Results 10,781-10,800 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2018 marks the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and training service the best in Europe within a decade. Budget 2018 provides for an additional 1280 teaching posts in the 2018/19 school year. This includes a one point improvement in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, access to the permanent site for the school to which the Deputy refers, is a complex planning issue. Since June 2017, my Department has met with a third-party landowner on a number of occasions with a view to negotiating an acceptable solution to the access issue. As these are commercially sensitive negotiations it is not possible to comment further at this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills does not publish or promote school textbooks for any subject, at any level. Where textbook publishers wish to produce books for any particular subject, this is entirely at the discretion of publishers. Equally, it is at the discretion of teachers and schools should they wish to use textbooks where these are available. The Department, through both the...

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

Richard Bruton: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b), which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. Notification to grant Planning Permission was granted by the Local Authority on 8th November 2017, a final grant of Planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has submitted a proposal to my Department relating to alternative accommodation for the school. The proposal is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Eligibility (15 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The legacy of abuse against children and young people, whether in residential institutions, in day schools, or in any other setting, is appalling. It is impossible to even imagine what some of these people have gone through. There is a National Counselling Service, run by the Health Service Executive which provides counseling services to those who have been abused in childhood,...

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

Richard Bruton: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is in Architectural planning. The School Authority attended a meeting with Department Officials last week to review the plans for the new school in advance of lodging a planning application to the Local Authority. The school was advised that the application is being finalised and is expected to be lodged in late December/...

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

Richard Bruton: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is in Architectural planning. The School Authority attended a meeting with Department Officials last week to review the plans for the new school in advance of lodging a planning application to the Local Authority. The school was advised that the application is being finalised and is expected to be lodged in late December/...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is continuing to liaise with officials in Fingal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent site for this school.  As with other site acquisitions in the area, due to the scarcity of suitable sites, this process has proven to be quite challenging and in that context has taken...

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

Richard Bruton: I understand that the students to which the Deputy refers, have exhausted their statutory based appeals within SUSI and to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the outcome of individual cases within this statutory appeals process. With regard to the general issue of assessment of income under the Student...

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

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together. The association referred to by the Deputy is a new organisation which was launched in April this year. Its initial set of accounts from the point of launch are not yet available however a copy of its legacy body's most recent accounts (2016) were submitted to the Companies Registration Office. The organization is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Through the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for recognised primary and post primary schools. All post-primary schools and some special schools are now included in the 100Mbps programme. Significant improvement has been made in recent years, with the number of primary schools with access to broadband speeds of greater that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As previously advised the acceptable tank separation distance for a tank of this size between other gas tanks and other buildings, boundary walls etc. is 3 metres. The Design and Build Contractor has confirmed that the tank is located approximately 13 metres from the building which they and their Consultant Engineer have advised is an acceptable distance. While the Deputies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has considered the above request. My Department has instructed the Chief State Solicitor's Office, who in turn have been in contact with the legal representatives of the property owner to inform them of the steps which need to be taken in order to release my interest in the property. The Chief State Solicitor's Office is in ongoing contact with the property...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Remuneration (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Primary and Post Primary Schools including special schools across the country were closed on October 16th and 17th due to Storm Ophelia.  Teachers and Special Needs Assistants who were scheduled to undertake duties in a school on 16th and 17th October will be paid as normal for these dates.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commencement of Legislation (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: A number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children. The Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which would have conferred a statutory entitlement to: - an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Legislation (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 to 151, inclusive, together. The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015, which commenced on 1 January 2016, provided for certain changes in the exclusion of discrimination on particular grounds in certain employments (i.e. educational or medical institutions maintained, in whole or in part, by monies provided by the Oireachtas) by amending...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Code of Practice (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: This issue has not been brought to the attention of my Department. The operation of schools is the responsibility of the management of each individual school, and it is a matter for each individual school management to ensure that it has appropriate policies in place to ensure the responsible and ethical use of digital technologies. My Department’s support service, the Professional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Code of Practice (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The overall operation of schools is the responsibility of the management authorities of each school. Accordingly, it is a matter for each individual school management to ensure that it has appropriate policies in place to ensure the responsible and ethical use of digital technologies. My Department does not provide legal advice to schools or teachers.  My Department’s...