Results 12,761-12,780 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Correspondence (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The HEA wrote to my Department in October 2016 regarding the issues raised at UL.  My Department and the HEA and the University of Limerick (UL) have engaged in ongoing discussions which have culminated in agreement being reached between all parties to conduct an independent review into the governance, HR and financial practices and procedures at the University. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Exchange Scheme (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The provisions of the teacher exchange scheme are set out by my Department in Circular Letter 0017/2015 the contents of which were agreed under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council. The Teacher Conciliation Council is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for Teachers and was set up to deal with claims and proposals relating to the Terms and Conditions of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: ACELS (the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the development and management of the recognition and inspection of English language schools.  ACELS is operated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).  My Department does not maintain figures of the occupancy rates within privately operated English language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) is a private association of English language schools and is not subject to regulation by my Department. ACELS (the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the recognition and inspection of English language providers.  It is administered by Quality and Qualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Quality and Qualifications Ireland Administration (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Legislative amendments are necessary to facilitate the introduction of the International Education Mark (IEM). These amendments are contained in the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Amendment) Bill.  I published the General Scheme of the Bill on 15th May 2017, following approval by Government.  The General Scheme of the Bill will now be submitted to the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that I recently 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.  The Government's target of achieving 400 multi-denominational schools by 2030 is highly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7th March 2017. These Circulars set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. The revised allocation process replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment, sets out the Department's vision for embedding ICT in teaching learning and assessment in primary and post-primary schools. The Strategy recognises the issues schools face in relation to ICT infrastructure, and funding of €210m is committed to address these requirements over the period of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting Applications Data (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: In April 2016 the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016. It put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children or vulnerable persons, including requirements for the retrospective vetting of persons who have never previously been garda vetted. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is widely accepted that the quality of school leadership is a key determinant of school effectiveness and the achievement of good learning outcomes. Indeed international research indicates that school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil learning. Budget 2016 provided 250 posts to second level schools to enable Deputy Principals to be more fully...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2016 provided for an improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools by 1 point, from 1 teacher for every 28 pupils to 1 teacher for every 27 pupils for the 2016/17 school year and it should be noted that the current staffing schedule of 27:1 for primary schools has restored it to the position it was at prior to the fiscal crisis. The Programme for Government has a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commencement of Legislation (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The only remaining section of the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 to be commenced is Section 39, which deals with continuing education and training and professional development of teachers.  I am advised by the Teaching Council that Cosán, the national framework for teacher’s learning (CPD) has entered a development phase which is due to conclude in 2020. This will then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Higher education is a central part of our plan as a Government to support a strong economy and deliver a fair society. The package of measures we announced for the sector in last year's Budget reflects this priority. I secured an initial investment of €36.5 million in the sector in this year's Budget and €160 million overall over the next three years. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 143 together. ASTI's withdrawal from the Croke Park hours means that the union has repudiated the Lansdowne Road Agreement. The financial and other consequences for ASTI members of failure to co-operate with the terms of the agreement were formally notified to ASTI in June 2016.  It was indicated at that time that in the event of continuing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The curriculum and assessment arrangements for Junior Cycle are as set out in the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015 and in the related subject specifications and syllabuses developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Implementation of the Framework is proceeding and the new subject specifications for Business Studies and Science, along with English, have now been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Services Provision (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with key commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government (May 2016) in relation to encouraging the use of school buildings outside school hours, my Department is working closely with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in considering how to facilitate schools who wish to make their facilities available as part of the range of options available to parents where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Last September, I launched the first ever Action Plan for Education, covering the period 2016-2019. The central vision of the Plan is that the Irish Education and Training System should become the best in Europe over the next decade. The Plan’s high-level goals are based on the five policy areas which I believe will help us to achieve this ambition. The goals are: 1. Improve the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I previously advised the Deputy on 28th February last, the review of DEIS has been completed and is available on my Department's website at the following link: . On 13th February, I published DEIS Plan 2017, which sets out my Department’s renewed policy statement on  educational disadvantage. Building on the five key goals set out in the Action Plan for Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has committed to enriching teaching and learning with new curricula, in the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019. This will contribute to delivering a step-change in the development of critical skills, knowledge and competences and providing the foundations for participation in work and society. The roll-out of the new Leaving Certificate subject of Politics and Society...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (24 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2016 provided 250 posts to second level schools to enable Deputy Principals to be more fully available to assist the school principal with the leadership of the school. At primary level, Budget 2016 provided for additional release days for teaching principals to range between 15 and 25 days depending on the size of the school. Budget 2017 provided for an additional €7.75m...