Results 15,321-15,340 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department has already resolved a number of complex issues in progressing this project to date. The current position is that we are actively engaged with Meath County Council with a view to resolving outstanding issues that need to be considered in advance of lodging a planning application. We hope to lodge this application at the earliest possible opportunity once these outstanding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is, since 2006, the statutory regulator and standards body for the teaching profession in this state. The Teaching Council is the designated authority in this State for considering applications for registration from teachers who qualified in other States. I note that the person who is the subject of the Deputy's question appears...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill was published on 6thJuly 2016 and passed second stage last week.   The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 is a priority listing on the current legislative programme. The Programme for Government targets enactment of the Bill before September 2017.  Publication of the Bill reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that 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 have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Data (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 106 together. Since my appointment as Minister, forty two appointments have been made to State Boards of Bodies under the aegis of my Department. The information requested by the Deputy concerning the number of vacancies as well as the dates the vacancies arose in the State Agencies under the remit of my Department is provided in the attached table,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 for the professional regulation, including registration, of teachers in the State. The work of the Teaching Council is grounded in the values of professionally-led regulation, shared professional responsibility and collective professional confidence. The period...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting of Personnel (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: In April of this year, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory vetting requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons, including those working in schools. Prior to the Act’s commencement,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Expenditure (24 Nov 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 funding (block grant funding) to institutions and it is then a matter for the individual institution as to how that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 96 together. The delivery of the new education campus at Ballinrea, Carrigaline has been devolved to Cork Education & Training Board (CETB). Planning permission has been received for the campus. To comply with recent changes to the Public Works Contract, the Design Team was requested to assess the additional work that needs to be carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. My Department is in receipt of applications for additional accommodation from both of the schools referred to by the Deputy. The applications concerned are currently being assessed and my Department will be in contact with the school Patrons in the matter shortly. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (24 Nov 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 SNA support. The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to takes Questions Nos 100 and 104 to 105, inclusive, together. This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the schools to which the Deputy refers 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. In September 2016, the Design Team was requested to review the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Preschool Services (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not provide funding to pre-school services other than in early intervention classes in recognised primary schools or special schools. Supports for childcare, including pre-school education, are provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of pre-school education is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the apprenticeship branding and marketing campaign which will be run by SOLAS in partnership with the Apprenticeship Council, the Higher Education Authority and Education and Training Boards, will commence in early 2017. The tender process is at an advanced stage and SOLAS expects to award the contract to the successful bidder in December. As the tender process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (23 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills, is to consider the complex issues raised by the Labour Party's proposed amendment to section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act as set out in their Private Members Bill. I have included a specific action in the Action Plan for Education that expresses my commitment to working with the Oireachtas Committee on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (23 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 87 together. Article 44 of the Constitution and Section 30 of the Education Act 1998, provides that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (23 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that 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 have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Investigations (23 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of the report to which the Deputy refers. The position is that officials from my Department met with the complainant in February 2016 and, subsequently, my Department established an independent investigation with comprehensive terms of reference designed to cover the full range of allegations made. The complainant was consulted on the process including the terms of reference. The...

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (22 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: There is freedom of association and people have a perfect right not to join a trade union. If the TUI negotiates a deal for its members, it is a collective agreement with that union. In this instance, we would be quite happy to negotiate what we have agreed with the TUI with others, but we are in circumstances in which we have not reached such an agreement and I hope we can reach agreement....