Results 15,041-15,060 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am aware that some schools are experiencing difficulty in recruiting adequately qualified substitute teachers. I am committed to examining all possible means of addressing that issue. In overall terms, however, the Department has no evidence of a recent or current shortage of primary teachers. There are many different variables that affect the supply and demand for teachers in our...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Cullinane for raising this issue. He is absolutely right that this project has had a very troubled history. I have had discussions with his constituency colleague and my ministerial colleague, Deputy John Halligan, about the situation. The school was selected for inclusion in the Department's prefab replacement scheme in 2012, as Deputy Cullinane said. The approval was for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 Dec 2016)

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 S support. The NCSE allocates S support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department published Circular Letter 0015/2015 in February 2015 to advise schools of revised pay arrangements for casual and non-casual teachers which took effect from the commencement of the 2015/16 school year, following agreement at the Teachers Conciliation Council. Prior to September 2015, the daily/hourly rates paid to casual and non-casual teachers per/day hour worked included...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school, to which he refers, is included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme. A permanent accommodation solution for the school 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: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychological 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 in the NEPS section of my Department's website. Under this scheme schools can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is aware of the issues referred to by the Deputy. The Department was in contact with the school Principal in May and agreed to facilitate the school with the advance payment of capitation funding due in September to enable it to address these issues. In this regard the school was advised to contact the Department with regard to the school's funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 (Enhancing Teaching, Learning & Assessment), launched in October 2015, sets out a clear vision for the role of ICT in teaching, learning and assessment in primary and post primary schools. The Strategy is focused on realising the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students by helping them become...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Data (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached tables, which were compiled by SOLAS. Information is not available on whether participants were EU or non EU citizens.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the student referred to by the Deputy was advised by the awarding authority that in order for his application to be fully assessed, specific documentation was required.  To date, this specific information has not been received and the student was refused a grant on the basis that he had not provided the specific documentary evidence...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, published in July, identifies income-contingent loans as being one of the possible options for the future funding of the higher education sector. Other options include a predominantly State-funded system or a State-funded system supplemented with continuing student fees. As committed to in the Programme for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates the total recurrent funding allocation to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions (HEIs) including the Universities and Institutes of Technology. The HEA allocates the available funding based on a Recurrent Grant Allocation Model which is driven primarily by student numbers weighted by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. These included pay reductions since 2010 and also reductions to the pay of new entrant public servants (including teachers) since 2011. Collective agreements reached between the Government and the public service unions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016, which passed second stage on 17 November 2016, and the The Parents and Students Charter Bill which was published on 5 December 2016 are important legislative measures that will have a significant positive impact on all our schools.  Both measures will fulfil key commitments in the Action Plan for Education to both increase the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning Stage 2A – Developed Design. Upon the successful completion of Stage 2A, and subject to no issues arising, this project will then be authorised to proceed to Stage 2B - Detailed Design Stage, which includes applications for Planning Permission, Fire...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (14 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the Teaching Council Act 2001 the Teaching Council is, since 2006, the independent statutory regulatory body for the teaching profession.  A key function of the Council is maintaining the register of teachers in the State and registration of teachers including setting criteria and procedures for probation for registration. Accordingly,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology (13 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: I will deal with the general issue first. I believe regional institutions will be crucial to our long-term competitiveness and ability to ensure the regions can compete and build a genuine sustainable competitive advantage. Everyone recognises that one of the key priorities is not only to build on the 200,000 jobs we have delivered with another 200,000 in the coming period but also to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology (13 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: I assure the Senator that any matters that are brought to our attention will be examined by the HEA in the context of the development of this viability plan. That plan is going to the board, which will have an opportunity to consider it. I have to recognise that where an institution is in financial difficulty, there will be higher levels of accountability and scrutiny expected of all parts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (13 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Junior Certificate Religious Education syllabus was published in 2000. It is offered by schools as an optional subject at Junior Certificate level. In 2016, in excess of 27,000 students sat the examination in Religious Education (from a total cohort of approximately 60,000). The aim of the syllabus is to provide students with a framework for encountering and engaging with the variety of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (13 Dec 2016)

Richard Bruton: In relation to the teaching of religion in schools, under the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religion classes if they so wish. The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must...