Results 14,061-14,080 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Leaders' Questions (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue, which goes to the very heart of making sure that resilience is built in the young people who come through our education system, in a world where there are increasing pressures on them. I assure the Deputy that I am absolutely committed to the agreement we have made to restore guidance counsellors. To date we have restored 400, with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As Minister, I am consulting with all education stakeholders on an ongoing basis and on a range of issues. My officials, advisors and I have had regular engagement with all groups with an involvement in the issue of patronage, including Educate Together, since I took up office nine months ago.  This includes interaction in relation to the plans to change the patronage of schools in line...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The format and delivery of religious education in divested schools is a matter for the patron to which the school has been divested.  Different multi-denominational patrons have different arrangements in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (2 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Delays (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: In Ireland, there are two national languages, Irish and English, given recognition under the Constitution. The recent EUROSTAT report compares Ireland to other EU countries on the basis of the number of foreign languages studied by students at the equivalent of Junior Cycle. Ireland reports on the numbers taking languages other than Irish or English. Several other countries who also have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: DEIS is my Department's main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage. The DEIS Plan for 2017 sets out our vision for future intervention in the critical area of social inclusion in education policy. A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools for inclusion in DEIS using centrally held CSO and DES...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Needs Assistants (Ss) are allocated to mainstream Primary, Post Primary schools and to Special Schools to assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.  Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 68, 69, 71, 72 and 76 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government outlines that this Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities. This is in line with the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 which provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Expenditure (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Details of the surplus/deficit position of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) are set out in the following table. Deficits Incurred by Waterford Institute of Technology: - €'000 2008/09 Operating surplus/deficit -€2,524 2009/10 Operating surplus/deficit -€512 2010/11 Operating surplus/deficit -€272 2011/12 Operating surplus/deficit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Provision has already been made in the Technological Universities Bill, 2015 which will allow that a technological university, or any company in which the technological university has a proprietary interest, may borrow money by means of a bank overdraft or otherwise and may guarantee or underwrite a loan taken or borrowing undertaken by any person. However, this will be subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that I have received a copy of the Deputy’s discussion document on a Technological University for the South-East. As the Deputy will be aware, the new Programme for Government outlines that this new Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities.  The Technological University for the South-East (TUSE – consisting of Waterford...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Data (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: There is an agreed contract between the Institutes of Technology and the Teachers Union of Ireland which governs the terms and conditions applying to the different grades of lecturing staff in all of the IOTs. In line with the Universities Act, 1997, universities have autonomy in relation to human resource policies including lecturing contracts, subject to compliance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together. The Department of Education and Skills is aware of the infrastructure challenges faced by Waterford Institute of Technology. The proposals referred to by the Deputy are among the many competing demands on the Department’s capital budget for higher education. The Higher Education Authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pátrúnacht Scoileanna (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 78, 79 agus 80 le chéile. Creidim go bhfuil na Boird Oideachais agus Oiliúna (BOO), mar údarás oideachais áitiúil an Stáit, foirfe chun tabhairt faoin gcomhchomhairle leis na tuismitheoirí réamhscoile sa phróiseas seo. Ceann de na gearáin a bhí ann maidir leis an bpróiseas roimhe seo...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the administration of the Final Examinations that form part of the assessment procedures for Junior Cycle. The SEC has provided reassurance in relation to concerns that some students may not have opportunities to complete all elements of the SEC’s Junior Cycle Final Examination, in English, in 2017.  The Examination...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together. On 18th January last, I announced that a new model for allocating Special Education Teaching Resources to mainstream primary and post primary schools will be introduced from September 2017. The aim of this new model is to deliver better outcomes for children with special educational needs. Large amounts of research,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: DEIS is my Department's main policy initiative to tackle educational disadvantage. The DEIS Plan for 2017 sets out our vision for future intervention in the critical area of social inclusion in education policy. A key element of DEIS Plan 2017 is the availability of a new identification process for the assessment of schools for inclusion in DEIS using centrally held CSO and DES...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) is calculated at each level by dividing the total number of pupils by the total number of allocated posts (classroom teachers and support teachers). This calculation differs from other such calculations (for example the staffing schedule at primary level which is the basis for allocating classroom teachers to each school based on their enrolments). The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information sought by the Deputy is not being compiled by my Department and there are no immediate plans to compile information in the format requested. However there is a range of key statistics available on my website at www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individu al-Schools/ which provides detailed information on class size on individual schools at primary level....