Results 7,821-7,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Data (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Officials at my Department are recruited by way of competitive competitions conducted by the Public Appointment Service (PAS). On appointment at the Department officials are presented with a copy of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour which outlines the standards required of Civil Servants in the discharge of their duties. For ease of reference for the Deputy I have attached a...

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

Richard Bruton: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide a 16-classroom school on the site. The original brief for the school was for 8 classrooms but was increased due to greater enrolments. The need to replace the Design Team arose from a fees uplift request for each member of the design team which greatly exceeded the 50% upper limit increase allowed under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Traveller-Roma Integration Strategy (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: My colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality published the National Traveller Roma Inclusion Strategy in June of last year. My department participated in the development of the strategy and is a member of the Steering Group which was established to oversee the implementation of the new strategy. Membership of the Steering Group includes all relevant Government Departments, Agencies...

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

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. The project is currently at project identification stage. My Department intends to contact the school to discuss the next steps shortly. These steps will include the completion of an Educational Work Sheet, by the school, the assignation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Speech and Language Therapy (26 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I recently announced that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services will be introduced for the 2018/19 school year. The project will be managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education. The model has been developed by the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive, and is part of the...

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

Richard Bruton: My Department recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 8 classroom primary school to be established in 2019 for the area referred to by the Deputy. This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including a new 8 classroom primary school to be established in 2019 for the area referred to by the Deputy. A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. This patronage...

Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am sympathetic to what the Deputies are saying. The one thing I would say in this debate about what we should do in education is that we need to focus on outcomes for children. The debate in this House too often is about pupil-teacher ratios and capitation grants, which are all about outputs. One of the things I am proud to stand over is that, in the teeth of what was probably the worst...

Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue and for their interest in the education area. Reading between the lines of what they have said, they can understand the difficulties I am facing. They mentioned pay restoration, time off for principals, investment in leadership, minor works and smaller class sizes. These are all needs I would like to be able to address. This year, I had...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: In 2004 the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 became law. This legislation set the minimum pension age at age 65 for most public servants, including teachers, appointed for the first time on or after 1 April 2004 and for those who returned to public service employment on or after that date following a break of more than 26...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education. Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: To be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate that he/she has been resident in the State for at least 3 years out of the 5 year period ending on the day before the start of his/her approved course of study. It is possible for students, who did not meet the residency requirement at the commencement of their studies, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies Data (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Details of the State Boards that fall under the remit of my Department, including details on board appointments and board vacancies, are available on my Department's website at the following link; As the Deputy will be aware, individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations arising from the terms in the relevant legislation regarding the Body...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of the correspondence in question and as the Deputy is aware the delivery of the Maynooth Education Campus 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Statutory responsibility for child protection lies with the Child and Family Agency. My Department has no role in assessing or investigating allegations of harm against children, or any other child protection concerns. Its role is to refer any allegations it receives to the appropriate authorities and to do so without making judgment on same. Whereas my Department provides funding and policy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 102 together. Recently published Circular - 40/2018 is available on the Department’s website, which outlines the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in a school year in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Minor Works Grant was introduced in 1997 and since then has issued to primary schools each school year with the exception of the 2012/2013 school year. The payment of the Minor Works Grant is not confined to any particular date and can be issued during any month of the school year. For the 2002/2003 school year, part of the grant was paid in May 2003, with the balance in October...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education. Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: Students who qualify for entry to the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme are liable for the cost of their tuition fees as they already hold an undergraduate qualification. However, the costs for EU students are partly subsidised by the State through a grant provided by the Higher Education Authority. My Department does not provide free fees or core funding for post-graduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (21 Jun 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that 140 primary schools amalgamated to form 69 new primary schools between 2008 and 2017. I can also advise that, in the same period, 37 post primary schools amalgamated to form 16 new post primary schools.