Results 11,801-11,820 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has provided the outcome of the technical assessment of the available accommodation to the patron and the principal of the school referred to by the Deputy.  My Department is continuing to liaise with the school referred by the Deputy and their patron body with regard to their accommodation needs for September 2017.

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

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that funding will be made available to the school referred to by the Deputy to ensure that the school will have sufficient IT provision for September 2017 at the campus referred to by the Deputy.

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

Richard Bruton: 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 programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational...

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

Richard Bruton: My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise.  The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department’s own databases.  With this information, my Department carries out...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change. In 2012/13, my Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 44...

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

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that 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 families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area. This process will involve the Education and Training Boards in the initial phase, as the...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended that demand for patronage diversity should be met in areas of stable population by divesting patronage of existing schools where there is evidence of parental demand for change. In 2012/13, my Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 44...

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

Richard Bruton: The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 is an important piece of legislation which strives to create a new more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 primary and post-primary schools in this country. The Bill was published in July 2016 and passed Committee Stage on 28thJune 2017. The Bill provides for schools...

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

Richard Bruton: The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI) was introduced in September 1998. It involved the introduction of Italian, Spanish, German and French for 5th and 6th classes. The MLPSI was a pilot scheme across 550 schools with an annual budget of approximately €2.5m. It would not be possible to give an estimate of the cost of its reintroduction in 550 schools or its...

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

Richard Bruton: I recently announced that 975 additional SNAs will be available for allocation to schools from September 2017 which is a 7.5% increase to meet the demands 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 previously and will ensure that all children who qualify for SNA...

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

Richard Bruton: Details of the ratio of resource teaching and learning support teachers per number of pupils each year at primary and post primary school level for the years 2009-2017 are included in the table. Due to the manner in which the allocation of resource teaching posts was recorded prior to 2009, where additional allocations were only made to schools once all surplus allocations in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised post-primary teachers under Circular 29/2007 was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council. This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Education & Skills and is chaired by an official of the Workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following consultation with the education partners regarding the Leaving Certificate Oral Tests in Irish (Higher/Ordinary and Foundation Levels), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Russian, it was agreed that the tests would commence on Monday 27th March, 2017 and finish on Friday 7th April, 2017. This happened without any disruption and my department has not received any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse. The processing of individual applications is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The extended school year (or July Provision) Grant Scheme provides funding towards an extended school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability and/or children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) enrolled in recognised schools. The eligibility criteria for the July Provision Grant Scheme 2017 is set out in the Department's Information Note on the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (12 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: School Staff (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools.  Staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by my Department and are not paid via grant funding.  The 1978 and 1979 schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive capitation grant scheme. The majority of primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Property (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Congregation have replied to my Department’s correspondence seeking clarification on a number of points including whether the land in question is, as advised, the subject of a legally binding agreement with a home builder. In its response, the Congregation has confirmed that the position is that the lands concerned have been sold, that it has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy has noted, I recently announced that 975 additional SNAs will be available for allocation to schools from September 2017 which is a 7.5% increase to meet the demands 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 previously and will ensure that all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (12 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following on from publication of the document setting out the Government's approach to the Brexit negotiations, work is underway across departments to prepare adaptive Sectoral Brexit Response Plans to mitigate emerging sectoral challenges. These plans will build on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders, and will encompass the following themes: -...