Results 15,641-15,660 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Byrne for raising the issue. I absolutely agree this is a major concern for students and parents alike. I am very disappointed at the decision of the ASTI to take industrial action, and it will cause serious disruption for up to 250,000 students and their parents. However, talks have been continuing all this week and last week on both of the issues to which the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the group in question has been in contact with me seeking support with their archive material.As this is not an area that my Department funds, I will be referring them to a more appropriate organization to see if they can be of assistance.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 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. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would start...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for a new school building. The Deputy will be aware that my Department’s current priority is focused on the provision of essential classroom accommodation to meet demographic demand and this will be the main focus for capital investment in the coming years. As a project for the two teacher school in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Universities and institutes of technology, under the Universities Act 1997 and the Institutes of Technology Acts, are autonomous bodies and, as such, have responsibility for their own academic affairs, including issues relating to the admission of students. Therefore it is a matter for the institutes themselves to set admissions requirements for individual programmes of education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a major extension project for the school in question, to meet the demographic demands in the area, is included in my Department’s 6 Year Construction Programme (2016-21). Given the complexities and constraints presented by inter alia the school site and location of existing school buildings, the Department will be proceeding with a single construction project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Exchange Scheme (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The provisions of the teacher exchange scheme are set out in my Department’s Circular Letter 0017/2015 the contents of which were agreed under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council (TCC). The scheme is designed to facilitate primary teachers to temporarily exchange their posts for educational purposes. The minimum period for which an exchange may occur is one year and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Administration (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: There is a Code of Governance in place in the universities whereby universities make annual returns to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in respect of their compliance regarding a range of issues consistent with the requirements of the Code. As part of the HEA role to promote, monitor and ensure good practice with regard to governance and accountability for the higher education sector, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: There is a Code of Governance in place in the universities whereby universities make annual returns to the Higher Education Authority( HEA ) in respect of their compliance regarding a range of issues consistent with the requirements of the Code. As part of the HEA role to promote, monitor and ensure good practice with regard to governance and accountability for the higher education sector,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Following a lengthy consultation process with all stakeholders, the Report of the Expert Group on Fixed Term and Part Time Employment in Lecturing was published in July 2016.  The Report contains a number of recommendations that will assist in addressing concerns raised about the level of part-time and fixed-term employment in lecturing in the third level sector. My officials are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is a requirement of the secondary teachers superannuation scheme that pension contributions are paid on all pensionable service. A person is therefore liable for contributions in respect of personal pension and lump sum for all service notwithstanding that pension is calculated based on a maximum of 40 years’ service. For the duration of his membership of the scheme the person...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: During the Summer, my Department gave approval in principle for the works in question to be carried out at the school. The nature of the project, however, has many inherent risks and it is important that all of these risks are identified and addressed during the design process. The Department will need to be satisfied that this is the case before final approval can issue for the project....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Data (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, contributions from religious congregations towards the costs of redress are being made under two separate rounds. Under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, the 18 participating religious congregations are contributing €128m in cash, counselling services and property. The cash contributions of €54.42m under the Indemnity Agreement have been received while...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Further to parliamentary question number 110 of 20 October, the position on the minor works grant remains unchanged.  It remains the case that the issue of the Minor Works Grant 2016/2017 will be considered in the context of my Department's overall capital position later this year. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (3 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The Deputy will appreciate that, in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and supporting documentation, it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (2 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. A previous Fianna Fáil led Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Appeals (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Trust of the school in question recently made a formal announcement regarding their decision to begin winding down this fee charging junior school. The school will continue operating until the end of the current academic year in June 2017 and will then close. In general, where a school is closing, the onus is on the Patron to assist in ensuring that any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 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 S support. The NCSE allocates S support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular...