Results 10,801-10,820 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Schools are funded by capitation grants and have the flexibility to decide at local school level how such funding is used. The Department provides several curricular and other supports which include possible horticultural projects, but does not seek to impose particular routes of study on individual schools. The following is an outline of the ways in which horticulture can form part of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The position generally is that my Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, along with any funding it receives from private...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware my Department issues capitation related grants to schools in instalments throughout the school year. The following are links to the most recent circulars published on my Department’s website in relation to capitation grants which includes details of the timing of payments: . . The position in relation to the Minor Works Capital Grant for the 2017/2018 school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017, the Department of Education and Skills issued Circulars 0033/2017 and 0034/2017 inviting the 134 primary schools and 28 post-primary schools located in Gaeltacht language-planning areas to participate in the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme. 106 primary schools and 27 post-primary schools expressed an interest to participate in the Scheme from September 2017. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 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. Some 2,300 new teachers were recruited in 2016-2017 and 2,900 will be recruited in 2017-2018. That 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 2016-2017...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The figure of €130 million includes the cohort of new entrant staff recruited in the education and training sector in September 2017. This includes teachers recruited to fill the almost 3,000 additional teaching posts put into the system in September 2017 to meet rising demographic needs, provide additional resource teachers, provide enhancements to guidance and school leadership and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the Government will introduce a stronger complaints procedure and charter for parents.   On 5 December 2016, I published the General Scheme of an Education (Parent and Student Charter) Bill 2016. The proposed legislation will require every school to consult with parents and students, and publish and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for significant capital funding for additional accommodation. The application is currently being assessed and my Department expects to be in a position to convey a decision to the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question recently submitted an application for additional accommodation. The application will be considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 year Construction Programme. Preparatory work has been initiated to advance the project and my Department will continue to liaise directly with the school authority concerned in the context of progressing the project through the architectural planning process.

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

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school. The NCSE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Severe Weather Events Response (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following consideration by relevant officials and senior management at my Department of the information being made available from the National Emergency Co-Ordination Group and in particular the extension of the red level wind warning to cover all areas issued from Met Eireann a decision was taken around 8:30pm on Sunday the 15thOctober 2017 to close...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The normal practice is for the Minor Works Grant 2017/2018 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 will be considered in the context of my Department's overall capital position.

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

Richard Bruton: Circular 0019/2017 contained the latest revised pay scales and was issued to the IOT's in March 2017. These revised salary rates were introduced as a result of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2018 (Haddington Road Agreement/Lansdowne Road Agreement) and the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015. Revised scales for Technicians represented by...

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

Richard Bruton: Any changes in pay scales across the education sector come into effect on specific dates. These dates are determined by a number of factors such as legislation and national pay agreements. It is not possible for a pay scale to be back dated on an individual basis.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (14 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. Subject to funding, the Minor Works Grant issues to primary schools without the need for schools to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware a building project for the new primary school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s current 6 year construction programme. A suitable potential site option has been identified and the Department is in the process of acquiring this site. Officials from my Department and Clare County Council are working collaboratively to finalise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers is included on the 6-year Construction Programme.  In this regard, my Department has carried out a site visit to the school. The next step includes the formulation of the accommodation brief for the project and this process is in train.  My Department will be...

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

Richard Bruton: In 2015, the Centre reported allegations of alleged financial irregularities to my Department.  The matter was immediately referred to the Gardaí by Centre management. I can confirm that the Gardaí have conducted an investigation.  As the process is ongoing I do not have any further comment to make at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Expenditure (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are funded by my Department via Pay and Non-Pay budget allocations. Each ETB has a responsibility to ensure that maximum value is obtained from the funding provided to them.  ETBs are afforded considerable flexibility in the use of resources to meet the needs of individual schemes.   Non-pay covers all items other than pay and certain...