Results 12,041-12,060 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm for the Deputy that the school and its design team have not yet submitted the report to my Department. My Department has contacted the Design Team Leader directly and has been informed that the design team QS is currently in the process of completing the Bill of Quantities and the Stage 2(b) cost plan.   The stage 2(b) report will then be submitted by the Design Team...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has not yet received a Stage 2B submission for the project to which the Deputy refers. As soon as the Stage 2b submission is received it will be reviewed. On completion of the review my Department will revert to the school authority with a timeframe to proceed to tender and construction.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which she refers was included in my Department's 6-Year Construction Programme. Following the site visit which has been undertaken, my Department will formulate a schedule of accommodation for the proposed project. My Department will be in further contact with the school when this element has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the schools in question will amalgamate from 30 August 2017 and the Patron has been advised accordingly. The amalgamated school will continue to operate from the schools existing school buildings.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 operates...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Services (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychological service to schools through the direct assignment of a NEPS psychologist and in some cases through by providing schools access to the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) where schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (4 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: Through the Schools Broadband Access Programme, the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary, post-primary and special schools. All post-primary schools are provided with 100Mbp/s connectivity. At primary level, some 98% of schools are included in the Schools Broadband Programme, with some 1,100 schools on download speeds of 30Mbps...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 to 192, inclusive, together. Through the Schools Broadband Access Programme, the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary, post-primary and special schools. The overall policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with technical solutions available in the market...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. My Department has reviewed the Preliminary Tender Report and has authorised the Design Team to issue a Letter Of Intent to the preferred bidder and subject to no issues arising it is envisaged that the project will commence on site later this year. As the construction period will be 24 months, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the temporary accommodation will not remain at the location to which the Deputy refers following delivery of the permanent accommodation at this property. It is not proposed to accommodate the post-primary school to which the Deputy refers at this location either on a temporary or permanent basis. The post-primary school will open as scheduled in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: A grant in respect of the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is paid annually to post-primary schools offering the programme in June of each year. It is paid to schools for the pupils enrolled in both year one and year two of the programme.  The rate is €151 per pupil in accordance with Circular letter 0029/2016 which can be accessed on my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions Governance (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The media reports referred to by the Deputy raised a number of issues that are being taken very seriously by my Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).  During 2015, the HEA reviewed its approach to the oversight and governance of higher education institutions and built on existing governance and accountability infrastructure with improved and more transparent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The NCCA is in the process of developing a new primary mathematics curriculum.  Following my request to consider how children’s computational, flexible and creative thinking skills might be developed through this new mathematics curriculum, and how coding might be integrated in the wider primary curriculum, the NCCA is reviewing curriculum policy and practice in other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Administration (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The HEA Board currently comprises a Chairperson and 12 ordinary members. This includes two members who were reappointed to the Board on 20 June 2017. I am also inviting expressions of interest, through the Public Appointments Service, for a further two academic members. This application process is currently underway and the closing date for expressions of interest...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: A Qualification Allowance in respect of a Pass Primary Degree is paid to 6,632 Primary schools teachers.  The current position regarding the payment of qualification allowances is outlined in Circular 8/2013 which can be accessed on my Department website.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Data (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The average number of substitute teachers employed on a daily basis in primary schools is approximately 3,600.  In overall terms, my Department has no evidence of a recent or current shortage of primary teachers.  However, I am aware that some schools are experiencing difficulty in recruiting adequately qualified substitute teachers, and I am committed to examining all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (4 Jul 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Report of the Chair of the Expert Group on Fixed Term and Part-Time issues in Lecturing in Ireland was published in May 2016 and the Report contains a number of recommendations that will assist in addressing concerns raised about the level of part-time and fixed-term employment in lecturing in the third level sector. My Department issued directions to the sector on 4 July 2016...