Results 10,601-10,620 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Measures announced by my Department as part of Budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018 mean that 500 of the 600 guidance posts that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2018. All of these 500 posts are allocated separately and transparently on the normal staffing schedule of posts for schools. These posts have been ring-fenced so they can only be used for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As a consequence of the economic crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country’s public finances.  The Government approved a number of measures relating to public service allowances following a public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments conducted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The recently published Circular 0063/2017 "Leadership and Management in Primary schools" sets out a framework for promotion posts in recognised primary schools. The commencement of the restoration of middle management posts as part of an agreed distributed leadership model means that the rigidity of the longstanding moratorium on these posts has been lifted and all primary schools can now...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Exact expenditure figures regarding the teaching of Computing or Coding in primary schools are not available, as funding is not allocated by my Department on a subject-by-subject basis. However, work in this area is taking place at both primary and post-primary levels.  The NCCA is in the process of developing a new primary mathematics curriculum and will consider my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the Programme for Government commitment to increase financial supports for post graduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In response to this commitment, I secured additional funding of €4 million in Budget 2017 and a further €3 million in Budget 2018, to facilitate the reinstatement of full...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The cost of linking student maintenance grants to the CPI would be entirely contingent on movements in the CPI. For instance, the annual cost of paying student maintenance grants is circa €172m and therefore, a 1% movement in the CPI would cost €1.72m per annum. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In December 2012, an additional €3 million was approved to supplement the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) following a survey conducted by the HEA in relation to the demand for the Fund.   This supplementary funding was a once-off exceptional measure which was taken in the context of long grant delays/issues encountered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Nov 2017)

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 also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (29 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Exemptions from the study of Irish are granted in accordance with the provisions of Departmental Circular 12/96 for primary schools and M10/94 for post-primary schools. The criteria provides that exemptions may be granted by school authorities for certain categories of students with special educational needs as set out in these Circulars. Currently, a diagnosis of dyspraxia is not among the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: First-Aid Training (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the students in their school and care and safety should be at the centre of all policy and practices. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) advise that, by law, employers and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The position is that to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. These rules apply to all students from all EU/EEA/Swiss states....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Compulsory Purchase Orders (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department does not have statutory compulsory purchase order powers but Local Authorities have, on a small number of occasions, used their powers to assist in the acquisition of land for educational use. This generally occurs where a landowner is unwilling to sell a site which has been zoned for educational use.  While the CPO process has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the principal financial support provided by my Department for students in third level education is the student grant scheme. The scheme makes available means-tested financial assistance to qualifying full-time registered students in higher education attending approved courses in the EU, EEA and the Swiss Confederation.  My Department does not operate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Colleges (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the project to which she refers has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board (ETB). Planning permission has been received for the project and the ETB has confirmed that the Stage 2B documents (detailed design) are complete except for those in relation to the diversion of overhead power lines traversing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The normal practice is for the Minor Works Grant to be announced towards the end of the year if funding permits. Over the next number of weeks the issue of the Minor Works Grant 2017/2018 will be considered in the context of my Department's overall capital position. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The normal practice is for the Minor Works Grant to be announced towards the end of the year if funding permits. Over the next number of weeks the issue of the Minor Works Grant 2017/2018 will be considered in the context of my Department's overall capital position.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legal Costs (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Minister is not aware of any proceedings that he is a party to in this matter.  Any queries in relation to this action should be referred to UCD directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards Data (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 167 together. For the Deputy's information details of the State Boards that fall under the remit of my Department, including details of board appointments to the respective State Boards are available on my Department's website at the following link; . The Deputy should note that individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is the policy of my Department that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with Autism, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Protected Disclosures (28 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with Section 22 of the Protected Disclosure Act 2014, my Department has published information on protected disclosures received during 2015 and 2016 on its website: In summary, in 2015, 3 protected disclosures were received from workers in the Education sector. In 2016, 3 (1 anonymous) protected disclosures were received from workers in the Education sector. To date in 2017...