Results 10,981-11,000 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: I confirm that Deputies Colm Brophy and Katherine Zappone have been on to me about this project, the frustration around which I can understand. Its history has been very difficult. It is the Department's intention to initiate architectural planning for the building project in conjunction with the completion of the site acquisition process. That suggests no undue delay will occur. I...

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

Richard Bruton: Yes.

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: To repeat what I said in my reply, the public service pay agreement has embraced this issue and it has put in place a process which has not been left for 12 months, as was provided for in the agreement, because the process has already started on 12 October 2017. This issue is being taken seriously. It is worth reflecting on how this came about. Back in the midst of the crisis, there was an...

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The review under way is confined to the issue of eligibility to apply to the organisation for support. The terms of reference of the review of eligibility, a draft of which was published on my Department's website earlier this year, provided for an initial phase involving a review of Caranua's expenditure to date and an estimation of the projected expenditure, taking into account...

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: When Caranua has completed its work, it will report to me. This is the latest that I have. The reply to the Deputy's question states that I hope to receive the report shortly. I presume that represents very considerable progress on the work but I am also pointing out that since our debate earlier, there have been significant efforts and work by Caranua with my Department to ensure that the...

Other Questions: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: To be fair to anyone who is employed under a contract and entitled if they are sick to be on sick leave, it is unfair to present the matter in the way in which the Deputy is presenting it. Of course during periods of leave the organisation is properly managed and has a proper board that is very attentive to its role. It is not holding up the work that is going on. I absolutely understand...

Other Questions: Teachers' Remuneration (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached in September last year will see pay rises of between 15% and 22% between €4,600 and €6,700 for new entrant teachers.  The agreements also provide for earlier...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school is the employer and the SENO is an adviser who helps assess children's individual needs. SENOs do not have a role in the deployment of SNAs. As I said in reply to Deputy Paul Murphy, a panel is in place that has resulted in a substantial improvement in the successful placement of SNAs who have to move from a school because of a changed needs profile. The number getting a...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: An incremental scale comprising approximately 15 steps starts at approximately €23,000 and goes up to €38,000. Perhaps it would be better for the Deputy to send me the detail of how increments are earned in order that I can clarify the policy for her.

Other Questions: Teacher Recruitment (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The question is similar to that asked by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. I am pleased to have been in a position to significantly expand the recruitment of primary teachers, with 1,093 new primary teachers recruited in 2016-17 and 1,160 in 2017-18. The 2016-17 posts have been successfully filled and the process for filling the additional posts in the current year is almost complete. With regard...

Other Questions: Teacher Recruitment (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Substitute posts can be difficult to fill. If a very short-term substitution for a person pursuing other interests needs to be filled, potential applicants may be more interested in a long-term placement. As part of the negotiated agreements, we shortened the period whereby people can get contracts of indefinite duration or a permanent post. Strong career opportunities are offered by the...

Other Questions: Teacher Recruitment (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Absences occur for various reasons such as sickness or in-service training. The level of absences requiring substitution noted in that letter are very high. There may be a need to examine how we schedule activities in order that strain is not put on schools during certain months of the year. The Deputy has indicated it can be a particular problem during September. I will examine ways to...

Other Questions: Teacher Recruitment (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is right that under the current system it is up to the local authority to decide on employment policies of that nature. I will ask the Department to look at the issue. In regard to Garda vetting, to be fair to the various management bodies they have made a big effort to streamline the process. The Teaching Council has also done a lot of work to try to streamline it. Of late, I...

Other Questions: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department works closely with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major residential developments and requests sites to be reserved for school purposes, where necessary, to ensure as far as possible the timely delivery of any required education infrastructure in the future. As the Deputy may be aware, the draft planning scheme for the area to which he...

Other Questions: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I take the Deputy's point. Obviously, we do not build schools and wait for the population to arrive. We cannot afford to do that. Deputy Durkan asked earlier if we are able to meet the pressures of an expanding population. What we have is a just-in-time policy. This policy has been around for years. That does not mean that policy does not closely monitor demographic trends. Issues such...

Other Questions: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, has responsibility for third level provision. As the Deputy will be aware, what we need to do is consolidate the institutions of technology in Dublin into one strong technological university that has the capacity to span all of the needs of the city. Small stand-alone third level institutions is the direction we have been taking. We need...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Staff (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The terms and conditions of employment for SNAs are outlined in their contracts of employment.  These contracts were agreed with the school management authorities and the relevant trade unions representing SNAs, IMPACT and SIPTU, prior to their introduction in 2005. The agreement reached between the parties found expression in the two circular letters issued in 2005 detailing the...

Other Questions: Private Schools (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy probably knows my reply already. An international school providing the international baccalaureate would not be a recognised school for the purposes of funding by my Department, as it would not teach the Irish curriculum. All State-funded schools follow the curriculum as established by the Minister. I understand that a small number of schools, possibly four, offer...

Other Questions: Private Schools (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I agree that we should always consider reform and that is the reason we said that, within a decade, we would have the best education training service in Europe. We are looking at exemplars of good practice using bodies such the OECD, etc., to examine what we are doing and identify where we might make improvements. I do not think we need to establish baccalaureate schools for us to hold a...

Other Questions: Private Schools (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am quite happy to listen to any case put forward in respect of co-location or whatever. Obviously, as guardian of the taxpayer's euro, I have to ensure that whatever I get is put to the interests of children pursuing the Irish State-funded system. That does not mean I would not be happy to meet people and discuss where areas of co-operation could develop.