Results 11,461-11,480 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fire Safety (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has recently published an Invitation to Tender on the Governments e-tenders website for fire safety consultants to carry out fire safety audits of a representative sample of 25 to 30 schools constructed over the last 20 years to confirm their compliance with Fire Safety Certificates. This exercise is being undertaken as a proactive, extra precaution by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received correspondence from the school in question in relation to its application for capital funding. This correspondence is currently being considered and a response will issue to the school as soon as this process has been finalised.

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware the project to which she refers is included on my Department’s capital programme. A preferred site option has been identified and officials from the relevant Local Authority, on behalf of my Department, have engaged in discussions with the landowner in question with a view to its acquisition. Once the site has been acquired, assuming no issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The position is that higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and, therefore, are responsible for the determination of the level of fees payable by students who are not eligible for free fees under my Department’s Free Fees Scheme, as well as the method of payment of those fees. The criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in cases where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Eligibility (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: We have, for the first time, put in place an objective statistics based model for which schools are assessed for inclusion in DEIS, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at areas of greatest need. This model uses data supplied by schools to my Department's Primary and Post Primary Online Databases and CSO Small Area of Population statistics...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The number of second level students nationally during the academic year 2016/2017 was 352,404.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The number of second level students in County Louth during the academic year 2016/2017 was 11,573.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The number of students in St. Joseph's CBS, Drogheda during the academic year 2016/2017 was 727.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is estimated that the net full-year cost to my Department of reducing the Student Contribution by €100 would be €7.5m. The first year cost (i.e. for Sep-Dec 2018) is estimated at €1.5m. Calculations are based on student numbers for the academic year 2016/17 and take into account the resulting reduction to my Department's Student Grant Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade.   The budget provided for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools in the 2017/18 school year. Each 1 point adjustment to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department approved a devolved grant for the provision of five additional classrooms to the school concerned earlier this year to meet their immediate accommodation needs. The school authority has been in further contact with my Department in respect of their accommodation requirements. The matter is currently being considered and my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (21 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under the student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution. 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 an approved institution, for student grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (21 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: In the case of the school in question, I wish to advise that a Whole School Evaluation of the school was carried out earlier this year. A report including recommendations to address some of the issues raised was published thereafter. Senior officials from my Department subsequently held a meeting with school management and the patron of the school in relation to the issues raised in the Whole...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (21 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Topical Issue Debate: School Management (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is disturbing and he has accurately outlined the backdrop to it. A whole-school evaluation of the school in Faughart was conducted in March this year and the report was published in May on the Department's website. As the Deputy indicated, the report found a number of significant problems with the capacity of the school to deliver on its...

Topical Issue Debate: School Management (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am taking a keen interest in this matter, but we deploy professional staff, including inspectors and others who have decades of experience, to support patrons, school managements and communities. One should not seek to politicise the solution because, from a departmental point of view, we are committed to providing the funding required. We stand ready to provide the teaching resources...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I have noted what the Deputy said. I have attended Harold's Cross on many occasions, not for schooling, only for the schooling dogs. Whether it would be appropriate to use that site as a temporary one for education while its longer-term potential is being designed and assessed by the Department is an issue that I would have to refer to those who are expert in designing and planning. I note...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for raising this issue. This is a very significant purchase by the Department. From our point of view, it is an area where it is difficult to get land and we were very pleased to get the opportunity to acquire this site. As the Deputy will be aware, courtesy of Dublin City Council the land has been rezoned from recreational and part residential zoning to Z15...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (20 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: There are significant differences between EU countries in terms of the level of public expenditure allocated to higher education and the types of direct and indirect supports given to students and private households. The student support system adopted in each EU country generally involves a combination of either grants (needs based grants and/or merit based grants), loans, tax benefits...