Results 18,841-18,860 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Staff (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's question refers to the change in payment arrangements for the Home Tuition scheme administered by my Department since September 2015. Under the Home Tuition Scheme, Home Tutors have always been engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition. Home tutors do not have a contractual relationship with the Department of Education and Skills. The change in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Measures announced by my Department as part of Budget 2016 and 2017 mean that 400 guidance posts, or two thirds of the guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2017.  The restoration of the remaining 200 posts will be considered in future Budgets.  I have made it clear that all these 400 posts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Availability (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. The management of their academic affairs, including the selection and delivery of courses are matters for individual institutions. Accordingly, I have no function in relation to such matters as programme provision and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7th March 2017. These Circulars set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. The revised allocation model replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the new post-primary school to serve the Firhouse/Oldbawn school planning area is included in my Department's current 6 year construction programme.  My Department is working towards the acquisition of a suitable site to provide the permanent location for this school and I can assure the Deputy that this acquisition is a priority for my Department. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Universities and institutes of technology, under the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts, are autonomous bodies and, as such, have responsibility for their own academic affairs, including issues relating to the admission of students.  Therefore it is a matter for the institutes themselves to set admissions requirements for individual programmes of education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I explained to the Deputy in my response to last week's Parliamentary Question, Caranua is an independent statutory body and I have no role in relation to its day to day operations. I wish to confirm that the Deputy's previous question and my response thereto has been forwarded to the Chief Executive of Caranua with the request that the matters raised in the question be considered and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education which was published last year, set out a number of options for a long-term sustainable funding model for higher education. The options included a predominantly state-funded system, increased state funding with continuing upfront student fee and increased state funding with deferred payment of fees. The report also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: At primary level, pupils are taught the importance of saving money through the subject of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE). At second level, Business Studies students are taught a strand called “Personal Finance”, which focuses on students developing a set of skills, knowledge and values that allows them to make informed decisions to effectively and responsibly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Data (28 Mar 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: Schools Extra Curricular Activities (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: At primary level, pupils are taught the importance of saving money through the subject of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE). At second level, Business Studies students are taught a strand called “Personal Finance”, which focuses on students developing a set of skills, knowledge and values that allows them to make informed decisions to effectively and responsibly...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The higher education sector is vital in achieving our long-term ambitions as a nation. After nine years of continuous cuts to the budget for these institutions, I have been pleased to provide for the first increase in investment this year. Beyond that, we have committed to a demographic dividend in the coming three years. On top of this, we have...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will definitely arrange to have it circulated.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator. It is important that we develop this plan, particularly for Castlebar and that we carve out a strong and resilient future for it. I will be meeting representatives of the college to get an understanding of the challenges and how it will meet them. I regularly go to different parts of the education sector to have consultation sessions where we hear local ideas. As...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Summer Works Scheme (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Davitt for raising this issue. The summer works scheme is one that was completely suspended at the height of the downturn following the crash. It was reintroduced in 2014 to 2015 and it is to be provided in the 2016 to 2017 school year. It generally runs in two-year cycles. The scheme for 2016 to 2017 is again in a two-year cycle. The first phase of it for 2016 dealt with...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Summer Works Scheme (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator. I will alert officials to the case Senator Davitt has made but I think the school itself has made a very strong case in its submission. Unfortunately, given the nearly 1,700 applications from schools around the country it is a challenge to allocate the resources in a fair way that meets as many of the needs as possible.

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Daly for raising this issue. I know she has been very persistent in pursuing these issues. As she knows, Caranua is an independent body. It is established under legislation. It has certain purposes and functions that it has to execute. It is funded not by the Exchequer but by a contribution from the religious orders. It has a sum of €110 million to distribute. At...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I assure the Deputy that I will be meeting the board and the chairman in the context of the ongoing review. I believe it is important to use this review as an opportunity to ensure we make the system the best that it can be. There will always be problems in the way any official body operates in respect of obligations to meet criteria, receipt of applications and meeting the obligations...

Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Alan Farrell for raising this issue. It is important to set out the backdrop. Our Department is seeking to provide 20,000 new places every year. This includes 15,000 new places for expanding populations and 5,000 necessary replacements. That is absorbing 80% of our budget. We have to be sensitive and ensure that when we commit to expand capacity, it is genuinely needed....

Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy raises a number of issues. The reason schools give preference to siblings is to try to avoid a situation where parents have to go to different schools. That is acknowledged in admission policies. The Department has much improved its liaison with the local authorities. We rely on local authorities for the identification of new sites and liaise very closely with them in the...