Results 15,681-15,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and the staffing circulars in respect of the 2017/18 school year will be available on the Department website next January. Budget 2017 sets out the...

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

Richard Bruton: The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides assistance to all schools that experience critical incidents such as a sudden bereavement. I can confirm that a NEPS psychologist visited the school referred to by the Deputy to offer advice and support and this service remains available to the school. In addition I can advise the Deputy that the school in question sought an...

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

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers currently has a number of applications for capital funding with my Department including an Emergency Works Scheme application. My Department is liaising with the school to composite its applications to enable a decision on how best to comprehensively meet its needs over a period of time. Given the extent of the work required and the cost involved, an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Officials from my Department have worked closely with officials from Cork City Council to procure a permanent site for the school referred to by the Deputy. This acquisition is currently at an advanced stage and is expected to complete shortly, subject to no issues arising.

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

Richard Bruton: The application from the school to which the Deputy refers was made under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The application is under consideration and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The normal practice is for the Minor Works Grant to be announced late in the year if funding permits. 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. Subject to funding, the Minor Works Grant issues to primary schools without the need for primary schools to submit an application. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Expenditure (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: Funding for the substantial proportion of access to electronic-journals is coordinated through IReL, a highly successful shared service.  IReL is an essential element in Ireland’s research and education infrastructure delivering access for students and staff of all seven universities and the RCSI to over 30,000 journals as well as databases and e-books. It also underpins key...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the total costs for external legal advice incurred by my Department during the years in question are as follows: - 2013 - €47843.07 - 2014 - €19312.94 - 2015 - €13591.50 The external bodies providing the advice were as follows: - Conor Feeney, BL - Peter Ward, BL - Patrick Donaghy and Co. State Claims Agency

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

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application to my Department for additional school accommodation. The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school in question is included in my Departments six year construction programme 2016-21 and is scheduled therein to commence construction in 2017. The project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b), which includes the applications for the Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Water Charges Exemptions (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will appreciate that the implementation of the Government decision on water charges for schools is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning Community and Local Government in conjunction with Irish Water. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: In March 2015, the then Minister for Education and Skills announced the introduction of an interim measure to give some certainty for children with Down syndrome in relation to their teaching allocations, until a new model for the allocation of resource teachers in mainstream schools is in place. Provision was made for the NCSE to make additional allocations of 2.5 Resource Teaching hours...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: ACELS (the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the recognition and inspection of English language schools.  It is administered by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).  ACELS has been closed for new applications since January 2014, therefore there are no new applications for ACELS recognition awaiting a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory role under the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 to provide me with policy advice in relation to matters concerning the education of persons with special educational needs. The NCSE identified that the current model for allocating resource teachers to schools is potentially inequitable, because...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Certificate and Disability Access Certificate and the preparation of Tender Documents. All statutory approvals have been secured and the Design Team have been authorised to complete...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (2 Nov 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am disappointed at the decision of the ASTI to take industrial action and the major disruption caused last Thursday to over 250,000 students and their parents and potential further disruption from Monday onwards. Talks between ASTI and my Department are continuing this week. I have continually stated that dialogue between my Department and ASTI is in the best interests of schools, parents,...

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

Richard Bruton: My Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application concerned will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been completed.

Topical Issue Debate: Higher Education Institutions (27 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: In general, the Equality Tribunal is the forum for hearing extreme cases of bullying. Every college must have an anti-bullying policy. The relationship with the HEA involves setting out performance areas under which colleges must show they are addressing concerns. I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the attention of the authority. I cannot substantiate the cases in respect of any...

Topical Issue Debate: Higher Education Institutions (27 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am not privy to some of the content of the claims he has of cases where he suggests unnecessary appeals may have been made to contest findings or to some of the other concerns he raised. The Higher Education Authority is very concerned about gender equality and has initiated a system-wide review of higher education institutions' gender profiles...