Results 10,321-10,340 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: The 2017 scheme was published on the 31stof March 2017. Details of this scheme can be accessed via the SUSI website athttps://susi.ie/resources/.  It is anticipated that the 2018 Scheme & Regulations will be published in late March or early April 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments excluded. In the assessment of means, a deduction of up to €4,500 may be applied to student earnings outside of term time but within the reference period.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: The table contains details of expenditure by my Department in relation to photography as requested by the Deputy. Cost Breakdown Year Event Photographer Net VAT Gross 25/08/2017 Minister Bruton Portraits Maxwell Photography € 182.00 €  41.86 €223.86 28/08/2017 Minister Mitchell O'Connor Portraits Maxwell Photography € 154.00 €  35.42...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: The engagement of external expertise is considered where the matters involved require expert skills or capabilities that are not readily available within my Department. Such engagement is procured in accordance with the provisions of the Department of Finance "Guidelines for the Engagement of Consultants and other External Support by the Civil Service". The information sought by the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: Details of consultancy payments made by my Department for the years 2011 to 2016 inclusive are available on the Department's website . Information in relation to consultancy expenditure is compiled annually in respect of the previous year. Details in respect of consultants engaged in 2017 will be compiled in Q1 2018 and will be published as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: Details in relation to advertising for information campaigns in 2017 in my Department will be collated in early 2018. I will arrange to have the information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it has been compiled.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: Details in relation to expenditure on photography, advertising, communications advice, public relations, website development and media interview training and preparation in 2017 in my Department is not collated until early 2018. I will arrange to have the information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it has been compiled. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of...

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: I have already answered this question. I assure the Deputy that no school was excluded. What happened this year was that we expanded the programme to bring in 79 additional schools. No school in the scheme was withdrawn; we have expanded the scheme. We have considered extending the scheme further in future years. This was the subject of the freedom of information request, and it was in...

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am happy to clarify that. No school applied and no school was excluded. The situation is that we provided €15 million extra for disadvantaged schools in this year's budget, in line with the plan we had published. As a result of that we have provided for 79 additional schools to join those schools already in the disadvantaged category. We have expanded the number of schools in the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: No, that is not the case. The criteria which were set for the inclusion of new schools were the ones that brought in the 79 new schools. We have taken no schools out of the disadvantaged category, we have only added to the number of schools within the scheme. In the future-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: -----we can, of course, consider additional schools. That is exactly the issue. We were looking at the possibility of expanding this programme in the future. I hope I will have the Deputy's support for such an expansion.

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: This was absolutely transparent at all times. These were documents which were prepared.

Seanad: Special Needs Assistants: Motion (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: I would like to say how pleased I am to participate in this debate and how I strongly support the amendment moved by Senator Maria Byrne which deals with all the issues of concern. I hugely value the role of SNAs. In my period in government, we have seen the number of children with special needs who are supported by SNAs grow by 12,000. There has been an increase of 50% in the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: There are significant demands placed on the education capital budget annually due to demographic pressures, and the imperative of ensuring a school place for every child. This year we will deliver nearly 19,000 permanent school places in state of the art facilities around the country.  This compares to 8,900 permanent school places provided in 2010. As part of our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Data (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: While currently the staff: student ratio across the University sector is 23:1, it is lower in the Institutes of Technology sector, with the current ratio at 19:1. Higher education is a key priority for this Government. This is evidenced in the fact that we will be investing €60 million in additional funding in 2018. Combined with the increase in funding in 2017, this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a total of seven schools in County Wexford are included on my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. The current status of the building projects for these schools is as follows: Loreto Secondary School, Wexford - the new school building is under construction and is due to be completed within the coming weeks. St Joseph's Primary School, Gorey - an extension to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, my Department’s capital programme continues to address the challenge posed by a rapidly increasing school population. To meet this demographic challenge, my Department’s Capital Investment Programme (2016-2021), details the school projects that are being progressed through the architectural planning process towards tender and construction. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department remains supportive of the proposed acquisition by IT Carlow of a site in Wexford for the development of a new purpose-built campus . In that regard, we are committed to retaining an allocation for the acquisition of an appropriate site in our budget next year. We are working closely with the Higher Education Authority and IT Carlow on next steps.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Payments (13 Dec 2017)

Richard Bruton: I indicated to the House last week that the Minor Works Grant 2018/2019 would issue during the 2018/2019 school year.  It is not possible to say at this stage if the payment will be made in late 2018, like this year, or early in 2019. I should point out that the payment of the Minor Works Grant is not confined to any particular date and can in fact, if paid, be issued during any...