Results 15,881-15,900 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. An application for planning has been submitted and the Planning authority has requested additional information. The response to this request is being prepared and will be submitted shortly. My Department is also currently finalising the site acquisition. Upon receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: To allow the Teacher complete the Droichead process, school personnel will need to have attended and completed Professional Support Team (PST) training with the NIPT and have commenced the Droichead process in the school with the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT). The NQT may then complete the Droichead process if s/he has submitted the DR1 form to Limerick Education Centre and has a minimum of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sick Pay Scheme (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Following a review of sick leave arrangements, a new Public Service wide sick leave scheme was introduced across the Public Service in 2014. The Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Act 2013, provided the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with the power to make regulations that set out the specific details of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.  Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Molaim Ceisteanna Uimh. 53 go 55, cuimsitheach, a fhreagairt le chéile. Is iad na príomhghráid sa Roinn atá gafa le seirbhísí a sheachadadh ar phobal na Gaeilge ná na gráid a bhaineann le cigireacht na scoileanna agus le soláthar na seirbhísí síceolaíochta oideachais a chuireann An tSeirbhís Náisiúnta...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents. Circa. 94% of primary schools and 65% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme. My Department supports the operation of book rental schemes through the funding provided under its school books grant scheme. Under this scheme, my Department provides funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills has been made aware of the challenges faced by the third level institution in question with respect to its current library facilities. There are many competing demands on the limited capital budget for higher education and the library development proposal will be considered within the context of competing demands. I am not in a position to commit to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (13 Oct 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 Eligibility (13 Oct 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: Capitation Grants (13 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Budget 2017 represents the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The...

Financial Resolutions 2017 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate. We have all been through one hell of a rollercoaster ride in the past decade, but having reflected on it, there is a compelling proposition that everyone must now accept, which is that we cannot have a sustainable, fair society without a strong economy and we cannot have a sustainable, strong economy without a fair society....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 10 together. The Deputy will be aware that in March 2014, my Department and the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, launched an ICT Skills Action Plan 2014 - 2018. The Plan was developed in close collaboration with industry. The plan sets out a collaborative, system-wide response, across Departments, agencies and the education and enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: In recognition of funding pressures in the higher education sector, an Expert Group chaired by Peter Cassells was established in summer 2014 to examine funding arrangements for higher education. The Report of the Expert Group, published in July, clearly outlines the funding challenges in the higher education sector and offers a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration. As...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Within the further education and training sector there is a range of flexible high quality education and training on offer to meet the skill needs of individuals who are unemployed.  To provide for the skill needs of those who are in employment a number of initiatives are also in place to provide in-work training and sustain and support existing employment. Funded from the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: A number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 have been commenced, including those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children. The following sections of EPSEN were commenced in 2005: Section 1 – Interpretation Section 2 - providing for the inclusive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: Through the Schools Broadband Access Programme, my Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary, post-primary and special schools. The overall policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with technical solutions available in the market and within required financial parameters. My Department continually...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Contractors (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: A building project is a complex arrangement of contractual relationships between the client, the main contractor, specialist sub-contractors, domestic sub-contractors, suppliers of materials, suppliers of plant etc. In general all sub-contractors employed on education sector building projects are employed directly by the Main Contractor or indirectly by the Main Contractor through other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Globalisation Fund (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) assists Member States to provide active labour market supports for workers who are made redundant due to globalisation or a global economic and financial crisis. Eligible redundancy situations are those involving at least 500 redundancies in a specific company (including suppliers/downstream producers) in a 4 month period, or at least 500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: For school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 geographic areas known as school planning areas. These defined areas facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. In identifying the requirement for additional school places in a school planning area, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaeltacht Policy (12 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: In the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019, which was published in September, I committed to publishing a Gaeltacht Education Strategy before the end of the year.  To this end I am currently finalising the Policy for Gaeltacht Education, which will outline the measures that will be taken to successfully implement the commitment, outlined in Action 33 of the Action Plan, to...