Results 11,021-11,040 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I accept that the planning was not as well done as it ought to have been in this case. There were delays. At the time the Department wanted to make sure that it was designed in-house to ensure that we had the internal expertise for the construction of special school projects of this nature. In the event that decision probably delayed the project somewhat, which was unfortunate. I can...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am glad to be able to reply to this question. We have set out the Department's capital investment programme for 2016 to 2021, which details various school projects that are being progressed through the architectural planning process. We are building more schools and providing more additional school places than ever before. This reflects the priority which the Government is putting on...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Traveller Education (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Kelleher for raising this issue. No doubt this is a challenging and complex area. As the Senator will be aware, in June-July of this year the first National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy was published and the education committee within that has met in the intervening period. The strategy involves, as the Senator stated, a number of important education elements. At...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Traveller Education (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I agree. The two-year pilot will be rolled out shortly. I think it is in a position to go live very soon and it will involve Tusla. It will enhance Tusla education welfare supports and additional home, school, community liaison co-ordinators, which we will fund. In addition, it will also fund the Traveller community workers in pilot areas to work with Tusla staff where Traveller children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: A primary language curriculum for Junior Infants to Second Class has been developed. Implementation commenced on a phased basis in 2016, starting with the oral strand. This was prioritised to allow teachers to emphasise the importance of speaking Irish as a living language. There two curricula: one for Irish-medium schools, where Irish is the language of instruction. The other is for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional school accommodation. My Department has discussed the matter with the school and I understand that the school has indicated that the school site is constrained in terms of additional accommodation.  My Department will continue to liaise with the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. Section 8 of that Act provides that the Board...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The System uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The new Framework for Junior Cycle gives students the opportunity to develop a wider range of knowledge and skills to equip them for further learning, for work, for responsible and active citizenship and for healthy living. It gives students better learning opportunities and recognises non academic achievement. Implementation of the new Framework for Junior Cycle is now fully proceeding and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: In order to plan for school provision, the demographic data for the Swords school planning area, as with other school planning areas nationwide, is being kept under ongoing review by my Department to take account of updated child benefit data and updated enrolment data.  It is anticipated that decisions based on these exercises will be announced before year end. As the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the project in respect of the education campus in Buncrana is included on my Department's capital programme. Officials in Donegal County Council have been assisting this Department under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites in relation to the procurement of a suitable location for the campus. Despite the best efforts of all parties,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: 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 2016 will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4600 and €6700) for new entrant teachers.  The agreements also provide for earlier permanency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the deputy that I was pleased to receive a copy of the report on Positive Mental Health in Schools following its launch on 12th September last. I have also been asked by the Joint Committee on Education and Skills to respond the range of recommendations therein following their comprehensive examination of this important matter. I have requested that officials of my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Approved postgraduate courses for the Student Grant Scheme 2017 are prescribed in the Student Support Regulations 2017 and in the Student Support Act 2011. The Regulations prescribe that an approved postgraduate course is a full-time course leading to a major higher education and training award which takes a minimum of one year to complete in an approved institution. There are no plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the facility in question is included in my Department's 6-year construction plan (2019-2021). The delivery of this project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and my Department is engaging with the Patron body in this context.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is satisfied that the recent delivery of a project at the school referred to by the Deputy, to provide six new mainstream classrooms and new toilet facilities, provides sufficient accommodation to cater for the schools mainstream requirements.  In addition, this now allows for reconfiguration of existing permanent accommodation to meet resource teaching requirements. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Aitheantas Scoileanna (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Tá iarratas faighte ag an Roinn maidir le Coláiste Naomh Eoin, Inis Meáin, le go ndéanfaí machnamh ar stadas neamhspleách a bhronnadh ar scoil an oileáin. Tá an t-iarratas á mheas faoi láthair.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Higher education is a central part of our plan as a Government to support a strong economy and deliver a fair society. To that end, the Government is committed to providing a more sustainable funding model for higher education. This commitment is evidenced, in the first instance, in the establishment of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, under the chairmanship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The review that is currently under way is confined to the issue of eligibility to apply to Caranua for support. No other issues are being considered. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the Action Plan for Education commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In response to this commitment, additional funding of €4 million was secured in Budget 2017, to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from this September, for the most...