Results 7,741-7,760 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 143, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware the delivery of the two schools in question has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) under a Service Level Agreement (SLA). In total, a SLA requires 18 interactions between my Department’s Planning and Building Unit and the relevant agency delivering the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, together. The school building project to which the Deputy refers is currently at Tender Stage. The tender return date was the 6thJune 2018. It is anticipated that construction will commence in Quarter 3 this year. The construction period is 44 weeks. The new school is due to be ready for occupation by September 2019.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Visiting Teacher Service (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As my colleague will be aware the statutory and policy remit in area of attendance, participation and retention in the school system lies with the Education Welfare Service of Tusla which incorporates the function of the former Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers. In May 2011 a range of functions under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, including the operation of the National Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Judgments (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may be referring to the ex-gratia scheme established in the aftermath of the ECHR judgment in the Louise O’Keeffe case.  Since this Judgement, the State Claims Agency (SCA) which is mandated to act on behalf of the State in cases of historic child abuse, has been notified of many claims.  These are either (a) claims which are entirely newly instituted or (b) are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Judgments (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may be referring to the ex-gratia scheme established following the ECHR judgment in the Louise O'Keffe case.  While I am very familiar with individual cases who are in the position that they don't meet the terms of the ex-gratia scheme, neither I nor my officials have met with this group of sex abuse victims.  I have, however, met with the Deputy on a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The building project referred to by the Deputy is for an extension and refurbishment to bring the school up to a 12-classroom school incorporating a 3-class Special Needs Unit (SNU). The project has recently commenced the Design Team and Project Supervisor of the Design Process (PSDP) appointment procedure whereby an Architect, Civil & Structural Engineer, Mechanical and Electrical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Electric Vehicles (27 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The details sought by the Deputy are not readily available. Officials in my Department are collating the information and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available. 

Special Needs Assistants: Motion [Private Members] (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is hard to do justice to this debate in only ten minutes. I welcome the debate, and wish to indicate that I will not oppose either the Fianna Fáil amendment or the originating proposal. We have developed a very important service. Its aim has been to ensure that children with special educational needs fulfil their potential. We are now investing €1.8 billion in the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Administration (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Gallagher for his kind remarks and for postponing this debate so that I could be in the Chamber to take it. I absolutely agree with him that one of the most important things we can invest in is the quality of leadership in our schools. If one looks at what influences a child's success in school, one is the teacher he or she experiences and second is the quality of the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Administration (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Like all other measures, we will have to weigh up its impact on outcomes. I am totally focussed on outcomes. I wish to pursue measures which lead to children doing better. The Senator's request is quite substantial. As I stated, I granted two to four extra days this year. Senator Gallagher requests an additional seven to 19 days, which would be a significant step up from what we have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Retirements (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The person to whom the Deputy refers was awarded early retirement on grounds of permanent ill health.  Once retirement is awarded on this basis and the pension has come into payment, the superannuation scheme does not permit the award to be re-classified or transferred to an alternative retirement option. The granting of pension benefits to teachers is governed by the teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Eligibility (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The identification of schools for receipt of additional resources under the DEIS programme is informed by a scientific data based model which assesses levels of disadvantage in individual schools based on the pupil cohort of the school. It is important to note that any adjustment to the DEIS status of a school, including the school referred to by the Deputy, will be based on the DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The delivery of the projects referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). KWETB, their design team and officials from my Department’s Planning and Building Unit are working closely to ensure that a new contractor is appointed as quickly as possible to complete both schools. An eTender's notice has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take questions Nos. 147 and 214 together. Maynooth Community College opened in 2014 with an Irish-medium Aonad and it was stated that should the Aonad demonstrate sufficient viability after four years from its date of establishment, a Gaelcholáiste would be established, in a partnership model between Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) and An Foras...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is in the process of acquiring a site to accommodate the school to which the Deputy refers.  There are some outstanding clarifications required with regard to the site before matters can be progressed and, with a view to progressing the site acquisition, my Department has been in contact with the vendor requesting an update on these.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding under my Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme has recently been approved for the provision of four new classrooms at the school in question. The delivery of the project has been devolved to the school authority and it is now a matter for them to advance the project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for major capital funding from the school referred to by the Deputy. My Department's current priority within the limited funding available is the provision of essential classroom accommodation in areas where significant demographic need has been established to ensure that each child will have access to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Retirements (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Information on retirement of primary teachers in each of the years 2013-2017 is contained in Table 1 attached. The information sets out the total number of teachers who retired each year and the number of principal teachers and of those principals the number who retired before normal retirement due to permanent ill-health and those who availed of Cost Neutral Early Retirement. Corresponding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has agreed to acquire a site located at Ballycullen Road (East), Oldcourt, subject to planning permission.   The landowner has recently applied for planning permission for development on his lands including outline planning permission for school accommodation (ref SD18A/0204).

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Planning for a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers is progressing. The school's design team has been authorised to conduct the pre-qualification process in order to draw up shortlists of contractors for the project.  In the meantime, work is ongoing on concluding the conveyancing for the site. All parties continue the work to ensure the acquisition completes at the...