Results 15,241-15,260 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is not aware of an application for additional permanent accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. Recently, however, the school submitted an application for temporary accommodation for a developing teaching post.  In that regard further necessary documentation has been requested from the school.  Once the necessary documentation is returned the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Lansdowne Road Agreement (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Designated Community College sector is considered as having dual union representation i.e. both ASTI and TUI have representation rights in respect of teachers in such schools.  The Community and Comprehensive school sector is also dual-union. In the case of these schools, those teachers who are members of TUI (which has accepted to the Lansdowne Road Agreement) were asked to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that a proposal has been received by my Department in relation to the matter to which she refers.  This submission is currently under consideration and my officials will respond to the proposal in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 to 65, inclusive, and 68 together. The Universities Act, 1997 contains a provision for all of the Universities to borrow within a framework agreed with the Higher Education Authority. This framework, which was agreed with the Department of Education and Skills and the now Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, has been in operation for many...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. Officials of my Department have requested the information from the Higher Education Authority and it will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Expenditure (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Higher Education Authority, following consultations with my Department, has recently issued a circular letter to all institutions under its remit. This circular has been issued for the purpose of updating and consolidating the information available in relation to priority capital projects in higher education institutions (HEIs).  The circular also provides HEIs with the opportunity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Proofing of Policies (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan on Bullying, which was published in January 2013, sets out my Department’s approach to tackling bullying and promoting an anti-bullying culture in schools. The actions focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aim to ensure that all forms of bullying, including identity based bullying such as homophobic and transphobic bullying,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parent and Student Charter (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the Government will introduce a stronger complaints procedure and charter for parents. My Department has been working on draft legislation to provide for replacing the current Section 28 of the Education Act, 1998. The overall approach is to shift away from concentrating on reacting to problems only after...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 73 together. The project to which the Deputy refers has reached an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2b, which involves securing the statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. The design team was appointed in March 2011 with a brief to provide the extension and refurbishment work on a phased basis with a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The project referred to by the Deputy provides a valuable role in encouraging empathy in young people. Building empathy is considered to be part of the SPHE curriculum. This project is one of a range of external resources and initiatives that are available to assist schools in implementing various aspects of the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. It is a matter for...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: This scheme has a budget of €175 million. Under it, there are guaranteed places for people who fall within the eligible categories and, after that, concessionary places are made available. We have maintained a high level of commitment in this area but most of the requests are for people to move outside the established rules. The Minister of State has undertaken to examine it and he...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides capitation funding to recognised primary schools. The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers is being delivered under the Departments Design & Build Programme. The planning application was lodged in August 2016. Clare County Council issued an additional information request on 27/09/2016. The Project Management Team is currently finalizing a response to this request and it will be submitted to the Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: On 17th November 2016, I announced the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017, totalling €28.5 million. Payment will issue to primary schools this week. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Administration (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school, for children with special educational needs awaiting a suitable educational placement and for early intervention for children with autism. Parents engage tutors directly and prior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As I have already announced, it is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion in the coming weeks. A process to review DEIS - the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion established last year is now nearing completion. The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, particularly the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pensions Legislation (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that Montessori schools are private educational entities and not recognised schools under the Education Act 1998. Therefore the employment terms and conditions of their workers, including access to paid holidays and pension entitlements are matters for the owners/managers of those facilities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Local Authority Functions (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As indicated in my reply of 16 November, the proposed project is primarily a matter for the relevant local authority, which would be best placed to provide further information. My Department is not directly involved in the project and accordingly I am not in a position to provide the type of information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Services (29 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware 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....