Results 8,901-8,920 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 years.  This announcement followed nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country, and included provision for a new post primary school to serve Citywest/Saggart (Tallaght...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (19 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school referred to applied to my Department in February seeking additional accommodation in respect of the appointment of an additional mainstream teacher. Based on the projected enrolments in the area concerned and the anticipated future enrolment trends, it is envisaged that enrolments in the school planning area have peaked and are expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 years. This announcement followed nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country. Following on from the announcement, the locations for all of the schools, including the new primary school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (19 Apr 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: Schools Site Acquisitions (19 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, I recently announced the opening of 42 new schools over the next 4 years.  This announcement followed nationwide demographic exercises carried out by my Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country. Following on from the announcement, the locations for all of the schools, including...

Provision of Objective Sex Education Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputies Coppinger, Barry and Paul Murphy for tabling this Private Members' Bill. The Government will not be opposing the Bill. This is a very important area in which we need to make progress. I have asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, to undertake a review not just of the content of the curriculum but of how it is taught, and in particular how young...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I understand the Deputies' frustration. Approximately 30 planning areas, from a total of 314 such areas, have been approved for new schools. In some cases, the need is being met by programmes that are already under way. In the area we are discussing, five school projects are already under way. In other cases, the need is being met through the potential expansion of existing schools. As...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I can understand their concerns. I assure Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin that decisions on the location of schools are not political. Such decisions are not made by Ministers but by the Department. Every one of the 314 planning areas is treated in the same fashion. Areas are evaluated fairly against the demographic profiles available which are based...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: There is a massive expansion in the resources being put into supporting children with special needs. We have increased the resources by more than 50% since 2011 in terms of teaching and special needs assistants, SNAs. We have more than doubled the number of special units in schools. Last September we opened approximately 150 and we will open another 150 next year. We are providing funding...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, in the mid-term review, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform trebled the money available for higher education investment over the next three years. It was at an extremely low level. While I am not up to speed on this application, I will get an update for the Deputy. We are in a phase of expansion of investment in higher education after many years when none...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: There are restrictions on access to courses by persons who have lived outside the EU for a considerable period. The difficulty we face in arranging rules of access is that any such rule must apply to all EU citizens equally. The restriction that is in place has strictures which are uniformly applied. I will consider the case raised by Deputy Healy-Rae but there are difficulties in regard...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a site to accommodate a permanent school building for the school to which he refers has been acquired. Officials from my Department will be in contact with the school shortly regarding the progression of the project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Patron has advised my Department that the school in question has recently corresponded with parents offering junior infant enrolment places in September 2018. I understand that the Patron has also provided update directly to the Deputy during a meeting last week.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: The site for the school to which the Deputy refers was purchased by my Department in accordance with its standard site acquisition procedures with a view to achieving optimum value for money while ensuring the provision of suitable accommodation.  The Department has the support of the patron and management of the school in respect of the building project being provided on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: The schools referred to by the Deputy form part of Schools Bundle 5, the PPP project which has been impacted by the liquidation of Carillion Construction Ltd and Carilllion AMBS Ltd.  Sammon Contracting Ireland Ltd (SCIL) was the sub-contractor to Carillion Construction Ltd on the Schools Bundle 5 PPP Project.  This encompasses five school buildings and one further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of ancillary grant by €5 per pupil in primary schools is circa €2.8m. The ancillary grant at primary level is €163 per pupil. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Internet Safety (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Government will develop an Action Plan on Internet safety and my Department will work with the other Government Departments with responsibility in the area to develop those actions to be included in the new Action Plan. The recommendations from the recent Joint Oireachtas Committee Report on Cyber Security for Children and Young Adults are under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Apr 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 Staff (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: 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. Budget 2018 announced a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule, which reduced the average pupil teacher ratio to 26:1. The improved staffing schedule has been implemented for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Foirne Scoile (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: Is í an phríomh-shlat tomhais lena gcinntear leibhéal na n-acmhainní foirne a chuirtear ar fáil ag leibhéal scoile aonair ná an sceideal foirne don scoilbhliain ábhartha agus rollú na ndaltaí ar an 30 Meán Fómhair roimhe sin. Le buiséad 2018 fógraíodh go ndéanfaí feabhas pointe amháin ar an sceideal...