Results 11,281-11,300 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that the provision of behavioural therapies falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health and the service is provided through the Health Service Executive (HSE). Any queries in this regard should be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are provided to assist recognised schools to cater for pupils with disabilities, who have additional and significant care needs, in an educational context and where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in medical and other professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require additional adult assistance in order to be able to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with severe emotional behavioural disturbance, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country’s public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Circular 12/2016, which is available on the Department website, outlines the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in a school year in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school to facilitate administrative functions to be undertaken by the teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware my Department issues grants to schools in instalments throughout the school year. Good budgeting by Boards of Management should ensure that funding and grants received during the year are managed to cater for costs arising throughout the school year. A change in these arrangements would not result in an overall increase in funding to schools. However, given that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that the final report of the Technical Working Group on teacher supply, ‘Striking the Balance’ was published on 9th June 2017.  The report focusses on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, while outlining the work which will be required to establish a sustainable long term model of post primary teacher supply.  The report...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Primary Online Database (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the Primary On-line Database (POD) and the Post Primary On-line Database (PPOD) is to monitor the progress of children through the education system in order to ensure that every student can meet their educational potential, and to ensure that every child of compulsory school age is in receipt of an education. POD data underpins the provision of education in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the suite of accommodation provided in the design of special needs facilities typically includes a range of room sizes, including smaller ancillary spaces that allows for flexibility of both current and future use.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The policy of my Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs, including children with behavioural or learning difficulties can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs. Where possible, provision is made for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs. My Department's policy is that students with special educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together. ACELS (the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the recognition and inspection of English language schools. It is administered by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). ACELS has been closed for new applications since January 2014 and it continues to operate on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (10 Oct 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: Special Educational Needs (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support which includes a baseline allocation for the school and an allocation based on the school’s profile. Details of the manner in which the allocations have been provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 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. The preparatory work required to initiate the architectural planning process for this building project is currently underway and as part of this process, my Department recently met with the Local Authority. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Recommendations for changes to initial teacher education were included in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 and were incorporated into the Teaching Council's “Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education” and “Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers”. At post-primary level the content...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Data (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 163 together. Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to schools annually and are available on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Irish Government Economic & Evaluation Service (IGEES) published a Focused Policy Assessment (FPA) of Data on Special Needs Assistants in August 2016 which is available at:http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Value-For-Money-R eviews/.  This FPA forms part of my Department’s commitment to the Public Spending Code (PSC) and evidence informed policy making. One of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Speech and Language Therapy Provision (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of special educational needs supports to schools, including the provision of special classes in mainstream schools.  Applications to establish speech and language special classes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Grievance Procedures (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following every section 29 appeal hearing the determination is issued together with a cover letter to both parties to the section 29 appeal, on behalf of the Secretary General of this Department. This determination outlines the outcome of the appeal, that is: upheld, not upheld or upheld in part. Following from this, it is open to either party to the appeal to seek leave to take a...