Results 11,741-11,760 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: My ambition is to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe within a decade. To deliver on my ambition to be the best we have to improve information and complaint procedures for parents and students, particularly in relation to costs. I want to give parents a strong voice in ensuring costs are always kept to a minimum. Schools have to do everything possible to keep...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights Judgments (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: In terms of implementing the ECtHR judgement in the O'Keeffe case, Ireland is obliged to file bi-annual action plans with the Council of Europe outlining the steps being taken to implement the ECtHR judgment- these action plans are in the public domain and can be accessed on the Council of Europe's website. The next (the 7th) Action Plan is due to be submitted on 28 July 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides funding of €16 million annually to schools to support the operation of school book rental schemes for students in all recognised primary and post-primary schools within the Free Education Scheme. The arrangements in relation to this scheme are set out in Circular 0046/2013 which is published on my Department's website. In addition, Budget 2014 provided funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Cassells report considers a number of potential funding options including the deferred payment of student fees. The report was referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills by my colleague Minister Bruton in order to build political consensus on the most appropriate sustainable future funding model for higher education. No policy decisions are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Data (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I recently announced that 975 additional SNAs will be available for allocation to schools from September 2017, following a Government decision on the matter. This represents an increase of 7.5% to meet the demand for the new school year. A total of 13,990 SNA posts will now be available, at a gross annual cost of €458 million. This is more SNAs than we have ever had...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application from the school referred to for additional accommodation to provide a link corridor and ancillary accommodation. The process of assessing the application is currently being progressed and my Department will be in contact with the school authorities in the matter as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: For the deputy's information, details of all consultancy payments made by my Department for the year 2016 are available on the Department's website

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Services for People with Disabilities (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Funding for special education provision in 2017 will amount to some €1.68 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 19% of the gross overall current allocation for education and training and represents an increase in spending in this area of 12% over the last two years. Funding in 2017 includes: - Over 13,400 Special Education Teaching posts in mainstream primary and post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cyber Security Policy (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of Cybersmarties, and the service currently offered by that company. I understand that Cybersmarties are an independent commercial entity, operating a fully monitored social network for children between the ages of 7 and 12, which also operates outside of school hours.  Accordingly, no public expenditure can be allocated to this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Total capital funding expended in the period 1st April 2016 to 10th July 2017 in County Meath amounts to €52,132,672 and in County Louth amounts to €30,259,029. Details of expenditure on a constituency basis are only available on receipt of school names and roll numbers. Details of all school capital works that have been funded by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of Primary and Post Primary schools give priority to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cóiríocht Scoile (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Is féidir liom a dheimhniú go bhfuil iarratas ar chóiríocht sealadach bhreise faighte ag mo Roinn ón scoil a bhfuil an Teachta ag tagairt di. Tá an t-iarratas á bhreithniú agus beidh mo Roinn i dteagmháil go luath le húdarás na scoile faoin ábhar.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Riachtanas Speisialta (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Geallann an Roinn seo a chinntiú go mbeidh fáil ag gach leanbh a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais aici nó aige, páistí ar speictream an uathachais san áireamh, ar oideachas atá oiriúnach dá gcuid riachtanas, i suíomhanna scoile de rogha, trí líonra na mbunscoileanna agus n-iar-bhunscoileanna. Tugann socrúcháin...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, it is my intention in accordance with the Programme for Government to replace all purchased temporary accommodation with permanent accommodation, where the need is established, over the lifetime of my Department's capital programme (2016-2021). To enable this development, my Department will be carrying out an assessment of the number of prefabs being used in schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. This operates at local school level and therefore the information requested by the Deputy on the number of guidance counsellors in post primary schools is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that a building project for the school in question was included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme. As you are aware, the disposal of the site on which the school is located to my Department for the school has been approved by South Dublin County Council. However, title issues were identified with the property and a Compulsory...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: A project to deliver permanent accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers was announced in November 2015 as part of my Department's Six Year Plan and was listed to proceed to construction in 2019-2021. In that context, officials from my Department have been working closely with officials from the relevant Local Authority to secure the acquisition of the site on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Planning Issues (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Planning legislation is the responsibility of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. However, both the National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland and the National Obesity Policy and Action Plan recognise the role of the built environment in making it easier for people to make healthy choices. Under these policy initiatives, guidelines and support materials are to be...