Results 7,681-7,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: In the last two years we have hired 5,000 additional new teachers. It is the case that many teachers who would have been available to carry out substitution work are now gaining permanent and long-term contracts. I am aware of reports that some schools are experiencing difficulties in finding substitute teachers. In order to ease the situation, in the last school year I suspended the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently in negotiations to purchase the building currently occupied by the school. When ownership transfers to my Department, arrangements to refurbish the building will be initiated. My Department will be in contact with the school authority at that point.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, negotiated a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. The agreements to date have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver convergence of the pay scales at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. Equipment is provided under this scheme for children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's Capital Programme. My Department is currently finalising the project brief with the aim of progressing the project into the architectural planning process. My Department will be in direct contact with the school when this process has been finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The policy of the Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of Primary and Post Primary schools give priority to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded this query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Jul 2018)

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: State Examinations Data (3 Jul 2018)

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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: Principal teachers are employed by the managerial authorities of their schools and the information required for their payment on payrolls operated by my Department is provided by them. The information is provided on standardised forms which are completed by authorized representatives in the school. A Data Protection Privacy Statement is included on these forms. The Data Statement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that the Education Admissions to School Bill, which is currently progressing through the Seanad, aims to provide a new framework for school enrolment that is designed to ensure that every child is treated fairly and that the way in which schools decide on applications for admission is structured, fair and transparent. The approach taken aims to strike the right...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: The position in relation to enrolments at the 20 smallest schools in the country, four of which are island schools, is set out in the table. In respect of two of the schools listed, the Patron of the schools concerned has taken a decision to close the schools from the end of the 2017/18 school year. In respect of a 3rd school, following engagement with the school’s patron, approval has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (3 Jul 2018)

Richard Bruton: An Occupational Health Strategy is in place as a supportive resource for teachers. The aim of this strategy is to promote the health of teachers in the workplace, with a focus primarily on prevention rather than cure. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises of the Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programme (EAWP) and the Occupational Health Service (OHS) for teachers. The EAWP is...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Lawless for raising this issue. Clearly, this is a very disappointing state of affairs. Nobody could have anticipated the Sammon Group going into liquidation but that is the situation in which we find ourselves. We have taken immediate steps to get this project back on track. Unfortunately, however, the implications of a change of contract are serious. I do not want to...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy must bear in mind that an examinership is a court process designed to help the company to recover. It is not a liquidation whereby everyone goes in and seizes sites. Under the examinership, work continued on the Maynooth site. It was the one site that the examiner sought to continue to progress as other efforts were made to deliver the project. Clearly, the best outcome would...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (28 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to within the last week. The application will be assessed and the school authority advised of the position once the assessment process has concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: In the last two years, we have hired 5,000 additional new teachers.  It is the case that many teachers who would have carried out substitution work are now gaining permanent contracts. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to class sizes at primary level. The most recent published information relates to the 2016/2017 school year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (28 Jun 2018)

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.