Results 13,721-13,740 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has continued to progress matters with both the landowners and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to a suitable access for the permanent building of a primary school on the site of the school to which the Deputy refers. Due to the complexity of issues it is not possible to indicate a timeline for the completion of the acquisition.  As commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including SNA support. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Retirements (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The individual to whom the Deputy refers is a primary school teacher and is a member of the Primary Schools Teacher Superannuation Scheme 2009.  In accordance with the terms of that superannuation scheme it is not possible to remain in pensionable service beyond the end of the school year in which she reaches age 65.  The subsequent filling of that vacant post is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 103 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Officials in my Department are currently liaising with the school authorities in relation to the provision of a permanent accommodation solution for the school to which the Deputy refers.  Once a preferred solution has been identified, my Department will work to advance the project as expeditiously as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts Data (29 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department has not incurred any expenditure in respect of the use of private investigations firms during the period in question.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The higher education sector is vital in achieving our long-term ambitions as a nation. After nine years of continuous cuts to the budget for these institutions, I have been pleased to provide for the first increase in investment this year. Beyond that, we have committed to a demographic dividend in the coming three years. On top of this, we have...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will definitely arrange to have it circulated.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator. It is important that we develop this plan, particularly for Castlebar and that we carve out a strong and resilient future for it. I will be meeting representatives of the college to get an understanding of the challenges and how it will meet them. I regularly go to different parts of the education sector to have consultation sessions where we hear local ideas. As...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Summer Works Scheme (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Davitt for raising this issue. The summer works scheme is one that was completely suspended at the height of the downturn following the crash. It was reintroduced in 2014 to 2015 and it is to be provided in the 2016 to 2017 school year. It generally runs in two-year cycles. The scheme for 2016 to 2017 is again in a two-year cycle. The first phase of it for 2016 dealt with...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Summer Works Scheme (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senator. I will alert officials to the case Senator Davitt has made but I think the school itself has made a very strong case in its submission. Unfortunately, given the nearly 1,700 applications from schools around the country it is a challenge to allocate the resources in a fair way that meets as many of the needs as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions, including the Universities. The funding allocated by the HEA is not for a specific purpose but is allocated as a block grant to cover teaching, research and supporting activities. The internal disbursement of that funding is then a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Measures announced by my Department as part of Budget 2016 and 2017 mean that 400 guidance posts, or two thirds of the guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2017.   The restoration of the remaining 200 posts will be considered in future Budgets. I have made it clear that all these 400 posts are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The position with regard to employees in a third level college is that in accordance with the terms of their superannuation scheme, it is not possible to remain in pensionable service beyond the age of 65. The person would at that point immediately qualify for pension and lump-sum based on the service they have accrued. With reference to how the vacant post should be subsequently be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department’s 6 Year Construction Programme (2019/21). In line with the Memorandum of Understanding which formalises the local authorities' part in securing sites for educational use, my Department is working with the relevant Local Authority in relation to identifying and acquiring a suitable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments Waiting Times (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will 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. I have stated that I believe that it is unfair that preference is given by publicly-funded religious schools to children of their own religion who might live some distance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Playgrounds (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 187 together. I wish to advise the Deputies that my Department is aware that the school, referred to, has contacted Fingal County Council regarding the ceding of a portion of Council property for use by the school. My Department is liaising with the Council in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (28 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: On 2 December 2010 the then Government approved the reduction by 10% of the salary scale and fixed allowances for new entrants to traditional recruitment grades in the public service. Public servants who were in permanent or temporary employment in the public service on or before 31 December 2010 are not generally to be regarded as new entrants. Therefore, they should, on employment...