Results 13,781-13,800 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (23 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is monitoring the pupil enrolment position in the area in question, together with all areas nationally, to take account of updated demographic data. In that regard, my Department is aware of the demand for junior infant places in the area referred to and is liaising directly with the relevant schools. There are a total of 13 primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (23 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware I ran a public consultation process from 24thJanuary to 20thMarch 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: Departmental Expenditure (23 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The details sought by the Deputy are not readily available. Officials in my Department are collating the information and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

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

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (23 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: My Department is currently finalising its Foreign Languages in Education Strategy and publication is expected shortly. Some 80 submissions were received during the consultation process, which is informing the Strategy. Submissions, including those from the Polish community, have been considered as part of the evidence base used in informing the development of...

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

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range...

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

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in 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: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, is currently consulting on a spatial strategy that considers the type of issues raised by Deputy Ellis, such as how we plan for growth in communities and ensure we do not have overpopulation in some areas and the run-down of facilities in others. There is an opportunity for that much broader...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: That is not the way it is done in the Department. We build on a just-in-time basis, to use the related commercial term for the way school facilities are delivered, and that exhausts our resources. I assure the Deputy that we will examine planning in the area based on need and we will examine the demographic trends, the trends in preschools serving the area and assessing where that is...

Topical Issue Debate: School Curriculum (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will attempt to assist. It is a different programme with a different structure - vocational preparation, general education and vocational education - over four half-year blocks that are accredited at the end of each. The programme is not just an add-on, and a school undertaking it must commit to providing a certain structure to the course. I do not know the details of individual...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Ellis for raising this matter. Like many of the issues that he raises, I sympathise with it, as I understand the pressure on growing areas and the difficulties that poses. However, questions of development fees being collected and applied to purposes other than local community facilities are more for the local authority than me as Minister for Education and Skills. ...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Data (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As I understand it, this issue is potentially being litigated in the courts so it is not appropriate for me to get involved in meeting sides-----

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Data (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: -----in the context of a potential court case. Those who hold the records have indicated they will only release them on foot of a court order. I recognise the concern the Deputy raises about whether there is a power somewhere to protect these records. There is another issue about who has access to such records. The records that were presented to the Ryan report were held highly...

Topical Issue Debate: School Curriculum (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Scanlon for raising this issue. It is our desire that parents and children should have the best pathway possible available to them. I see from the statistics in respect of County Leitrim that while last year no children from County Leitrim participated in the leaving certificate applied, the previous year 11 children took part. It is not that no school is offering it. Where...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Data (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which only came into the public domain recently. I had no knowledge of it until it was reported in the newspapers. With regard to records over which the Department has control, we have a number that relate to the former industrial and reformatory schools. They cover areas such as general inspection, medical inspection and certification. There...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: There are a total of 13 primary schools in the Swords school planning area with 11 schools enrolling junior infants – this includes two Junior Primary Schools (catering for Junior Infants to 2ndclass) and two Senior Primary Schools (catering for 3rdto 6thclass).  The Department was contacted by just one school in the Swords area to advise that they have a waiting list of over 100...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware Caranua is an independent statutory body and I have no role in its day to day operations. I understand that Caranua has made significant efforts to address the backlog of applications that had built up from 2014 onwards and that arrears have been greatly reduced. My Department has supported Caranua in its work through for example sanctioning an increase in its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware Caranua is an independent Statutory body and it is a matter for the organization to determine its own resource requirements subject to any necessary approvals being obtained from my Department. I wish to advise that a request from Caranua for an increase in its authorized staffing complement was approved by my Department last year and I understand that the additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Caranua is an independent statutory body established under the provisions of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. Under the legislation it is a matter for Caranua itself to determine the criteria by reference to which it makes decisions in relation to individual applications and I have no role in relation to that process. Caranua has received over 5,600 applications and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Eligibility (22 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The closing date for the receipt of submissions in regard to the draft Terms of Reference of the proposed review of eligibility for Caranua was 8 March last. A number of submissions have been received and these are being considered at present. Once that process has been completed the Terms of Reference will be finalised and the arrangements will then be put in place to carry out the review.