Results 8,361-8,380 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Other Questions: School Admissions (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The first example of a community national school that has developed is in a rural area in Kerry. There is a model and there have been successful transfers from the bishop to a new patron under the ETB. It is the first, I hope, of a number that we will see going that route. It will offer a new road to diverse patronage.

Other Questions: School Admissions (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for acknowledging the Report Stage amendment that will be debated in the House next week. I am of the view that it constitutes a fair and balanced response. I share the view of a lot of Members that it is not fair that in publicly-funded schools, 95% of which are denominational, if a child does not subscribe to that religion then another child from a long distance away...

Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can appreciate what the Deputy is saying. That is why two changes are being made in the legislation. One change gives the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, a right to make a submission to the section 29 hearing. The second gives the NCSE a separate power to designate a school as suitable. While it is certainly very unfortunate that a section 29 procedure would be used,...

Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of section 29 is that it looks at the whole case de novo. It is not part of a bureaucratic process whereby the parents may feel they have been through the board and the principal only to get the same response. This is an entirely fresh look at the issues by fresh eyes. Those making the decision have access to the NCSE evidence and look at whether the decision of the school was...

Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the review of career guidance is to ensure that high-quality, relevant career guidance information is provided to students from post–primary level up to further and higher education. The review will examine the quality of information available to students and adults concerning career guidance, the sources of this information and how the system is organised to support...

Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: There was certainly no intention to exclude any school in any way. I can give the Deputy the assurance that the needs of special schools will be included in this review. I do not know from where the idea that they were excluded arose but if there is a particular group that needs to make a submission, and it believes it will not be able to make it by 25 May, I will make sure that the...

Priority Questions: Disability Support Services Provision (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I understand what the Deputy is saying, but we are talking about a voluntary scheme. Each school makes the decision to participate or not, based on its own staffing and capacity to extend the school year for another month. They get a capitation rate, but the implementation of the scheme depends on whether staff are willing to work for the extra month. If the staff work the extra month they...

Priority Questions: Disability Support Services Provision (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I will ask the NCSE if there is any way it can better support parents, but over 6,000 children are availing of that back-up scheme under the home-based July provision scheme, providing ten hours per week over four weeks. Those 6,000 people are spread throughout the country, so it is difficult to co-ordinate that centrally and provide a clearing house for that provision. I will ask the NCSE...

Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The code of behaviour each school is required to develop has to set out the procedures, particularly procedures relating to the suspension of children with special needs. The guidelines set out the approach that should be taken in taking account of the particular needs of children with special needs, including that the school meets with parents, makes sure that the child understands the...

Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, I recently announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years, 2019 to 2022. This announcement follows a nationwide demographic exercise carried out by the Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country. The four year horizon will enable increased lead times for planning and delivery of the...

Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will have to ask a more precise question. He asked about the status of the plans for the 42 new schools. As a result, I explained that the 42 were selected from 314 areas. In deciding which areas got new schools, we looked at where there was capacity in existing schools to expand. That is how the figure of 42 was reached. A patron selection process will now be initiated. We...

Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy does not understand the way this works. Scores of areas had ambitions to have new schools. The Department undertook a demographic exercise looking at the enrolment in existing schools, at birth and at housing developments identified by local authorities. It picked the 42 areas based on that information where it believed the demographic need would have to be met by establishing a...

Priority Questions: Disability Support Services Provision (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Funchion for raising this matter. The July provision grant scheme provides funding for an extended school year for children with severe-profound general learning disabilities or children with autism spectrum disorders, ASD. Under this scheme, the school year of participating schools is extended by four weeks in July. Only special schools or mainstream schools that have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to clarify for the Deputy that a building project to provide a new permanent building for the school to which he refers is included on my Department’s 6 year capital programme. The project will comprise a new 16-classroom primary school with General Purpose Room and ancillary accommodation. The project will be delivered through the Design and Build approach where the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Administration (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: There are a total of 177 Primary Schools and 27 Post Primary Schools in County Donegal. Of these, 107 primary and 13 post primary schools avail of supports in the DEIS Programme. 60% of all primary schools and 48% of post primary schools in Donegal are in DEIS. This equates to 13.3% of all DEIS schools being based in Co. Donegal. I wish to advise the Deputy that no school in DEIS has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The building project for St Oliver’s Special School in Tuam will provide a new 6 classroom special needs school on a Greenfield site. The development will consist of a new 2,221 sqm school building with on-site parking provisions, all associated landscaping, boundary treatments, site works and ancillary services. The design team on this project was appointed in January 2016....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Transitions at all stages and levels including starting school; the move from primary to post-primary school; moving between mainstream and special school settings and preparation for life after school can be a difficult time for all parents and students, including those with special educational needs. My Department has committed itself to a range of actions aimed at supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 1 of the Architectural Planning Process. Stage 1 is the Preliminary Design Stage where the Design Team in conjunction with the school authority will analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and ensure that the preferred option is the best option for the delivery of the brief. When the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school are based on the school’s enrolment. The school referred to by the Deputy does not meet the criteria. Each teaching principal receives a number of days to take as release time in order to undertake administrative functions. Under these arrangements, my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (22 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department's policy aims to ensure that all children with Special Educational Needs 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 interventions, delivered by fully...