Results 11,881-11,900 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Other Questions: School Staff (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Between September of last year and this coming September, my Department will have employed 4,800 additional teachers. We are making a very substantial investment to respond to the demographic pressure. To date, we have not had difficulty in recruiting. There are difficulties in some areas, such as substitution, as the Deputy noted correctly, but we have also made some changes to make it...

Other Questions: Teachers' Professional Development (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's question is not just about leadership, so I will have to answer the question she originally tabled.

Other Questions: Teachers' Professional Development (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: That is correct, but continuing professional development applies to all teachers, not only to the leaders in the schools.

Other Questions: Teachers' Professional Development (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will answer the question. A key objective in the Action Plan for Education 2016–2019 is to develop the continuum of teacher education to equip teachers with the right skills for 21st century teaching and learning and improve school leadership. The quality of our teaching profession is a critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes. Specific targets...

Other Questions: Teachers' Professional Development (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy did not get around to asking a question.

Other Questions: Teachers' Professional Development (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Deputy entirely on the importance of teachers in transforming the learning environment. It is probably the most effective thing we can do to improve education standards. That is proven by international data as well as our own. It is heartening to see the progress we are making in mathematics, science and literacy standards. We are seeing huge improvements in these areas...

Other Questions: Teachers' Professional Development (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: There is a genuine difference between these. Most teachers do classroom practice as part of their training, but equally there is a process of people transferring from the college to the classroom setting. Principals and other members of staff are key in helping such a student develop into a member of staff and deploy their skills that they learned in college in the most effective way. They...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can sympathise with what Deputy Thomas Byrne said but the Department is dealing with about 2,000 projects at any given time. It has to operate on the basis of devolved responsibility where design teams develop these proposals on behalf of the patron and make submissions. The decision here to move from a two stage to a one-stage phase was the right one. That decision caused a delay but it...

Other Questions: School Staff (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The final report of the technical working group on teacher supply, Striking the Balance, was published on 9 June 2017. The report focuses on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, while outlining the work which will be required to establish a sustainable long-term model of post-primary teacher supply. Officials of my Department are now considering how the development of a...

Other Questions: School Staff (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: At this stage, the Department is considering whether to establish a steering group and it is assessing what would be the nature, role and composition of such a group if it was put in place, and whether the internal resources of the Department could contribute to achieving some of the new data that are necessary to develop a model. The Teaching Council when it examined this admitted that it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Accommodation Provision (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I indicated in my earlier reply, the site acquisition process is at conveyancing stage, following detailed consultation with the relevant stakeholders in the community. The Deputy is suggesting now that a different site be acquired.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Accommodation Provision (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: What the Deputy suggests would result in further delay. The pretext on which Deputy raised the question was her concern, and rightly so, about unnecessary delays. On the installation of temporary accommodation, I respect the planning process, as did all of my predecessors. The statutory planning process must be complied with and my Department and I will comply with those obligations.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am glad that I was in a position this week to announce that 975 additional SNAs will be made available for allocation to schools from September 2017. Schools have been informed of this, following on from a Government decision this week on the matter. This represents an increase of 7.5% in the number of SNAs for this year and a 32% increase...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The announcement this year was earlier than the announcement in 2015 and only a few days off from the announcement made in 2016. A regular feature of this process is that it has to go through a whole of Government process of approval. Approximately €30 million is being committed to in the coming year and so not surprisingly agreement on that has to be processed through Government. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I made the point earlier that this year we are providing an SNA service for 34,000 additional children, which is 4,000 more than were available two years ago. We are expanding this service. We are providing a very necessary support to allow more children to fulfil their potential in the education system. I set as a major goal that we should seek to be the best in Europe in accommodating...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware from the reply given by the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan, to her Topical Issue matter last week of the current status of this project. The stage 2(b) detailed design report was recently submitted to my Department by the board of management and its design team. Following receipt of this submission, my Department authorised the board of management to...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: A number of Deputies have raised this matter in the House. I note Deputy Brendan Smith has similarly tabled a question on this issue, which we will come to shortly. The Department is aware of the local concern. 6 o’clock I do not need to tell the Deputy that a number of matters caused the delay which were not within the control of the Department. A consultant mechanical and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased Deputy Byrne is supportive of the new team and the work we will be doing in this Department. I believe the two briefs are important. I have a strong belief that we have neglected apprenticeships and traineeships and the associated skills. We are seeing new opportunities regionally and nationally to strengthen the skills offering. That is why we have regional skills councils....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The allocation of areas of responsibility in the different Departments is a prerogative of the Taoiseach. We, as a team, manage the responsibilities that we have, and these include school transport. We are providing in our delegation orders for the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, to continue to deal with that area. It is an important area with an allocation of €175 million. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Accommodation Provision (6 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been liaising with the patron body of the school referred to by the Deputy with regard to additional accommodation required for September 2017. As the Deputy may be aware, this is a developing school located in rented temporary accommodation in Rathborne, Dublin 15, which will require two additional classrooms for September 2017. Work is...