Results 18,901-18,920 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has a number of initiatives in the arts area in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The initiatives cover music and other arts. I was very pleased to publish a research report showing the impact of bringing artists into the community and the quality of the engagement of young people with artists. The programmes embedding...

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The advice is that it will not be introduced during this session. I will, however, ask the relevant Minister to respond to the Deputy directly to ascertain whether it is possible to accelerate that work.

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: A very specific initiative has been taken by the Garda and resourced by the Government. This initiative is designed to confront burglary in rural and urban areas and includes targeting mobile gangs. It has been very effective. There has been a very significant reduction in crime levels in the targeted areas. This is an area which the Garda has targeted and in respect of which it is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Work is ongoing on the part of the two relevant Departments to figure out the exact underpinning of such legislation. I am not in a position to give the Deputy a categorical date.

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand the heads are in preparation in the Department at present. Work on the Bill is progressing.

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand that work on the programme is ongoing. This has not stopped the Minister taking action, however. He has put in place an initiative to bring vacant properties back into use. I see from today’s newspaper that six different areas in Dublin city have been identified and the council is engaging with voluntary housing agencies to undertake this work in order that housing...

Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am not in a position to answer the Deputy’s question but I will get a reply for him.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the contractor responded to the Letter of Intent on the 21 March last. The response received, is currently being examined by the ETB's Design Team. Assuming that the contractor has complied with the requirements of the Letter of Intent, it is envisaged that construction will commence on site shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Applications (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: All schools in the country across both the Primary and Post Primary sectors have been assessed in terms of the socio-economic background of their pupil cohort using centrally held data. This process has determined the level of concentrated disadvantage across the school system and identifies those schools in need of the greatest level of support. The key data sources include the DES...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Applications (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: DEIS is my Department's main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage. The DEIS Plan for 2017 sets out our vision for future intervention in the critical area of social inclusion in education policy. DEIS Plan 2017 provides for a new identification model for assessment of a school's level of disadvantage using centrally held data. The key data sources include the DES Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oibreacha Feabhsúcháin do Scoileanna (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Chuir an scoil dá ndéanann an Teachta tagairt Iarratas ar Oibreacha Éigeandála isteach chun síneadh a chur leis an halla spóirt agus leis an seomra foirne a bhí ann cheana, agus é mar aidhm aici dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb taise atá ann i bhfoirgneamh na scoile freisin. I mí Iúil 2016, moladh d’údarás na scoile an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that a building project for the school referred to is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme (2016-2021). Officials from my Department are working closely with officials from Wexford County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding towards the acquisition of a suitable site for the provision of the school referred to by the Deputy....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Data (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 5 application, toilet facilities project, under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which he 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 announced in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that nearly 50% of schools have applied for inclusion under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which reflects a very high demand. The current SWS was announced in late 2015 and is being applied on a multi-annual basis for the years 2016 and 2017. We are therefore not accepting further applications at this time. Details of successful school applicants in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parental Leave (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Parental leave is a period of unpaid leave available to teachers for the purpose of the care of children. It is provided for under the Parental Leave Acts 1998 and 2006 and the European Union (Parental Leave) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 81 of 2013). The provisions of the scheme as it applies to teachers are outlined in Chapter 6 of Terms and Conditions of Employment for Registered Teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: 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.

Topical Issue Debate: School Patronage (4 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he rightly recognised, my Department conducted a study of the demographic pressures throughout the country and indicated that four new primary schools and nine new post-primary schools were justified. Under the procedure operated within my Department, when it is identified that there is a demographic need, the Department runs a patronage...

Topical Issue Debate: School Patronage (4 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: Generally, when a new school is advertised, the scale of the intake envisaged is indicated. The Department issued an indication of the scale of the school such as an eight classroom, one class intake. It is not envisaged that it would deviate from that arrangement because the scale of the school is based on the identified demographic need. The Department would have established the need...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Justice Rulings (4 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department is aware of the submission by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in relation to the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the Louise O’Keeffe case. A number of other submissions have also been made in relation to the case. Given that the State is a party to the case and are tasked with implementing it's findings we are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (4 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: Geographical areas are not categorised as DEIS. New schools included in the revised list of DEIS schools are those identified as having very high concentrations of pupils from disadvantaged areas. No schools have been removed from the current revised list of DEIS schools. In the context of the DEIS programme it is important to note that the categorisation of a...