Results 14,681-14,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputies recognised, these legal measures were in place long before I came to this job. The position as to when the State has a liability is clear. The Oireachtas decided that the State would have a liability when it was acting in place of the parents. That is how the residential institutions incurred State liability - the State had removed young people from their parents, set...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will consider that matter, but I do not have the capacity to deal with the issue. The legislation is clear and I cannot just change this situation. That is the legal advice that I have received. I will consider the request, but I do not want to give the impression that I am in a position to introduce a scheme of compensation when the established rules as to when the State is liable are...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I am very much aware of the stress suffered by individuals who have suffered from sexual abuse. I have met such people and understand the concerns expressed by the Deputies. The historical legacy of sexual abuse in Ireland is appalling. The redress scheme, established under the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, was intended to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the the Deputy will be aware my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme schools can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving an application for major capital works from the school in question. Any application received will be considered and a response will be conveyed to the school authority subsequently.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Grants (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 181 together. My Department will arrange for the issues raised by the Deputies to be brought to the attention of the Secondary Education Committee. With regard to the fee-charging Protestant schools, an arrangement exists whereby funding is provided by my Department to the Secondary Education Committee, an organisation run by the churches involved in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Claims Agency (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: The State Claims Agency (SCA) manages school child sexual abuse litigation being taken against the State.  In December 2014, the Government authorised the SCA to offer “out of court” settlements to persons taking cases of school child sexual abuse against the State where their cases come within the terms of the ECtHR judgment in the Louise O'Keeffe case and are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: 15 Pilot Support Scheme applications were received for the 2016/17 academic year with 2 qualifying for support. Most applicants who did not qualify for support, failed to qualify under two or more criteria. The reasons why applicants did not qualify for a support were as follows: - Did not have five years in the Irish Education system; - Did not meet the criteria for permission to reside...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: A process to review the DEIS Programme has recently been completed and it is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks. The review process has looked comprehensively at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, the potential for innovation within and between schools and its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 186 and 190 together. Three Gaelscoileanna, located in Kilcock, Leixlip and Naas, currently serve the North Kildare area at primary level.  At post-primary level, as the Deputy will be aware, Maynooth Community College opened in 2014 with an Irish-medium Aonad.  It was stated that should the Aonad demonstrate sufficient viability...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelcholáistí Issues (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166, 183 and 251 together. Maynooth Community College opened in 2014 with an Irish-medium Aonad.  It was stated that should the Aonad demonstrate sufficient viability after four years from its date of establishment, a Gaelcholáiste would be established.  As part of the November 2015 announcement on the new primary and post-primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: The second phase of the building project referred to by the Deputy was authorized to proceed to tender in October 2016. The Design Team has recently conducted the pre-qualification of suitable contractors and is currently finalizing a shortlist of up to ten contractors who will be requested to tender for the project. Once the shortlist has been finalized tenders will issue for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning-Stage 2(b), which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The Design Team have been requested to review the impact of the recently introduced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that a permanent accommodation solution for the school to which he refers, has been identified. My Department will be in contact with the school authority in due course. However, due to the sensitivity of the position, my Department is unable to comment further at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 to 172, inclusive, 174 and 176 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the student enrolment data that she seek for Co Louth on an individual school basis for schools years 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 are outlined in the following spreadsheet. I would advise the Deputy that the student enrolment figures for 2016/17 are still only provisional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173, 175, 177 and 178 together. The post primary student data in the following spreadsheet gives details of national student enrolment figures for schools years 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17. I wish to advised the Deputy that the enrolment figures for 2016/17 are still only provisional. The officials in my Department advise that these will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the primary school enrolment information requested is set out in the spreadsheet. The source of this data was obtained from my Department's Statistics Section's Annual Census 2016-2017. The data is still provisional and it is expected that final data will be published in April 2017. The matter of enrolment in individual schools is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware the project referred to is included in my Department's 6 year construction programme. Officials from Donegal County Council on behalf of my Department have engaged with relevant landowners with respect to identified site options. Negotiations in this respect are ongoing with a view to progressing a site acquisition as soon as possible.  Due to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of a Category 10 application, external environment project, under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017) from the school to which she 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: School Enrolments (31 Jan 2017)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department recently met with representatives of the school referred to and it was agreed that a further meeting would be convened within the coming weeks. It was agreed also that this would allow adequate time for updated demographic data, taking into account overall current and projected pupil numbers in the area, and...