic demand identified in the areas where the schools are located. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is currently reviewing the demographic data in the Swords area referred to by the Deputy as part of the overall demographic analyses of all school planning areas nationwide. As the Deputy will be aware, there are 13 primary schools serving the area referred to, one of which has made contact with my Department in regard to junior infant intake for September 2017. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to inform the Deputy that staffing schedules under the 2005 DEIS Plan provided for class sizes in DEIS Band 1 urban primary schools of 20 to 1 in junior and 24 to 1 in senior classes.   The DEIS Plan 2017 does not propose a change to this position.  Rather, it provides for an evaluation of teaching resources for schools participating in DEIS to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: In line with the philosophy of the Framework for Junior Cycle, no subject or short course will be deemed compulsory apart from Irish, English and Mathematics, and the new area of learning of Wellbeing.  Thereafter schools will have the flexibility and autonomy to choose from 18 other subjects, including History. Schools will be given flexibility to shape their own Junior Cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides funding support to the Music Generation programme of €2.5 million annually. This is in respect of the 11 local Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) established under Phase 1 of the programme, which were initially supported through philanthropic funding. In January 2016, a commitment was given by my Department, subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Services for People with Disabilities (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The National Access Plan, 2015-19 contains a specific target to increase the number of students with disabilities in higher education. The plan sets an overall target that 8% of new entrants to HE will be people with disabilities by the end of the plan.  My Department is working closely with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and higher education institutions in order to achieve this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department’s focus in recent years has been to prioritise the filling of front-line teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts in schools. These posts were not affected by the recruitment moratorium that was put in place in the public service in 2009 as part of budgetary measures. However, secretary, caretaker and cleaning posts in schools were affected by the...