Results 11,401-11,420 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he outlined, we are providing temporary accommodation - bed, breakfast and board - for almost 5,000 individuals. Every year, approximately 2,000 new applicants come and we try to provide a service for them. The idea behind this accommodation is to provide for people who would otherwise arrive in a very vulnerable condition. There is a limited...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is well aware, the announcement on budgetary matters will be made in due course, namely, on 10 October, and no decisions will be indicated until that point. As a result of the re-investment the Government has made in the health service, the number of patients being treated across the system increased by 250,000 per annum in the past four years. This means almost 7,000...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The agreement is a cross-Government agreement involving the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It provides that consideration of the issue of newly-qualified pay will occur within 12 months of the commencement of the agreement, so there is a deadline. Obviously, there will be discussions if some unions wish to move that, but an outer limit of...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Thomas Byrne for raising this issue. I can fully understand the pursuit by the teachers’ unions of this particular issue. I sat down with the teachers’ unions through the teacher conciliation service and we negotiated, under the Lansdowne Road agreement, substantial increase for newly qualified teachers. It represented increases of 15% and 22% under that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Payments (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student.  It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college.  The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means.  Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates.  The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Through the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for recognised primary and post primary schools. All post-primary schools and some special schools are now included in the 100 Mbps programme. Under the current programme the Department continually reviews the availability of services and upgrades schools where the opportunity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Designation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: For school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 geographic areas known as school planning areas which facilitates the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. The primary school referred to by the Deputy is located in the Crosshaven school planning area. The post-primary school referred to by the Deputy is located in the Carrigaline...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Deputy has given approval in principle to the school in question for the rental of temporary accommodation to provide three mainstream classrooms. The school recently submitted supplementary material requested by my Department relating to the proposed costs.  This will facilitate my Department's assessment of the application and a decision will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The brief for the school referred to by the Deputy is for a new three storey building of 5926m², containing 20 classrooms, Junior/Senior dining area, GP Hall, Library, Special Teacher rooms, Multi- Sensory, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy rooms, nurse’s area, kitchen, ancillary storage and services. In July of this year, the Stage 2b (Detailed Design) was approved, pending...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department arranges for the secondment of teachers from their teaching posts for the purpose of developing and providing CPD for teachers and for appointment as Directors of Education Support Centres (ESC's). By their nature, secondments are not permanent appointments and are renewed each year subject to ongoing need and policy requirements.  Secondment arrangements provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The brief for the school referred to by the Deputy is for a new three storey building of 5926m², containing 20 classrooms, Junior/Senior dining area, GP Hall, Library, Special Teacher rooms, Multi- Sensory, Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy rooms, nurse’s area, kitchen, ancillary storage and services. In July of this year, the Stage 2b (Detailed Design) was approved,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The publication of an ambitious ten-year Foreign Language Strategy is a key commitment in my Department's Action Plan for Education and is a priority issue for me in the context of my goal of making Ireland’s education system the best in Europe.  As part of their Junior Cycle programme, schools can offer a 100 hour course in Chinese Language and Culture. Data...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution, as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2017. The college to which the Deputy refers, is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Designation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: For school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 geographic areas known as school planning areas which facilitates the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. In identifying the requirement for additional school places, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff Data (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The initial cost of employing 10 additional Special Needs Assistants for one year would be approximately €323,000.  This is inclusive of the cost of employers PRSI. Special need assistants are paid on an incremental salary scale and accordingly the cost of their employment would increase in subsequent years.   An additional 975 SNA posts have been made...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Murphy O'Mahony for raising this issue. I am happy to reply on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan. The Department and Government are very aware of the importance of small schools in rural communities. That is why it is in the programme for Government that small schools will not be closed without the consent of parents. The initiative for closing a school may...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand the Deputy's request but chaperones are a very significant cost. We provide chaperones for 12,000 children with special educational needs and they are a very significant cost. Those are a growing area of need.

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: In applying a national scheme, the Department has to decide if it will extend chaperones to children below a certain age in any circumstances where children might be using such services.

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Such an extension of the scheme would be a significant extension; it would not be a minor extension of the scheme. That is the dilemma faced. As I understand it, which the Deputy acknowledged, arrangement was made for support for the ferry so children would be carried free on the ferry and Bus Éireann has arranged that the bus picks the children up at the pier where they land. It is a...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (27 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The 2.4 km that some children are expected to walk does not apply here. A more convenient collection point has been arranged. Unfortunately, with a scheme of this scale, where there are so many children with different ages and needs involved, the Department has to apply a consistent approach and that has been the approach applied in this case.