Results 11,761-11,780 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Healthy Living Strategies (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: In the 2012 Lifeskills Survey, 99.7% of respondent primary schools reported that they do not facilitate the sale of fizzy drinks, sweets and crisps in school, either through vending machines or a school shop. In the same Survey, some 30% of post-primary schools reported having a vending machine or school shop which sells ‘junk food’. The results of the 2015 Lifeskills Survey...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Healthy Living Strategies (13 Jul 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 is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I would agree with the Deputy that there should be access to a drinking water supply in schools. My Department is not aware of any school where this is not the case. Health and Safety issues such as the provision of drinking water are a matter for school authorities in the first instance, if a school authority has concerns about the quality of the drinking water on its premises, it should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The “Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment” was published in October 2015.  The Strategy sets out a clear vision that is focussed on realising the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students by helping them become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and global...

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

Richard Bruton: Measures announced by my Department as part of Budget 2016 and 2017 mean that 400 guidance posts, or two thirds of the guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2017. All of these 400 posts are allocated separately and transparently on the normal staffing schedule of posts for schools. The restoration of these posts...

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

Richard Bruton: Capital expenditure in 2016 amounted to €703.8m and capital expenditure to end-June 2017 amounted to €280.2m giving an overall total from 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2017 of €984m. Capital investment by my Department is focused on delivering the objectives as set out in the Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021. Capital investment to date...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Higher Education Authority, supported by my Department, recently undertook a consultation process on capital requirements in the higher education sector. While the figures provided by each individual Higher Education Institution (HEI) are confidential and commercially sensitive, I can inform the Deputy that, among the Institutes of Technology alone, the consultation process pointed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Mental Health Strategies (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills is introducing a new Wellbeing programme for schools which forms part of the new Framework for Junior Cycle.  It will be introduced to first year students from September 2017.  Wellbeing is not just about mental health. It is about enhancing the physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing of students. Therefore, the area of learning will...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers submitted an application to my Department, for significant capital funding for improved school accommodation. The application was considered in the context of the very significant challenges facing my Department in prioritising available capital funding for essential mainstream classrooms to meet the demand for extra...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Supports (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department promotes a comprehensive and whole-school approach in schools to the promotion of wellbeing and positive mental health focusing on the entire school community, as well as groups and individual young people with identified need.  This spans the curriculum in schools and in particular the Aistear and primary school Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curricula,...

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

Richard Bruton: Springboard+, which incorporates the ICT skills conversion programme, strategically targets funding of free higher education places for unemployed and previously self-employed people, in sectors where there are identified skills shortages or employment opportunities. Springboard+ courses are delivered in public and private Higher Education Institutions throughout the country. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Supports (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: This Government is committed to ensuring that all children, including those with learning disabilities and/or mental health issues, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. My Department provides for a continuum of special education provision to be made available, so that regardless of the...

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is liaising with the owners of the school site concerned regarding its potential for further educational purposes.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 to 317, inclusive, together. This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together. Budget 2017 sets out the resources available for schools in the 2017/18 school year.  This Budget 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 provides...

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

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the new primary school for Ballincollig, County Cork will open in September 2017 in temporary accommodation at Ballincollig Rugby Club. With respect to the permanent accommodation for the school, officials in my Department have engaged with officials in Cork County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of schools sites with a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the Programme for Government commitment to increase financial supports for post graduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In response to this commitment, I secured additional funding of €4million in Budget 2017 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The estimated cost of restoring capitation grants in primary and post-primary schools to pre 2010 levels is circa €35m. I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the aforementioned reductions. The Action Plan for Education outlines hundreds of actions to be implemented over the 3 year period 2016 to 2019 which include restoring...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Remuneration (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 328 together. The data requested by the Deputy is not collected or collated by my Department.  There are over 3,700 individual employers in the education and training sector and it would require a disproportionate amount of time and administrative resources to gather the data sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2017 sets out the resources available for schools in the 2017/18 school year. This Budget 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 provides for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post-primary...