Results 13,181-13,200 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Each year, we examine our budget and what is available to invest. This is providing an incentive which immediately offers parents access to lower costs where these can be delivered, while also recognising schools that are making an effort by allowing an additional support to those schools in future.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: We have to negotiate each year in the budgetary context. I cannot make a commitment at this stage but it is part of the five-year programme of Government to increase capitation.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: There was no suggestion that this approach was in place. It was always made clear that what we are trying to do is establish principles of keen cost provision. We want to provide for consultation with parents and this will be done over time through a parent and student charter. We are providing that where exclusive agreements are in place, they should be open to tender. We are also...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: We have made provision in this area. If the school has an agreement with a supplier, the agreement can continue but it would have to be tendered again within a period.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: On the roll-out of high-speed broadband, all post-primary schools have access to high-speed broadband and the number of primary schools with access to high-speed broadband has increased from 200 to 1,100 since 2015. Clearly, much remains to be done in rolling out broadband. According to the statistical report, 3,262 or 33% of primary schools were supported by the Department.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Nothing has been decided for this year's budget. Consultation will take place across all Departments. The Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform will invite all partners to make contributions, as they did last year, and everyone will have an opportunity to contribute to the budgetary process. We have just been through a series of meetings with teachers' unions, management...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the transition of English-medium schools to Irish-medium schools in the context of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme. Under the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme, which is a key component of my Department’s Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022, schools located in Gaeltacht language-planning areas can apply to seek recognition as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 294, 372, 387, 388 and 390 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). Each school Board of Management or Education and Training Board (ETB) has sole responsibility for the appointment of its teachers. The ETB is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Generally, a Statement of Professional Competence or an Inspection Report on the Work of a Probationary Teacher will issue to the conditionally registered teacher within one month of having completed the required service or following the final inspection visit, whichever is the later. The Inspection Report on the Work of a Probationary Teacher issued to Ms Furlong on 6 April 2017, 12 days...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Croke Park Agreement Implementation (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Croke Park hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements that require all public servants to work additional time for no additional payment. The Croke Park hours represent a real reform with significant benefits for parents and children. In schools, the Croke Park hours are 36 additional hours a year at primary (33 hours at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: Springboard+, which incorporates the ICT skills conversion programme, is designed to encourage a response by educational institutions to meet the emerging skill needs of enterprise and reflects a commitment in the Programme for Government to deliver a step change in our capacity to educate, develop, deploy and retain talent. It also embodies the core ambition set out Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The core funding figure for higher education of an additional €600 million annually by 2021 is recommended in the report of the Expert Group on Future Funding For Higher Education in order to deliver higher quality outcomes and to provide for  increased demographics.  This will allow for an improvement in student : staff ratios, better engagement with students and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Scholarships (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy on third level scholarships funded by my Department is available on thestudentfinance.ieand education.iewebsites. The link to the relevant pages is as follows: . My Department does not have a list of scholarships managed by the Higher Education Institutions.  They are generally funded through private philanthropy and therefore managed at local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Courses Feedback (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is an independent statutory body, established by the Pharmacy Act, 2007. It is charged with, and is accountable for, the effective regulation of pharmacy services in Ireland, including responsibility for supervising compliance with the Act. The PSI is responsible for defining and ensuring the standards of education and training for pharmacists...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of tender documents. The Disability Access Certificate has been secured. The Fire Safety Certificate was granted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been in recent contact with the school referred in respect of its request for prefabricated accommodation.  The school was advised to submit cost options to my Department for consideration. Once received, the matter will be considered further by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: The position relating to an application for capital funding from the school referred to is as advised to the Deputy in my response to parliamentary question 145 last November. My Department met with the principal and members of the Board of Management of the school in September 2016. The school representatives were advised of my Department's commitments under the 6 Year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received an application for additional accommodation from the school concerned. The application will be considered and a decision conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (2 May 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware I ran a public consultation process from 24 January to 20 March 2017 on the role of denominational religion in the school admission process and possible approaches for making changes. The 8 week phase of receiving written submissions formed part of a broader consultation process which will include additional steps, including any follow-up consultation...