Results 19,601-19,620 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Richmond for raising this issue. I can understand the concerns of parents because the situation is unusual, in that temporary accommodation has to be moved to a new site. However, this does signify the success of the school. There are nine mainstream classes which will increase to 11 in September 2017. That necessitates a move from the current site. We are fortunate in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not have a specific date in the briefing material. The decision will be made once the technical assessment is complete. I will get back to the Deputy or rather the Senator on that. I spend too much time in the other House.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will see if I can give some timescale for the completion of the technical assessment. Presumably that also depends on what sort of issues arise in the complexity of adapting the site. I am conscious that September 2017 is not that far away and that we need to move with due haste.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am taking Deputy or, rather, Senator Noone's matter.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It is an issue of particular concern to many Members of both Houses. We have made huge changes in this area in recent years. For example, since 2011, the number of resource teachers has increased by 41%, the number of special needs assistants has increased by 23% and the number of ASD units has increased by more than 100%. As the Senator will...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for her comments. The NCSE's advice is that it has not identified a need to provide an ASD special class in every school, which would mean 4,000 classes. It is interesting to examine the numbers. For example, at post-primary level, demand and provision are increasing much more rapidly, although it is starting from a lower base. There were only 100 such classes in 2011,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions, including Institutes of Technology (IoTs) such as Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT). The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the building project for the new post primary school to serve the Carpenterstown/Castleknock school planning areas is included in my Department’s 6 year construction programme. Officials in my Department  are liaising with officials in Fingal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware I ran a public consultation process from 24 January to 20 March 2017 on the role of denominational religion in the school admission process and possible approaches for making changes. A number of submissions were received from Protestant and other minority faith schools. In this regard, as I have said throughout, I am mindful of the need to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The conditions that govern the operation of sick leave for Civil Servants are contained in the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform circular reference number 12/2015.  In the event a member of staff is certified with a serious illness there is provision for extending the term of sick leave and this is addressed under the Critical Illness Protocol (CIP) at appendix...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Exchange Scheme (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 to 96, inclusive, together. The provisions of the teacher exchange scheme are set out in Circular Letter 0017/2015 the contents of which were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council. The Teachers Conciliation Council is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for Teachers and was set up to deal with claims and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 103 together. This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with the Superannuation scheme a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) who is not "a new entrant" under the terms of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, must retire at the end of the school year in which he/she reaches age 65. The abolition of the compulsory retirement age under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for St Patrick’s Special School Enniscorthy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b), which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The Stage 2(b) (Detailed Design) documents are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Data (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I have outlined for the Deputy details of the enrolments on the medicine degree courses in higher education institutions for the academic year 2015/16 in the table. There is no percentage of places reserved for non-Irish students. Academic Year 2015/2016 National University of Ireland, Galway 291 Royal College of Surgeons 494 Trinity College Dublin 181...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Inquiry into Child Abuse (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, established under the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act, is independent in the exercise of its functions. I have been advised by the Commission that it is not in a position to release the information sought by the Deputy. The Commission is still pursuing legal costs and disclosure, at this point in time, of any information in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Inquiry into Child Abuse (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I explained in my reply of 4 May 2017 to the Deputy, the set-off of waived legal costs will be carried out once the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) has completed its work. My Department will make the necessary calculations at that point. As I noted in my previous reply, the Congregation that indicated it was setting-off waived legal costs against its remaining cash...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy currently have the whole-time equivalent of 2 Clerical Officers and 2 Caretakers. As the Deputy is aware, a recruitment moratorium was introduced in the Public Service in 2009. This applied to Secretary and Caretaker posts in Community and Comprehensive Schools. However, alleviation measures were put in place...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (11 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Part of the fee proposal to which the Deputy refers has been approved by my Department. The remainder, which is more complex, is under consideration and a decision will issue to the client for the project (the local ETB) as soon as possible.