Results 14,241-14,260 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: 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, analysis, consultation with service users and stakeholders,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: Following enquiries from my officials, I understand that discussions are taking place locally and under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission between Trinity College Dublin and the unions that are addressing the concerns of staff. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on these issues while these discussions are ongoing. In May 2016 I welcomed the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (1 Mar 2017)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2b - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been obtained. The Design Team are currently working on finalising the Stage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 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 in...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The work on the Bill is ongoing. As Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is aware, the Bill reached Committee Stage previously and it ran into a number of difficulties both in terms of industrial relations and also issues relating to the colleges, although not in the case of the colleges to which the Deputy referred. Work is going on with the colleges to define the spectrum of colleges that will...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I assure the Deputy that the recommendation of the schools that are included on this occasion was based on independent analysis. Issues that were considered included the unemployment rates, the educational achievement of parents, the socioeconomic class, the occupancy of the houses in terms of overcrowding and population decline. It was a very fair and objective set of criteria.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: It was only the schools with the very highest levels of disadvantage that were agreed at this stage and they represent 2% of all the schools in the country. Deputy Jack Chambers is correct; this is a first step and we plan to refine the process and we will consider other schools because there are undoubtedly schools that have a high level of disadvantage that could not be included on this...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The summer works scheme has been a valuable part of the support to schools to maintain the fabric of schools. As the Deputy knows, the last application process was for a two-year period and the applications were received in November 2015. We are continuing to work on that programme. It has ten items under which applications were made. A number of those have been fulfilled. This year,...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: We obviously have to review the applications and make a decision based on priority.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2016 lists the eligible payments for the special rate of maintenance grant. As at 31 December 2015, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible payments listed in this Schedule, or its equivalent from a Member State. The aim of the Child Tax Credits system in the UK/Northern Ireland is somewhat similar to the FIS payment i.e. it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that provision has already been made for the use of the majority of the funds realised from the sale of the property in question. The further utilisation of the balance of the funds involved is currently under consideration and the ETB will be advised in due course.

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

Richard Bruton: My Department fully funded the provision of a new 12 classroom building for the school to which the Deputy refers. In this regard it paid the Design Team fees, construction costs and all other ancillary costs. The costs incurred by the school do not relate to the project actually delivered and they were incurred by the school without approval from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: On 18 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, analysis, consultation with service users and stakeholders, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information Data (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: There are no legal fees incurred on FOI requests received by the department for the past three years. Dealing with FOI requests form part of the duties of officials and the time spent on processing such requests are not monitored separately. In cases where search and retrieval time was more than 5 hours, fees are charged and the number of cases where this occurred is set out in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Qualifications (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Skillnets is an enterprise-led agency, where groups of private sector companies come together to provide solutions to identified training needs. One of the networks funded under the Skillnets Training Networks Programme is the Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet. The Skillnet offers a Level 7 BA Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care. The course was developed in partnership with member...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Department is working closely with officials in Cork County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites in relation to the procurement of a site for the school to which the Deputy refers. A site option has been identified and a more in-depth technical assessment is now being undertaken. If it is established that the site is suitable,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that all aspects of the tendering process for the project to which he refers have been satisfactorily completed. The local Education and Training Board (ETB) is delivering the project and my Department gave approval to it on 27 February last to issue a Letter of Intent to award a contract to the preferred bidder. Assuming that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (28 Feb 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 Plan 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 (28 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that there have been 8 one teacher schools in the area to which he refers in the period 2010 to date. A table with details of the individual schools and their enrolment trends over the period concerned follows. The enrolment numbers for 2016 represent the enrolment for the 2016-17 academic year. - - 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Roll No. Official School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Feb 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 and additional teaching resources to support individual pupils with special educational needs. The NCSE...