Results 10,081-10,100 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: To qualify for the special rate of grant under the 2017 scheme, an applicant’s reckonable income has to be less than €23,000 and include on the 31stof December 2016, one of the specified long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the scheme. Partial Capacity Benefit is a Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) payment. To qualify for Partial Capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the project to which he refers was announced as part of my Department's Six Year Capital Programme in 2015. Officials in my Department continue to work closely with officials from the relevant local authority under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the acquisition of a suitable permanent location for the school to which the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Department has received correspondence, including a report, from the group referred to by the Deputy and that a response issued on the 9th November 2017. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am delighted to be able to introduce Computer Science as a new optional Leaving Certificate subject. A Computer Science Steering Group, chaired by my Department, has met on six occasions to date and is overseeing an implementation plan for the new specification. 40 schools have been selected for Phase 1 implementation of the new subject from September of this year. My Department's Teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently developing a new primary mathematics curriculum which will include elements of creative and computational thinking, which underpin coding and computer science. The NCCA will also be working with a network of schools during this school year to explore different approaches to integrating coding in the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department is aware that a large number of schools are running voluntary coding programmes through initiatives such as Coder Dojo (which has over 200 “dojos” in Ireland), Hour of Code, where over 200 events took place in Ireland, and the annual computer programming Olympiad held at Dublin City University. However, decisions to participate in such initiatives are decided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The implementation of the new Junior Cycle which is well underway brings a renewed focus on ensuring that all students are engaged and making progress in accordance with their potential. A short course on Coding developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is available to schools to implement as part of their Junior Cycle programme. The course aims to develop the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: At primary school level, the Social, Environmental and Scientific Education area of the curriculum which includes the Science Curriculum enables the child to learn and practice a wide range of skills and to acquire open, critical and responsible attitudes. The content of the Science curriculum is broken into four main strands /areas of learning: Living Things, Energy and Forces, Materials and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) is a Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) payment. The scheme aims to help families to move from social welfare into employment. It is available to jobseekers and lone parents who take up or increase the level of their employment and is payable for up to 2 years only. The payment is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: I understand the Deputy is referring to two school projects in Belmayne. It is expected that a contract will be awarded in the first quarter of 2018 and work will commence on site. The construction period is 12 months with anticipated occupation of the permanent accommodation by the schools in Q1 2019. My officials have been in contact with the schools concerned recently to bring them up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy is part of the current Schools Bundle 5 PPP programme. In respect of that programme, a contract exists between my Department and the Principal contractor, Inspiredspaces. Inspiredspaces is the name of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for the design, construction, finance, operation and maintenance of the programme. The company referred...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change. In 2012/13, my Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 44...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Combatting Cyberbullying (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: Policy responsibility for the issue of the regulation of loot boxes and other in app purchases in video games with a PEGI rating of under 18 years of age is not within the remit of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Data (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: For the Deputy's information, under the Public Service Reform Plan, a number of bodies under the remit of my Department were identified for rationalization, re-configuration or merger as follows; The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology and Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences were merged in March 2012 to form the Irish Research Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Personal Injury Claims (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy with regard to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for each agency and is not collated centrally. Information details of agencies under the remit of my Department are available on  the Department’s website at www.education.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The schools referred to by the Deputy form part of the current Schools Bundle 5 PPP programme. In respect of that programme, a contract exists between my Department and the Principal contractor, Inspiredspaces. Inspiredspaces is the name of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for the design, construction, finance, operation and maintenance of the programme. It is important to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 to 238, inclusive, together. Building projects under the PPP programme are a complex arrangement of contractual relationships between the client, the main contractor, specialist sub-contractors, domestic sub-contractors, supplier of materials, suppliers of plant etc.  In the case of the Schools Bundle 5 programme a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Migrant Integration (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of the recently launched research Roma in Ireland: a needs assessment. My Department was consulted during the research process and assisted with the drafting of the report. I note the positive impacts of education on the lives of Roma identified in the report, in addition to the considerable challenges which exist in terms of engagement with education for this group. The education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (23 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Minor Works Grant in respect of the school year 2017/2018 was paid to all primary schools including the school referred to by the Deputy on 12 December 2017.

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Jan 2018)

Richard Bruton: I will, certainly.