Results 8,481-8,500 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: A number of correspondences have been received by my Department from the individual referred to by the Deputy, all of which have been responded to. Applications for a maintenance grant are means tested based on the reckonable income from the previous tax year. However, article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme provides for a review of eligibility during the academic year, if there is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The contract for the project to which the Deputy refers was terminated on 8 May last by the contracting authority which is the local Education and Training Board. The Design Team is currently preparing schedules of work to complete the project which will require to be tendered when available. Finishing out the project is being given the highest priority in the Department and by the ETB and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy is a special school which provides for the special educational needs of children with autism who have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school. The new school building project is due to proceed to tender at the end of this month for the delivery of a new 2-storey 6-classroom base special needs school with a General Purpose Room and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers is progressing and the research and design stages are substantially complete as is the tender documentation. Currently pre-tender cost estimates are being finalised in compliance with my Departments Design Team Procedures and public procurement requirements. The Pre-Qualification stage has also been completed and suitably qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: A building project for the new post-primary school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s current 6 year construction programme. Officials from my Department have been working closely with Limerick City and County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites in order to identify and procure a suitable site for the school. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The major building project at the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b. According to the Stage 2b documentation submitted in November 2017, the estimated stage 2b cost plan increased substantially from the approved costs at stage 2a. In accordance with Departmental Design Team Procedures, where the approved cost limits have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers is being devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board. My Department is currently preparing a Service Level Agreement for issue to the ETB to underpin the project delivery. This is expected to issue shortly. Once this formality has been completed, the next steps are for the ETB to appoint a Design Team to design the project and to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: An independent Expert Panel was appointed by the HEA in 2016 to review the current allocation model for funding higher education and to make recommendations on the most appropriate funding model for the future. I approved and published this report it in January 2018. The review of the Funding Model provides a roadmap for transitioning towards a reformed funding model that is more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Students (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology proposes the development of a national policy on structured progression for researchers to help them maximise their potential. The Irish Universities Association has been developing the proposed framework and has consulted policy makers and research funders. It is envisaged that their work on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Equality (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Higher Education institutions in Ireland are covered by the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011, which outlaw discrimination on gender grounds. In addition, under the Universities Act 1997 and the Institute of Technology Acts, higher education institutions are responsible for promoting equality, including gender equality, within their institutions. The HEA’s National Review of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Strategy on Higher Education to 2030, which was published in 2011 by the then Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, stated that there was no case for the establishment of any new universities in Ireland on the basis set out in Section 9 of the Universities Act 1997. The National Planning Framework includes a national objective regarding the expansion and consolidation of higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Higher education is a central part of our plan as a Government to support a strong economy and deliver a fair society. The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding (Cassells Report) which was published in July 2016, clearly outlines the funding challenges in the higher education sector and offers a number of potential policy approaches for consideration. While Cassells deals with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Department agreed to the proposed amalgamation of Scoil Bhride Girls and Scoil Phadraig Naofa and also the re-organisation of Presentation Primary School and St. Joseph’s CBS from the start of the school year 2018/19. The proposal was agreed subject to all 5 primary school including Scoil Oilibheir Naofa agreeing a Common Application and Enrolment Policy and having a commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to a school,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school referred to for the replacement of prefabricated accommodation. The application is currently under consideration and my Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities when the assessment process has concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (17 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Circular 12/2016, which is available on the Department website, 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 employed by a school to facilitate administrative functions to be undertaken by the teaching...

Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I made an undertaking. We changed the way the budgetary arrangements were made. Previously, Ministers had to go back to the Cabinet to seek an additional budgetary allocation. That was recognised by us and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as a very unsatisfactory way in which to plan. We made budgetary provision for this year and I expect to announce the allocations within days.

Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I will have to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, to respond to the Deputy on this matter. He is a much better catcher of red herrings than I am.

Questions on Promised Legislation (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The programme for Government and the confidence and supply agreement both contain a commitment to provide additional capitation funding. When this Government was examining its priorities during the preparation of its first two budgets, it prioritised reducing the pupil-teacher ratio, enhancing the DEIS scheme, expanding the number of schools involved in the scheme and providing support to...