Results 10,761-10,780 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Leaders' Questions (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that if the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade or I sought to answer a set of hypothetical questions about what the British might do and what we might do in return, it would not be to our advantage in a very delicate situation like this. It is not for us to play with scenarios and suggest that we would settle for something less than what has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: There are no schemes or provisions currently in operation along the lines set out in the details supplied with the Deputy's question. Supporting school leadership is a major priority of mine, and I am conscious of the importance of developing and motivating school leadership at all levels.  Budget 2017 allowed me to make a start at re-investing in school leadership in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: 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 primary and post primary school level for learning support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 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 operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 85 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that St Angela’s College, Sligo is the sole provider of initial teacher education for teachers of Home Economics in Ireland. The Deputy may wish to note that I have increased from 85 to 101 the number of students admitted to St Angela’s, Sligo to follow the Home Economics ITE programme in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: There were 711 post-primary schools in Ireland in 2016/17. Of these, 586 (82%) offered Home Economics at Junior Cycle level and 567 (80%) offered Home Economics at Senior Cycle.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information sought is not available to my Department, however one estimate from publishers' sources suggeststhat the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum. My Department supports the operation of book rental schemes through the funding provided under its school books grant scheme.  Under this scheme, my Department provides funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to have been in a position to significantly expand the recruitment of teachers at primary and post primary levels. Some 2,300 new teachers were recruited in 2016-2017 and 2,900 will be recruited in 2017-2018. The figure of 2,900 is 21% more than the number announced in budget 2017 so we have in fact been able to recruit more new teachers than we have announced. All of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (16 Nov 2017)

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.  Following surveys conducted by my Department in areas of stable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department's funding relationship with Kerry ETB for the organisation referred to by the Deputy is predicated on the basis that it is self-financing and that its financial activities are separate from the overall ETB finances. Accordingly, annual grants for same are contributory in nature.  Generally, only pensionable public servants who (a) are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Balance (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Information on the gender balance on the boards of each of the State agencies under the aegis of my Department is included in the following table.  Comprehensive information on board appointments to agencies under the remit of my Department can also be downloaded from my Department’s website . The current Government target is for at least 40% of each gender on boards. 14 of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together. Two Ministers of State were appointed at my Department, Mary Mitchell O'Connor T.D. as Minister of State with responsibility for Higher Education and John Halligan T.D. as Minister of State with responsibility for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development. There are two Delegation of Functions Orders in place. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2012 to provide 5 general classrooms, to relocate existing ball courts and to provide a set down and bus drop off area for pupils.  This project was devolved to the local Education and Training Board for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware currently universities are classified as outside General Government Balance for Eurostat purposes, while Institutes of Technology are classified as within. This arises primarily from the difference in funding sources in the two sectors, with the university sector raising a greater proportion of income from non-State sources. The classification of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (16 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in...

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The new resource allocation model involves 1,000 additional teachers being allocated to schools. It dispenses with the needs for diagnostic tests or labelling of children before they get access to the support of a resource teacher. It is a significant improvement. Schools have resources available for them to meet these educational needs. If there was an exceptional intake in one year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware a project for the school referred to is included in my Department’s 6 year Capital Programme. In that regard, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has arranged a meeting in the coming week with the school authority and Patron with a view to discussing the proposed project and progression of same.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In accessing third level education in this State, students may be liable to pay tuition fees and a student contribution. Being cognisant of the financial pressures this can place on these students and their families, the Government provides assistance through a number of measures. The Free Fees Initiative was introduced in 1995 by the then Government to assist third level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at tender stage. Subject to no issues arising it is anticipated that construction will commence in the 2ndquarter of 2018 and the project is expected to take approximately 27 months to complete.