Results 15,441-15,460 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Third Level Funding (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I agree with Deputy Byrne. This is a major priority for me. The national strategy for higher education to 2030, which dates back to the Hunt report, sets out a very ambitious agenda that aims to improve significantly the performance of Ireland's higher education system with regard to quality, breadth of participation, attainment levels and the establishment of a sustainable and equitable...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Third Level Funding (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I roundly reject what the Deputy is saying. The action plan is peppered with actions for higher and further education such as improving the quality of learning and teaching and investing in the sector. We delivered that in the budget. We have looked at the whole area of rolling out the Grangegorman project. We have looked at it right through every area we have identified: quality of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Following a number of years of decline, registrations in the 27 craft trades are rising as the employment and economic situation improves. At the end of 2014, registrations were up 40% on 2013. In 2015 there were 3,153 registrations in the existing trades which represents a further 17% increase in registrations on 2014. SOLAS has recently completed its forecasts for registrations up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the Financial Review of the Institutes of Technology (IoTs) by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) was to provide an overview of the financial health of the sector, to consider capacity issues and to examine the challenges for the institutions given their respective plans for the future. It examined the impact of decline in the State grant in the years since 2008 and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Reducing class sizes has been a target of successive Governments. Budget 2016 provided for an improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools by one point, from 1 teacher for every 28 pupils to 1 teacher for every 27 pupils for the 2016/17 school year.  The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level and it is my intention to make further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I and my Department has been engaging with ASTI bilaterally in relation to issues of concern over a period of several months. I welcome the decision by ASTI last week to suspend its two industrial actions i.e. their one day strikes and their withdrawal from Supervision and Substitution duties.  I also welcome the fact that a process has started under the auspices of the Teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (16 Nov 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 provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Supervision and substitution duties are core duties for all teachers since the Haddington Road Agreement. A limited group of teachers were allowed to opt-out of the duties in return for a pay reduction. Department Circular 0006/2014 states that with effect from the beginning of the 2013/14 school year, participation in the Supervision and Substitution scheme will be compulsory for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department has been engaging with ASTI bilaterally in relation to issues of concern over the last few months. I welcome the decision by ASTI last week to suspend its two industrial actions i.e. their one day strikes and their withdrawal from Supervision and Substitution duties.  I also welcome the fact that a process has started under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Subsection 8(1) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 sets out the classes of services from which Caranua can determine the approved services to be provided. Those classes of services comprise: - mental health, counselling and psychological support services - health and personal social services; - educational services; and - housing support services. Following its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I included a specific action in the Action Plan for Education that expresses my commitment to working with the Committee to deliver changes in this area. The Government proposed and the Dáil agreed that the Equal Status (Admissions to Schools) Bill proceed to second stage in June 2017.  This will allow parents, patrons and other stakeholders to have their say and to ensure that that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the decision by ASTI last week to suspend its two industrial actions i.e. their one day strikes and their withdrawal from Supervision and Substitution duties.  I also welcome the fact that a process has started under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) aimed at finding a resolution to this dispute.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended in its report that programmes in Education about Religion and Beliefs (ERB) and Ethics be developed. The NCCA was asked, by one of my predecessors, in response to the report, to explore the development of such programmes. The NCCA produced a Consultation Paper in 2015 outlining the proposed rationale,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The 2015 Annual Report of the independent Appeals Officer appointed to consider appeals against decisions of Caranua (the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund) was presented by me to the Houses of the Oireachtas on 20 September last in fulfilment of the statutory requirement set out in section 21 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. The Report is a summary of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Scheme (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 63 together. As I have already announced, it is my intention to publish a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion before the end of this year. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that 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 education programmes which may draw from a range...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to commission an independent examination to identify the supports and barriers to accessing higher education for lone parents, and examine measures to increase participation. In line with this commitment, my Department engaged a multi-disciplinary team in NUI Maynooth to undertake the independent review. The review is being overseen by a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Defibrillators in Schools Provision (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides funding to schools towards the cost of assistive technology, for pupils in Primary, Post Primary and Special schools, for personal computers and specialist software for educational purposes under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.  Equipment is provided under the scheme for children with more complex disabilities who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Both initial teacher education and continuing professional development for teachers contain elements that are relevant to the Traveller and Roma communities. Initial teacher education (ITE) programme providers aim to prepare their student teachers to meet the diverse needs of all their pupils. The compulsory components of ITE are outlined in the Teaching Council’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided to primary schools is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher...