Results 12,661-12,680 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department’s overall funding for first level education increased by €161m in 2017.  Increasing demographics is a key driver of this increased funding given that this results in a requirement for additional teachers, Special Needs Assistants, capitation payments etc.  Funding requirements for primary education in 2018 will be dealt with as part of the 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Data (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise that nine of the newly established schools as referred to by the Deputy are currently in interim temporary accommodation. Of these, permanent buildings are currently under construction for three of the schools. In the case of the remaining six schools, sites have recently been acquired for two of the schools and the acquisition process is currently in train to secure sites...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Institute of Technology Carlow (IT Carlow) already has a campus based in Wexford town, which offers an extensive range of award qualifications from Level 6 through to postgraduate Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). My Department is supportive of the proposed acquisition by Carlow IT of a site in Wexford for development of a new purpose-built...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that a building project for the school in question was included in the Department's 6 Year Capital Programme (2019 - 2021). In this regard, my Department has requested information from the school and this is awaited. When this is received and considered, my Department will engage further with the school relating to the building project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff Retirements (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with the superannuation scheme for Non-Teaching Staff operated by my Department special need assistants, who have had continuous employment which commenced prior to the 1st April 2004 must retire at the end of the school year in which they reach age 65. Special Needs Assistants who commenced employment between 1st April 2004 and 31st December 2012 are considered “new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is referring to the report of the Technical Working Group (TWG) which was set up by the Teaching Council to formulate advice on teacher supply. The Report focusses on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, while outlining the work which will be required to establish a model of post primary teacher supply. The report was submitted to my predecessor, Minister Jan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme Data (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The conditions governing the Grant Scheme for Minor Works to Primary School properties are outlined in Circular Letter 0062/2013. The grant must be used on the physical infrastructure of the school or on items of furniture and equipment for educational use including IT related equipment. The Circular Letter states that the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Inspections (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: In 2016, the Inspectorate carried out a total of 779 inspection visits and 197 school self-evaluation advisory visits in primary schools and 752 inspection visits and 77 school self-evaluation advisory visits in post-primary schools and centres for education. Since 2010, the Inspectorate has developed a range of inspection models varying from short one-day, unannounced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would start...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Student Grant Scheme provides that in order to qualify for the special rate of grant, an applicant must meet the following conditions: 1. The applicant must qualify for the standard rate of grant. 2. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703; and 3. On the 31st December of the relevant period, the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term payment prescribed in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (25 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is my Department's intention to relocate the school in question to the property referred to in the details supplied to meet the school's permanent accommodation needs. The property in question transferred to the Minister’s ownership last year. This building is a listed structure that requires extensive refurbishment to make its facilities fit...

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund: Motion [Private Members] (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “recognises that:— many individuals suffered horrific abuse when, as children, they were placed in industrial schools and other residential settings; — successive Governments have put strategies in place to support former residents, through the provision...

Priority Questions: Schools Mental Health Strategies (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The well-being programme is to become a whole-school activity and it is to go beyond those individual curricular areas of PE, social, personal and health education, SPHE, and civic, social and political education, CSPE, to integrate those into a whole-school package. There will be a plan developed in each school. Supports are being provided to principals to design this plan in an integrated...

Priority Questions: Schools Mental Health Strategies (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not agree. This was developed after much thought. Extensive consultation went into developing the well-being programme. It was identified by the stakeholders as an important element. Extensive planning has gone into this. Not only are we restoring guidance counselling and guidance teachers, who will be very important to this, we are also expanding the National Educational...

Priority Questions: Third Level Institutions Governance (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: This question is about general governance across higher education. The Higher Education Authority, HEA, oversees governance issues through a number of mechanisms, including the return of annual governance statements from each of the institutions, annual system funding reviews and meetings with the Comptroller and Auditor General concerning audits of accounts, and acting upon those. Indeed,...

Priority Questions: Third Level Institutions Governance (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department and the HEA are very alert to the need for effective governance. We have, as the Deputy knows, given institutions of education considerable autonomy. They have to use that autonomy carefully. They are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General who has, as he as done in other public institutions, revealed cases of bad practice. Those are being addressed. Going...

Priority Questions: Schools Mental Health Strategies (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Well-being and mental health are major priorities for my Department and are set out in the Action Plan for Education.  In the context of increasing concerns about suicide and mental health among young people, it is crucial that we place a major focus on this issue and that is what we are doing through the Action Plan for Education.  The Deputy is aware it contains a number...

Priority Questions: School Accommodation Provision (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The original question does not include all those issues. The Deputy may find the reply a bit generic. In the process leading to ministerial announcements of new schools,my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation, including new schools, will be needed. When this process has been completed, I...

Priority Questions: School Accommodation Provision (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: A huge range of issues have been raised. I am not fully briefed on Ballinteer but my recollection of previous discussions in the House is that the site chosen was refused planning permission by the local authority, which was confirmed by An Bord Pleanála. Attempts to resolve it resulted in another refusal and an appeal to An Bord Pleanála. There has been particular difficulty in...

Priority Questions: School Accommodation Provision (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not pretend that the planning and building unit in the Department is perfect but when a site chosen with local input is refused planning permission on two occasions it slows down the anticipated progress. When a site unexpectedly becomes available the Department moves to acquire it, as happened in the case of Notre Dame, so that it would be in a position to facilitate schools in a new...