Results 19,001-19,020 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Other Questions: School Accommodation (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: We also need to look at it the other way round. That €25 million being spent on 950 prefabs would probably build one secondary school and one primary school. Switching that sort of a budget to building would not replace 950 prefabs. We are trying to strike a balance. We want to minimise the number, but in the short term a big population bulge requires flexible responses. In an...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Broughan. Deputy Pringle earlier raised a rather similar question and I do not want to repeat myself. Peter Cassells chaired that expert group and looked at the pressure on higher education over the recent period where funding was effectively frozen and numbers increased. That has put the system under considerable strain. We are now considering how to establish a...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not think there was a question in the Deputy's contribution. I appreciate people will have different views and suppose Peter Cassells put this out so that it would be seriously considered. It is important people consider the case as it is made. I have an open mind on it, as do others. Deputy Broughan criticised the increase in fees but part of Peter Cassells's vision is that there...

Other Questions: Third Level Funding (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: We need to do a bit of an evaluation, as do all parties. One should not decide that one's mind is made up before evaluating the issue, which is the danger with the Deputy's line of questioning. We need to consider any proposal on its merits. As the Deputy is aware, I have specific proposals for 2018. I have indicated already that I have received a commitment for a demographic increase....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the school in question is not a DEIS school but was established on 1st September 2011 following the amalgamation of three local post primary schools in the area, two of which were DEIS schools. Where amalgamations take place, comprising DEIS and Non-DEIS schools, DEIS status is not transferred to the newly amalgamated school. Notwithstanding this fact, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Drugs Strategy (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that officials from my Department have been members of the Steering Committee tasked with developing a new National Drugs Strategy.  The Steering Committee, which has an independent chair, is made up of officials from various Government Departments, offices and state agencies, An Garda Síochána, representatives of the Regional and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following the launch of the DEIS Plan 2017, I made it clear that schools currently participating in the DEIS programme would continue to receive the same level of supports under the School Support Programme for the 2017/18 school year. This includes no change to the current situation regarding posts allocated under previous educational disadvantage schemes in DEIS schools, including those in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: Human capital is a critical factor in reaping economic and social rewards from investment in research. Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology proposes the development of career pathways for researchers to help them maximise their potential and, as a consequence, help to maximise the return on Ireland’s investment in innovation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: The new identification process developed under DEIS Plan 2017 for the assessment of schools uses centrally held data supplied by schools to my Department's Primary and Post Primary Online Databases and CSO Small Area of Population statistics from the National Census of Population 2011 as represented by the Pobal HP Deprivation Index. Variables used in the compilation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application for capital funding from the school in question in late 2016 to provide a learning support / resource area as well as additional ancillary accommodation.  As the Deputy will be aware, my Department’s current priority has to be focused on the provision of essential classroom accommodation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Multidenominational Schools (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Community National School is a new model of multi-denominational school which is not that well-known among the public. However, I believe it has a bright future ahead of it and a major role to play in providing choice to parents in the future. Community National Schools are multi-denominational and they provide for belief nurturing during the school day.  The aim of the model has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: New anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools were published at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year.  The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. All Boards of Management are required to adopt and implement an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Modern Language Teaching (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: Reform of the Primary School Curriculum has already commenced. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed a new Integrated Primary Language Curriculum, for English and Irish. Schools have started implementation, on a phased basis, in junior infants to second classes in September 2016, supported by my Department's Professional Development...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the project in respect of the education campus in Buncrana was announced as part of the Six Year Capital Programme.  Officials in this Department have been liaising with officials in Donegal County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites with regard to the procurement of a suitable site for the campus.  A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department's policy, in accordance with Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004, is to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs, including Autism, in mainstream school settings, unless such a placement would not be in the best interests of the child concerned, or the children with whom they will be educated. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Preschool Services (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware, from previous questions and correspondence concerning the specific preschool to which the Deputy refers, that the prior approval of the Minister should have been sought, for the preschool, in order that the overall needs of the school could be accommodated.   There is no provision contained in this year’s budget for additional capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has put in place an Occupational Health Strategy as a supportive resource for teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs), to promote their health in the workplace, with a focus primarily on prevention rather than cure. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises of the Employee Assistance and Well-being Programme and Occupational Health Services.  These services cater for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: Funding for special education provision in 2017 will amount to some €1.68 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 19% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training and represents an increase in spending in this area of 12% over the last two years. This year, 13,015 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are available for allocation to primary and post primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the recent publication of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Cost of Child Abuse Inquiry and Redress. The report provides an important summary of the current position in relation to the various initiatives taken by successive governments in support of persons who were abused when as children they resided in institutions and it sets out the position in regard to how...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (5 Apr 2017)

Richard Bruton: The proposed new school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of the tender process with tenders due to be returned by 5pm on 12 April 2017. The project is not being delayed. Subject to no issues arising in the tender process it is envisaged that the project should commence construction before the end of this summer. Appropriate interim accommodation will continue to be provided...