Results 12,981-13,000 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Richmond for raising this issue. I can understand the concerns of parents because the situation is unusual, in that temporary accommodation has to be moved to a new site. However, this does signify the success of the school. There are nine mainstream classes which will increase to 11 in September 2017. That necessitates a move from the current site. We are fortunate in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not have a specific date in the briefing material. The decision will be made once the technical assessment is complete. I will get back to the Deputy or rather the Senator on that. I spend too much time in the other House.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will see if I can give some timescale for the completion of the technical assessment. Presumably that also depends on what sort of issues arise in the complexity of adapting the site. I am conscious that September 2017 is not that far away and that we need to move with due haste.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am taking Deputy or, rather, Senator Noone's matter.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It is an issue of particular concern to many Members of both Houses. We have made huge changes in this area in recent years. For example, since 2011, the number of resource teachers has increased by 41%, the number of special needs assistants has increased by 23% and the number of ASD units has increased by more than 100%. As the Senator will...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for her comments. The NCSE's advice is that it has not identified a need to provide an ASD special class in every school, which would mean 4,000 classes. It is interesting to examine the numbers. For example, at post-primary level, demand and provision are increasing much more rapidly, although it is starting from a lower base. There were only 100 such classes in 2011,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is in receipt of application from the School referred to by the Deputy for additional accommodation comprising of two mainstream classrooms and a resource room. The application is currently under consideration and once a decision is made my Department will be in direct contact with the school authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vacancies on State Boards (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: For the Deputy's information details of board appointments to State Boards under the remit of my Department, including the term of specific board appointments, can be downloaded from my Department's website at www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies. The Deputy should note that Board appointments, while made by me as Minister, are not in all cases made at my discretion....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Courses Provision (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The number of PhD enrolments and awards since 2008/2009 are set out in the tables. Table 1 shows the number of total PhD enrolments over the past eight years. The year in each instance refers to the academic year. The 2016 returns contain academic year 2015/2016 enrolments and calendar year 2015 graduates (2014/2015 academic year graduates). Full-time PhD programmes usually span over a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: It is my Department's intention to relocate the school referred to by the Deputy to their proposed new location as their long-term permanent accommodation. The new proposed building will, however, require significant remediation works and my Department will be in further contact with the Patron on this matter. In the interim, the school has been advised to extend the lease at its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Capitation Grants are paid to primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme as a contribution towards schools general running expenses such as heating, lighting, cleaning, general upkeep, the stocking of libraries and the purchase of equipment etc.  Schools in the Community and Comprehensive are funded on a budget basis. With regard...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Our primary syllabus in Social, Personal and Health Education requires that each pupil becomes aware of his/her own culture and includes the national flag and anthem among the areas identified. It remains open to any school to encourage its students to learn and sing the anthem, at school events or otherwise. It is not Departmental policy to impose regulations on schools regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that I announced details of the successful applicants under round two of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) (2016-2017) for categories 3–6, on the 3rd May last, details of which are published on my Department's website, www.education.ie. Funding of €47 million is being made available for vital school projects in school buildings; 438 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Funding (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 121 to 124, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers was delivered under a Public Works Design & Build Contract which places the responsibility on the Contractor to submit the final compliance documents to the local authority. Stage 1 and stage 2 Road Safety Audits were undertaken as part of the planning process. My officials have sought clarification from the Contractors...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The new Educate Together primary school for Dublin South City Centre will open as scheduled in September 2018 in suitable interim accommodation. The school patron will be informed of the proposed permanent location for the school as soon as it is possible to do so. The major building project referred to by the Deputy at Harcourt Terrace once complete will provide a new 24 classroom...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The project referred to by the Deputy was authorised to proceed to tender in October 2016. However, as the pre-qualification of contractors had first been conducted by the design team in April 2015, the design team, concerned about the possibility of legal challenges, asked the Office of Government Procurement for advice on this matter. The advice was that it would be prudent to run...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Expenditure (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will appreciate that information in relation to the estimated cost of projects, referred to, is not released prior to tender stage as this is considered commercially sensitive information.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Junior Cycle Reform (10 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am confident that the introduction of the new Junior Cycle Irish subject specifications to first year students from September 2017 will enhance the teaching of Irish in schools and provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge that will support them to undertake successful learning in the subject at Leaving Certificate. A great deal of thought was put into the development...