Results 14,081-14,100 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, published in July 2016, clearly outlines the funding challenges in the higher education sector and offers a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration. As committed to in the Programme for Government, I have referred the report to the Education Committee as part of the process for formulating a plan for...

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

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA institutions. The HEA allocates this grant to institutions for the purpose of free fees and core grant funding.  Higher education institutions are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The participation rates in lifelong learning over the past 3 years in Ireland and the EU 28 average, listed below, are based on the latest EUROSTAT data.  There are a number of challenges to improving these rates, which are not unique to Ireland. National policies including the National Skills Strategy 2025, the Further Education Strategy and the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that, under my Department’s Action Plan for Education 2017, the ten NEPS posts to which refers will be targeted at enhancing NEPs service to DEIS schools with particular emphasis on well-being. As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychological service to schools through...

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

Richard Bruton: Salary scales for school caretakers employed in National Schools under the 1978/79 Scheme are set out in circular letter 0068/2015 which is available on my Department’s website at www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0 068_2015.pdf. These are the only salary scales for National school caretakers published by my Department. While a small number of these staff...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Bodies (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The decision to close the European School (ES) Culham and to establish the Europa School UK, located on the same and on an adjacent site was taken by the Board of Governors of the European Schools in 2007 and 2014 respectively. My Department was represented on the Board of Governors of the European Schools by an Assistant Chief Inspector during this decision making...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will arrange for the information that is available in my Department relating to the request from the Deputy to be forwarded to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The majority of English language colleges in Ireland are privately run, and issues such as pay and conditions are a matter between teachers and the individual colleges. If teachers have a concern about their terms and conditions of employment they should contact the National Employment Rights Authority in this regard. In line with the Government decision of 19 May 2015, a series of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Process RIA (2 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. The following are the Bills published by my Department between 2011 and 2016. 1. Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011. A RIA was completed; 2. Education (Amendment) Bill 2012. A RIA was completed; 3. Education and Training Boards Bill 2012. A RIA was completed; 4. Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Securing planning permission and fire and disability access certificates is not within the control of the Department. These matters will have to be addressed before a stage 2B submission is made and the Department must be satisfied with the detailed submission at that point.

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Heydon will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible for organising and planning provision for children with special educational needs, including the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools. Special classes offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: There is a long list of schools on the construction programme that will have special needs units, including the schools in Kilcullen and Athy. I will provide the list to the Deputy. I will bring the point he makes regarding 12 year olds and 13 year olds accessing special schools to the attention of the NCSE to see if it is a particular pinch point, if one likes, for parents. We have...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: This issue has been raised across the House. We are taking a power in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill to designate a school to take a child with special educational needs but we are not taking a power, if one likes, to require a school to provide an ASD unit. At least, we are not doing that legislatively. The reason we have not done it legislatively to date is that we have not...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: What is the question about?

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the Monasterevin primary school project is included on my Department's current six-year construction programme. The project is listed therein to commence construction in 2017. The project was authorised to commence stage 2(b) of architectural planning on 30 June 2016. This stage includes the applications for planning permission, a fire certificate and a...

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: There have been some delays in the planning process which I would say are beyond the control of the Department or the school. There were some delays and traffic management issues that had to be overcome but the council no doubt feels it has to deal with these planning issues. Feedback from the council last month was positive and it appears that things are proceeding apace at this stage. I...

Other Questions: Junior Cycle Reform (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: This will be a significant improvement. There is already a 90% take-up of history at junior cycle level. The current curriculum is massively overcrowded and terribly text based. It is about memory retention for an exam, rather than what Deputy Bríd Smith or I would regard as the sort of skill and experience of history we ought to be encouraging. Inspectors have shown that many...

Other Questions: Junior Cycle Reform (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not agree with the Deputy that this should be about compulsion. At present, 90% of students study history at junior cycle and it is not a good curriculum or the sort of curriculum one would want to see taught. We are making history a stand-alone subject, but with history and geography together. It will be a much better curriculum. What the Deputy read out is what every students...

Other Questions: Junior Cycle Reform (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Some 52% of schools have such a requirement.

Other Questions: Junior Cycle Reform (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Any fair assessment of the junior cycle would show that it is doing exactly the opposite of what the Deputy is describing. It is trying to broaden the range of capacity that is encouraged within our schools. The junior cycle achievement will examine projects and short courses that have been completed. It will cover a broader range of things than a two-hour exam at the end of the cycle...