Results 11,561-11,580 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tionscadail Tógála Scoileanna (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Tá sé i gceist agam Ceisteanna Parlaiminte 339 go 341 a thógáil le chéile. Scríobh mo Roinn chuig Príomhoide na scoile dá raibh tagairt déanta ag an Teachta i mí Iúil 2016 ina n-áiríodh go mbreathnaíonn an Roinn go dearfach de ghnáth ar iarratais ar chóiríocht a chur ar fáil do Naíonraí,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 342, 391 and 395 together. The major school building project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b). All statutory approvals have been secured. However, following the necessary appointment of a replacement Mechanical & Electrical Engineer the Design Team in association with the newly appointed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department considered the application for additional capital funding from the school to which she refers to have merit and, consequently, the additional funding was approved in full. The school authority was informed of my Department's decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Completion Programme (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to answers Questions Nos. 346 and 347 together. National school completion rates are published by my Department in the reports titled Retention Rates of Pupils in Second Level Schools. These reports can be found on my Department's website at . The most recently published data, for the cohort who entered post-primary education in 2009 and sat the leaving certificate in either...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Consultancy Contracts Data (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Details of external consultancy payments made by my Department for the years 2011 to 2016 inclusive are available on the Department's website . Information in relation to consultancy expenditure is compiled annually in respect of the previous year. Details in respect of consultants engaged in 2017 will be compiled and published early in 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department promotes a comprehensive and whole of school approach to the promotion of well-being and positive mental health. This approach considers the entire school community, as well as focussing on groups and individual young people with identified need.  This approach spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Meals Programme (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The main programme for food provision in primary and post primary schools is the School Meals Scheme. The operation of that scheme is an issue for the Minister for Social Protection. My Department's main responsibility in this area is to equip students with the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed and healthier choices in a range of areas, including nutrition. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, individualised education programmes, special needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Data (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is available on my Department's website at the following link:

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved a significant devolved grant in 2012 in respect of the school referred to for a permanent extension to replace some temporary buildings identified as being most in need of replacement. Approval has also been granted for a set down and bus drop off area, the relocation of existing ball courts and works to the front entrance, along with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together. Section 14 of the Education Act 1998 places a duty on the patron of a recognised school, for the purposes of ensuring that such a school is managed in a spirit of partnership, to appoint, where practicable, a board of management. The composition of a board of management is based on centrally agreed arrangements between the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 369 together. Boards of Management of primary and voluntary secondary schools operate on a voluntary basis and should not therefore impact on school budgets. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Staff (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under the direction of my Department’s management board, the EU/International Unit under the leadership of a Deputy Secretary General is working with Departmental divisions and agencies on analysing and prioritising issues for input to the negotiation phase.  Between December and January the unit oversaw extensive engagement that I and Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan had...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Staff (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Under the direction of my Department’s management board, the EU/International unit under the leadership of a Deputy Secretary General has been given overall responsibility for co-ordinating our response to Brexit.This Unit has been prioritising Brexit work to date and will keep staffing requirements under constant review. As specific issues on the negotiations agenda emerge, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Costs (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The tender price index published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland indicates recent construction inflation, averaged across the country, as follows:- 2015 - 5.47% 2016 - 6.34%  The society also forecasts construction inflation for the first half of 2017 at 3.02%.This would indicate an inflation predication for all of 2017 at around 6%.The Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that a NEPS psychologist will be assigned to the school in question for the 2017/18 academic year.A communication to this effect will issue shortly to the school authorities concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is included in the Department’s six year construction programme. Officials in my Department are liaising with officials in Fingal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable location for the school. Potential site options within the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (11 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The NCCA is in the process of developing a new primary mathematics curriculum.Following my request to consider how children’s computational, flexible and creative thinking skills might be developed through this new mathematics curriculum, and how coding might be integrated in the wider primary curriculum, the NCCA is reviewing curriculum policy and practice in other...