Results 11,781-11,800 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (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as part of Budget 2016 and 2017 mean that 400 guidance posts, or two thirds of the guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2017.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 will allow each...

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

Richard Bruton: Section 9(b) of the Education Act 1998 requires schools to provide the curriculum as prescribed by my Department. Currently, that includes the requirement to provide a Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) programme for all students. The RSE programme is delivered in the context of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) for students from primary to the end of Junior Cycle. A...

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

Richard Bruton: As Minister, I am consulting with all education stakeholders on an ongoing basis and on a range of issues. My officials, advisors and I have had regular engagement with all groups with an involvement in the issue of patronage, including the Catholic Church and other patron bodies, since I took up office. This includes interaction in relation to the plans to change the patronage of schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of a Category 7 application, replacement of windows, under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017), from the school in question. The Deputy will be aware that I announced details of the successful applicants under round two of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) (2016-2017) for categories 3 – 6, on the 3rd May last, details of which are published on...

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved funding to the school in question to construct a permanent special education tuition room. The room in question is the standard room provided for this purpose. My Department has written to the school recently to clarify the position relating to its application.

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, following discussions on patronage divesting with education stakeholders and patron bodies in 2016, on the 30th January, 2017, I announced new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, building projects for the schools in question are included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Plan. It is my Department’s intention to initiate the architectural planning process for the building projects in question shortly and my Department has been in contact with both schools recently in this regard.

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

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that building projects for the schools referred to in the details supplied are included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. The preparatory work required to initiate the architectural planning process for the building projects at the schools is being undertaken. My Department will be in contact with both school authorities in the context of advancing the...

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question has clarified to my Department that the application in question relates to a request for furniture grant for a new class being established by the school. The school has advised my Department that it received confirmation of grant approval from my Department last month.

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional accommodation. The application will be considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that provision has already been made for the use of the majority of the funds realised from the sale of the property in question. The further utilisation of the balance of the funds involved remains under consideration and the ETB will be advised in due course.

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

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular...

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise that a scheme as described by the Deputy is not available. Typically, schools may lease prefabs from prefab suppliers pending the construction of a permanent building. The schools subsequently arrange for the removal and return of the prefabricated units to the prefab suppliers at the end of the rental contract period.

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

Richard Bruton: Please see the following table outlining the total spend of the Site Acquisition and Property Management section of my Department for the years 2012-2016. Please note that a site purchase may involve two payments: deposit and final amount, which may be spread across different years. In addition the total site and property management expenditure includes the direct cost of site acquisitions...

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

Richard Bruton: The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream school placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available. Special classes within...

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the key statistics for the 2016/17 school year were published on the 30th June, 2017 on my Department's website. In the 2016/17 school year, there were 352,257 second level pupils in 711 second level schools. This information is available in the key statistics release at the following link:  In addition, the “Projections of Full-Time Enrolment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Obesity Strategy (13 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is active in the area of promotion of health and wellbeing in schools.  The issue of promoting healthy eating is addressed in schools through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Home Economics as well as in Physical Education.  The aim is to equip students with such skills and knowledge to enable them to make appropriate choices for...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, following a public consultation process and a Forum on the role of religion in school admissions, I set out my preferred policy approach for amending primary school admissions legislation on the issue of the role that religion can play in the process. Under the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which recently passed committee stage, schools which are not...

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

Richard Bruton: In line with the guidelines for appointments to State Boards, the process for filling vacancies on State Boards under the aegis of the Department is now generally managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Applications are made through the dedicated website www.Stateboards.ie. An assessment process is undertaken by PAS leading to the creation of a list of candidates suitable for...