Results 10,961-10,980 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that Broadband capacity can vary due to geographical location and local infrastructure, and thus impact on the service that can be provided. The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and financial constraints. Under the current broadband access Programme my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: In July last, when I announced that an additional 975 SNAs would be available for allocation to schools between September and December this year, I recognised that we needed a better system of SNA allocations for future years. I said at that time that I hoped to have a more robust system where we would use the National Council for Special Education prediction models to inform the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) is the Department service supporting schools in their implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle through the provision of appropriate high quality continuing professional development (CPD) for school leaders and teachers, and the provision of effective teaching and learning resources. All schools have been asked to register their teachers with JCT in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commencement of Legislation (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the issue of the providing power to the National Council for Special Education, as envisaged under Section 10 of the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act, to designate a school place for a person with special educational needs, is currently being considered in the context of the Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: 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 education. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate independent statutory agency, is responsible through its network of local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is aware that the chief executive of the training board intends to retire at the end of December 2017, in line with normal retirement arrangements for which Departmental approval is not required. The manner for filling this vacancy is by way of open competition conducted by the Public Appointments Service. It is not possible at this stage to estimate the timeframe for such a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: In July 2017 the Stage 2b (Detailed Design) for this project was approved, pending the completion of the process to carry out a short-listing of suitably qualified building contractors and sub-contractors. The relevant short-listing contract notices were posted to the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEU) and the Government's E-tenders website on 27th September and 8th October...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 107 together. The Technological University for the South-East (TUSE) consortium comprises of WITand IT Carlow. There is a commitment from the leadership in both institutions to make a joint submission for a Technological University of the South-East region.To date the HEA has provided the TUSE consortium with €0.57mfor TU project development....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills supports a comprehensive and whole-school approach in schools to well-being promotion and positive mental health focusing on the entire school community, as well as groups and individual young people with identified need. This spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. However, in common with other buildings of its kind, where significant grant aid is provided by my Department for the development of school premises, investment is secured by way of a long-term legal agreement known as a charging lease. There is a charging lease in place on the property referred to by the Deputy dated 2nd July,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) support service was established in July 2013 by my Department to support schools in implementing the Framework for Junior Cycle. In general, continuing professional development (CPD) commences for each junior cycle subject the year before the new subject specification is introduced into schools, so that teachers are provided with the resources and supports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Data (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table. Wexford student enrolments in 2016/17: 2016/17 Wexford Enrolments: Institute / Mode Postgraduate Undergraduate Total Athlone IT Full-time 2 25 27 Part-time 2 1 3 Athlone IT Total 4 26 30 Cork IT Full-time 5 53 58 Part-time 1 8 9 Cork IT Total 6 61 67 Dublin City University Full-time 33...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 Oct 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. My Department has commenced the preliminary work with a view to progressing the project on the school's existing site and will continue to liaise directly with the school authority in the context of advancing the project through the architectural planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Administration (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 to 112, inclusive, together. My Department is preparing a circular that will provide guidance to ETB Post Primary schools on the arrangements that should apply in future for students that wish to opt out of religious instruction or worship. ETB schools are multi-denominational schools and as such are required to provide for religious instruction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (26 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: SOLAS is not the successor to FÁS in respect of community employment schemes. The successor for those schemes is the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. SOLAS received the training element when FÁS was broken up and the other element went elsewhere. I will certainly convey to the Minister the strength of people's concerns about this. I do not think it is...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: It was not the normal Labour Court hearing where people went in together and looked for an adjudication. That said, there is a recognition and an effort by the Department to put together a detailed scoping exercise. There is a commitment that this will be presented on 2 November, which is only a matter of days away. I will convey to the Minister the concerns of the Members who have spoken,...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is an unusual circumstance that has created difficulty over a considerable period. That difficulty has been recognised by many parties that have been in government over the period. It is not just some particular quirk of the Minister of the day. This has created difficulties for all the Ministers for Finance over the intervening period. It is a tricky issue but I will convey to the...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. This is unusual in that I am not sure I have before seen such a consensus across a number of Members of the House on a Topical Issue. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, who is unavoidably unable to be here, but I think people recognise that he is dealing with particular issues of significant urgency at the moment....

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Lahart for raising this. He has more than eloquently outlined the history of Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna, which has been on the Department's six year programme. As he outlined, the Department has been working with South Dublin County Council to acquire the site on which it is currently located in temporary accommodation in order to facilitate the permanent building. Agreement in...