Results 12,821-12,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is currently liaising with the school authority in question relating to the matter to which he refers and this contact is ongoing.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Uniforms (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My ambition is to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe within a decade. To deliver on my ambition to be the best we have to improve information and complaint procedures for parents and students, particularly in relation to costs. I want to give parents a strong voice in ensuring costs are always kept to a minimum. I believe that we have to put a greater emphasis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 3 application, mechanical works, under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS)(2016-2017) from the school to which he refers. As the Deputy will be aware funding was recently approved in respect of this application and the school has been advised of this decision through my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme (2016-2021).  My Department is working closely with officials from Wexford County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding towards the acquisition of a suitable site for the provision of the school in question.  When a site has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Retirements (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 235 together. The Department has been informed of the resignation of the Principal and Deputy Principal in the school referred to by the Deputy.  These resignations are due to take effect at the end of the current school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Arts in Education Charter (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 to 226, inclusive, 228 to 230, inclusive, 232 and 233 together. The deputy has tabled a number of interlinked questions which I will respond to collectively. The 2012 Arts in Education Charter was a landmark development in arts education. The Charter is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Arts in Education Charter (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the use of school buildings is included in my Departments Action Plan for Education, I can confirm that meetings have been held between officials from my Department and the relevant stakeholder groups. These meeting sought the views of these groups regarding the use of school buildings outside of school hours. The process of developing guidelines for the use of school buildings is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is coordinating a response to the matters raised by the Deputy and, when completed, will be writing to her directly in relation to same. This is expected to be completed within a few days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to takes Questions Nos. 236 to 241, inclusive, 246, 247, 250 to 255, inclusive, 268 and 269 together. Concerted efforts to acquire sites in the south Dublin City area for schools have been ongoing in my Department in the context of existing and expected requirements at both primary and post-primary level since 2012. Previous searches for additional prospective school sites in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 to 245, inclusive, together. Where additional demographic demands exist, in determining the requirement for a new school site an assessment of possible accommodation provision by means of extension of existing schools is carried out. In circumstances where the additional accommodation needs cannot be met by extension of existing schools so that a new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school referred to for the replacement of a significant level of prefabricated accommodation with a permanent structure to provide classroom and specialised accommodation, together with reconfiguration works within the schools existing building. The application is currently under consideration and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can assure the Deputy that my Department is working to identify potential site options to accommodate the school to which he refers. In addition to the standard requirements for school sites generally, my Department is seeking to address specific additional aspects which may contribute to the overall suitability of a potential location.   Given the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government outlines that this Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities.  The third Government Legislative Programme of this new Partnership Government was published on 17 January 2017, and the Technological Universities Bill is listed on the Dáil Order Paper and is awaiting Committee Stage. The Department on behalf of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Up until September 2012, an ex-quota allocation was provided for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation to post-primary schools. This resource was allocated in accordance with pupil enrolment. 42% of second level schools at the time were allocated at least 22 hours per week in respect of guidance (22 hours being the equivalent of one teaching post) while the remainder of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs, including Autism.  It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (23 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 7 March 2017. These Circulars set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools. The revised allocation model replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has received correspondence from the school in question relating to its application under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) (2016-2017). My Department is considering the correspondence concerned and expects to convey a decision to the school authority in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (18 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I hope I did not mislead the Deputy when I said there is no need for diagnostic test for a child to get support. I am not saying that diagnostic tests are no longer relevant or valuable. A diagnostic test can be valuable in the hands of a teacher in order to give an indication of what is needed. In many cases, the special learning needs of a child will be quite obvious to a teacher....

Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (18 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: This is a new scheme and I understand people wanting to tease out what it means. First, I want to make it clear that it has been recommended by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which is an independent body, it had been conducted with a pilot of 47 schools where it had a very positive reception. It involves an increase in the number of teachers provided by 900, so at least...