Results 8,921-8,940 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: My Department has not been engaged in a consultation process with individual schools including the school referred to by the Deputy. The identification of schools for receipt of additional resources under the DEIS programme is informed by a scientific data based model which assesses levels of disadvantage in individual schools based on the pupil cohort of the school. It is important to...

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

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for additional accommodation. The application will be considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

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

Richard Bruton: I meet the CEO of the HEA on an ongoing basis at various events and meetings.  The most recent meeting took place at the National Skills Council, which I chair and of which the CEO is a member, on 16 April 2018. The Minister of State for Higher Education in my Department is next due to meet with the Chief Executive Officer of the Higher Education Authority on Thursday 19 April.

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

Richard Bruton: In the academic year 2015-16 there were 553,380 pupils in primary schools. There were 345,550 pupils enrolled in post-primary schools. Post-Leaving Certificate enrolments were 32,453. In 2016-17, there were 558,314 primary pupils and 352,257 in post-primary schools, and 31,969 in PLC.

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

Richard Bruton: It is the patron body of a school which determines the ethos or characteristic spirit of the school, in accordance with Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, which  provides that a board of management shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Apr 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 6 Year Construction Programme. In this regard, the proposed development is at project brief stage. The next step involves the commencement of the architectural planning process and my Department will be in further contact with the school in this context.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Interdepartmental Working Groups (18 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: The programme for Government provided that the Cassells report would be referred to the Oireachtas Education Committee, who would review its recommendations and outline a proposed funding plan for this sector, as part of the process for building political consensus around the most appropriate means of ensuring a sustainable funding model for the future. While I have awaited the...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter which I know is of concern to many Deputies. He is right that there has been a difficult development process for this project. The original decision was devolved to the ETB to run the project. A service level agreement was put in place. A planning application was submitted and granted in April 2014 but that was appealed to An Bord Pleanála...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I understand what the Deputy is saying and I have indicated in my reply that this is regarded as a priority project. We recognise the difficulties, such as the planning appeal, the lay out of the road and so on. Equally, the Deputy will understand that I cannot compromise a tender process. This is a commercially confidential process and there are very strict procedures for the award of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Foirne Scoile (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: Foilsítear na critéir a bhaineann le leithdháileadh poist mhúinteoireachta go bliantúil ar shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne. Úsáidtear an sceideal foirne don scoilbhliain ábhartha agus rolluithe na ndaltaí ar an 30 Meán Fómhair roimhe sin mar eochairthoisc chun na hacmhainní foirne a chuirtear ar fáil i ngach scoil faoi...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Expenditure (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, including the funding of student services, is a matter for the individual institution. Details of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oireachtas Members' Remuneration (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: Details of the payments made to individual teacher members of the Houses of the Oireachtas who availed of the special leave and pay arrangement scheme that existed prior to September 2009 are personal to the individual. The following table contains the aggregate payments made in the period July 2003 to December 2008 and the number of individual members who received payments under the terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Court Judgments (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: In earlier PQs, I explained to the Deputy that because the type of abuse suffered by an individual is personal to that individual, the information cannot be disclosed by any State body or organisation holding that data.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, I have announced new plans aimed at accelerating the provision of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment to reach 400 such schools by 2030.  In relation to the school to which the Deputy refers, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (LMETB). The project is currently at stage 2 B of the architectural planning process and a revised stage 2 B cost plan, to include some necessary additional works, has been submitted to my Department for consideration.  The project will...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, additional investment has allowed the successful recruitment of over 5,000 additional teachers in the last two years.  Since 2012/2013, there are 8,900 more teachers in our schools. No other part of the public service has seen growth on this scale, which is testament to the Government’s commitment to, and the importance of education in, fulfilling our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the Deputy’s question refers to recognition of additional post-graduate qualifications which a candidate may already have before applying for a post-primary Professional Masters in Education (PME), in such a way that the overall duration of the PME would be reduced for that candidate. The introduction of changes to the duration and content of post-graduate initial...

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

Richard Bruton: The building project at St. Conleth’s Junior & Senior National Schools is an extension refurbishment project, which includes an extension to each School, a new build General Purpose Hall and a Special Needs Unit. The project is currently at Stage 2B of Architectural Planning - Detailed Design Stage, which includes applications for all statutory consents, including Planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326, 340 and 348 together. The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, negotiated a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. The agreements to date have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Apr 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 405 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7th 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...