Results 10,821-10,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Aitheantas Scoileanna (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Is mian liom a chur in iúl don Teachta go bhfuil iarratas ar stádas neamhspleách i leith Choláiste Eoin, Inis Meáin, á bhreithniú faoi láthair. Tabharfar an cinneadh d’údarás na scoile a luaithe atá an próiseas breithniúcháin curtha i gcrích.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scéim na nOibreacha Éigeandála (14 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Is féidir liom a dheimhniú go bhfuil iarratas déanta ag an mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna a bhfuil an Teachta Dála ag tagairt dó chuig mo Roinn ar mhaoiniú le haghaidh áiseanna leithris breise don scoil faoi chaibidil faoi Scéim Oibreacha Éigeandála mo Roinne. Tá an t-iarratas á mheas faoi láthair agus cuirfear an cinneadh...

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

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers is currently located on the Notre Dame campus, Upper Churchtown Road, Dublin 14 pending completion of the permanent accommodation for the school at the St. Tiernan’s Community School site in Balally.  As the Deputy may be aware, outline planning permission at a site in Balally for the school to which the Deputy refers was submitted to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (14 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 Establishment (14 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...

Topical Issue Debate: Teacher Recruitment (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department and I are always in discussion with the various stakeholders. I will examine the survey. I note that it was conducted over an eight week period and suggested that there was a difficulty filling the vacancies that had arisen in the previous eight weeks. We will examine that, get the data and see if a particular issue has arisen here. The difficulty is that where there is a...

Topical Issue Debate: Student Grant Scheme Administration (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I have outlined, there is no provision for ministerial discretion in this scheme. This is a statute-based scheme. SUSI was appointed to carry out the assessments, and it does so under the provisions of the scheme. It is not open to me or indeed to anyone else to, at the stroke of a pen, change the operation of that scheme. I draw the Deputy's attention to the student assistance fund,...

Topical Issue Debate: Teacher Recruitment (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is not correct to suggest that there is a massive crisis in primary teaching. As the Deputy knows, the Government has reduced the class size twice in the last three years, and last year we provided 1,093 additional teachers. This September an additional 1,160 teachers will start. That amounts to 2,250 additional teachers in the last two years. Those are permanent, full-time positions....

Topical Issue Debate: Student Grant Scheme Administration (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I certainly sympathise with the case outlined by Deputy Fitzpatrick. The difficulty I have is that SUSI is a national statutory-based scheme and its allocation of student grants is based on an assessment of gross income. That assessment is applied uniformly in all cases. Where people have other outgoings, such as a mortgage or any other payment, they are not deducted. It is not a net...

Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The heads of the Bill were approved earlier this year and published on 15 May. There was a meeting of the joint committee on 17 July when it was determined that the Bill did not require pre-legislative scrutiny. It has been referred for drafting.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 provided for a new package of support for school leadership, including middle management posts for primary and post primary schools.  My department recently issued circular 0063/2017 Leadership and Management in Primary schools which sets out a framework for posts in recognised primary schools. The commencement of restoration of middle management posts as part of an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Department has received correspondence, including a report, from the group referred to by the Deputy and that a response has issued. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question applied for funding under the Summer Works Scheme, to provide a roof over each of the school's courtyards. The scheme is designed to address necessary and immediate works; funding is not made available for projects unless considered by the Department to be essential. In view of the scale of demand, nearly 50% of schools have applied...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that an additional mainstream classroom has recently been approved for the school in question and the school authority have been informed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: Officials in my Department have been working closely with officials from South Dublin County Council towards the acquisition of a permanent site to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. A number of potentially suitable sites were identified and my Department is currently engaging with landowners in respect of preferred site options. Due to commercial sensitivities it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Facilities (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 87 together. I would like to clarify for the Deputy that the fields at the school in question are owned by the Congregation of Christian Brothers. The decision by the Congregation of Christian Brothers to dispose of land owned by the Congregation is a matter for the Brothers. In July 2017, the Congregation advised my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Contracts (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) employed in a school depends on the allocation given to the school by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), based on its assessment of the special educational needs of pupils in the school. My Department has no control over the allocation process to schools and is not in a position to influence the allocation process in light of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy is currently located in temporary accommodation across two sites. My Department is working in close co-operation with the patron body, Educate Together, and Cork County Council regarding the arrangements for temporary accommodation for the 2018/19 school year. My Department, in consultation with the local authority, is currently exploring the feasibility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department has identified a suitable permanent site for the school to which the Deputy refers and agreement in principle in respect of this proposed acquisition, subject to satisfactory conveyancing, was reached in February 2017. This Department requested draft contracts at that time. The site in question is currently not accessible and aspects of the design and delivery of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (9 Nov 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision to install a defibrillator is made at local school level and is a matter for the board of management of each individual school. The question of the need for defibrillators to be made available in places, such as schools, and any training needs arising is primarily a public health matter and would therefore be a matter for the Department of Health.