Results 8,541-8,560 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Government is committed to the future sustainability of the Castlebar Campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). This is the reason why I established the Working Group in March 2017 to develop a plan that would safeguard the future of the Castlebar campus. The Report of the Working Group was published in December 2017. It provides a wide-ranging assessment of the context...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Eligibility (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers recently submitted an appeal to my Department requesting a review of its application for funding under the Emergency Works Grant Scheme to address roof issues. This review has been carried out and it has been decided that a member of my Department's Professional & Technical team should visit the school and report on the matter. The visit will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, a project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. I understand that the technical assessment process in respect of the project (to include the extension, refurbishment and prefab replacement) has been completed and the Project Brief is now being finalised. In that context, my Department will be in further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 May 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. I wish to advise the Deputy that the Schedules of Accommodation for the proposed project have issued to the school and my Department is currently finalising the project brief with the aim of progressing the project into the architectural planning process at an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The conveyancing process in relation to a site for this school building project is currently underway. As is the case with any specific site acquisition, it would not be appropriate for my Department to provide detailed information on the conveyancing process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7 March 2017. These Circulars set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. The revised allocation process replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application, in recent weeks, from the school referred to for the provision of additional classroom and resource 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: Schools Establishment (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I announced plans for the establishment of 42 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022). This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the country and the 4-year horizon will enable increased lead-in times for planning and delivery of the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Inspection Reports (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department’s Inspectorate carried out a Whole-School Evaluation in Scoil Eoin Báiste National School, Castletown, Dundalk, Co. Louth in October 2017 and this report was published on my Department’s website www.education.ie in January 2018. The report identified a number of recommendations for the school where improvement is required. Responsibility for implementing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The estimated cost of increasing the capitation grant at primary and secondary level by 5% is provided in the following table: Estimated full year cost of 5% increase in capitation funding School Amount Primary Schools €5.0m Post-Primary Schools €4.7m Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 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 Refurbishment (16 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Over the lifetime of the NDP, Government and EU energy efficiency and climate change legislation will require upgrading of the energy performance of existing schools. My Department, with SEAI, completed an energy pilot project in 2017 for the energy upgrade of ten existing schools to establish opportunities and innovative delivery models, as well as a menu of best practice retrofit options....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff Appeals Mechanism (16 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...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. It is an unfortunate situation. No one planned for an examinership. In this case the examinership has not been able to deliver on these projects. We will have to re-tender the work. I will seek to have this done as quickly as possible but tendering has to be robust. We are all aware of the obligations in that regard and that it protects all...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. We are very much aware of the frustration felt locally by parents, staff and pupils alike at the delay in completing the building projects at Coláiste an Chraoibhín in Fermoy and at Coláiste Cholmán in Midleton. We are acutely aware of the need for these extension projects to be completed as quickly as possible to improve...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I have received a briefing from my Department on the situation in Scoil Cholmcille. I gather that the school has a current staffing complement of one principal, 11 mainstream teaching posts, nine special education teaching posts and one shared home-school liaison post. The staffing level will remain unchanged for the next school year. Last...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Department is assessing what has been proposed and will be in communication with the school. In terms of new school identification, that is somewhat different. I mean the Department is then undertaking demographic exercises and considering whether there is an emerging demand that will exceed the capacity of the existing schools and, in that context, should it consider sanctioning a new...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: Clearly, if the population increases and the numbers attending this school increase and so forth, as more schools are allocated the Department will have to consider additional accommodation on that ground. However, on the basis of the current stable numbers in the application, the Department is probably looking at this against the background that it will have to deliver perhaps 18,000 extra...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 was enacted by the Oireachtas and became law on 28 July 2012. The Act provides for aSingle Public Service Pension Schemefor the generality of new public servants including teachers. The Single Scheme was commenced with effect from 1 January 2013 by Order by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Single...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Multidenominational Schools (15 May 2018)

Richard Bruton: ETB schools are multi-denominational schools and as such are required to serve their communities however composed. This includes providing for religious instruction according to the profile of the students who attend the school. In relation to religious instruction my Department recently published Circular letter 0013/2018 “Religious instruction and worship in certain second level...