Results 14,481-14,500 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (16 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 5 application, toilet improvement project, under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which he refers. Nearly 50% of schools have applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand. Details of successful school applicants in respect of Categories 1 and 2 were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (16 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (16 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The information requested in respect of my Department’s expenditure on legal services in 2016 is detailed below. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of agencies is not held centrally by my Department. Expenditure on legal services by agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for each agency. If the Deputy has an interest in a particular agency then...

Confidence in Government: Motion (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Listening to the debate one would imagine there was some monopoly on compassion and concern on that side of the House. The reality is everyone here has a similar mandate. We all represent the same people. We all strive to do the best we can by the people who put us here. There are people here who see the only way in which they can express their concern is through condemnation and outrage....

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The difficulty with waiting list data is that waiting lists are maintained by individual schools and the same child may appear on several waiting lists. Therefore, they are not the only indicator of the relationship between supply and demand. The position my Department has outlined to me is that there are 13 primary schools in the Swords area. They obviously have a junior infant intake. I...

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: Yes, I-----

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: To avoid confusion, the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill does not involve the building programme. The Bill is about the admissions policies that schools operate. It deals with how schools deal with children with special needs, how they set their priorities-----

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's opening question was how the Bill would impact the problem in Swords. It is not designed to specifically build more schools. It is designed to have a consistent and transparent policy. That Bill is before the House and will go to Committee Stage. Pre-legislative hearings on some of these issues are taking place within the committee. I am very conscious that there is...

Topical Issue Debate: School Admissions (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: What do they prohibit?

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I can well understand the concern of the school in Waterville and many others. I will put the Deputy in the picture in terms of the capital budget, the backdrop against which I must deal with requests such as the one he has made. Every year we must provide approximately 20,000 new school places which roughly are split as follows: 15,000 for new...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I accept the point made by Deputy Brendan Griffin and must reassure him on a couple of points. First, there is no difference in the rules applied in commuter belts or any other area. The Deputy might point to commuter belts where there have been huge explosions of population and new schools are required to respond to them. The figures will indicate that we only replaced a handful of...

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am glad to be in a position to tell the Deputy that we recruited this September 2,300 additional teachers and plan to recruit 2,400 additional teachers this coming September. Therefore, we are in a phase of expanding significantly the number of people employed in the teacher workforce. As the Deputy knows, with the INTO and TUI we have agreed a significant improvement in the pay and...

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The system for selecting schools is based on the census returns, which means officials are using the best data available from the CSO on the socioeconomic make-up of the schools concerned. For the first time we have been in a position to add 80 new schools to the 800 plus schools now in the disadvantaged category. In addition, we are upgrading a further 30 schools in terms of the provision...

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: We are providing significant support and we intend to evolve and refine this model so that there will be opportunities for schools to be considered in the future. This is an evolving model. This is the first time we have been in a position to add to the number of schools and we have done so on a fair and objective basis-----

Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: -----based on CSO data which is the best material available to us.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Philanthropy Initiatives (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: My department currently supports the Music Generation initiative to the value of €2.5m per year, in respect of the 11 local Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) established under Phase 1 of the initiative and which were initially supported through philanthropic funding. In January 2016, a commitment was given by the Department of Education and Skills, subject to Exchequer resources, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 146 and 147 together. As the Deputies will be aware I announced last week new plans aimed at providing more multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment in this area. This will involve the Education and Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the patronage process for the nine new post-primary schools which will open in September 2017 and 2018, which I referenced in my July response to the Deputy, has been completed.  As I announced in November 2016, the new post-primary school which will open in 2018 to serve the areas of Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 will open as a multi-denominational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB). I understand that tenders for the project were recently received and a tender report is now being prepared by LCETB's Design Team. When the Tender Report has been received and evaluated my Department will be in direct contact with LCETB with regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Weight of Schoolbags (15 Feb 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of the recent survey carried out by the National Parents Council on the weight of school bags. The matter was discussed by the Oireachtas Committee for Children and Youth Affairs on 25th January 2017. My Department will of course consider any findings or recommendations the Committee may make on this matter. My Department issued circulars to all primary and post-primary...