Results 16,101-16,120 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: ASTI has issued a directive to their members to withdraw from the Croke Park hours. These are the 33 hours of additional work per year (less than one hour per week) that were agreed under the Croke Park agreement, to facilitate staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, etc., without closing schools. ASTI's decision to withdraw from these hours means that the union has repudiated the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Review (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Review (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Global Rankings (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: While there is a decline in the Rankings of some Irish Institutions, Ireland performs ahead of most European countries relative to our population size and has the highest level of tertiary attainment rate for 30 – 34 year olds in Europe. We do have to be cautious about how we interpret the results of these commercial global rankings.  It is clear that performance in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Participation (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, 2015-2019, provides the framework for promoting equity of access to higher education. The vision of the National Access Plan is to ensure that the student body entering into, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland's population. The Plan identifies the main...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that a building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. This school project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site and this process is currently in train. The architectural planning process for the new school building will commence as soon as the site is secured. My Department will be in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Lansdowne Road Agreement Implementation (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: As is the norm with public service collective agreements, the Lansdowne Road Agreement was negotiated with trade unions which are recognised as representing staff in the public service (including teachers).  It is normal industrial relations practice in the public service that the decision of the trade union recognised as holding representative rights for a particular grade or sector...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: University Global Rankings (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: While there is a decline in the Rankings of some Irish Institutions, Ireland performs ahead of most European countries relative to our population size and has the highest level of tertiary attainment rate for 30 – 34 year olds in Europe. We do have to be cautious about how we interpret the results of these commercial global rankings.  It is clear that performance in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Speech and Language Therapy Provision (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for a Partnership Government states that a new model of In-School Speech and Language Therapy will be established. It commits to investing an extra €500million in education by 2021, through measures including childcare subventions and HSE Speech and Language Therapists, to bring the number up to 1,102 (a 25% increase). The Programme for a Partnership Government also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 has a specific action to enhance guidance counselling at second-level as resources permit. A significant move was made last month with the restoration of half of the cut in provision for guidance counselling. This was the equivalent to the restoration of 300 posts. The delivery of the 50% restoration through a change in the staffing schedule allows...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that Section 20 (1) (j) of the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act 2004 sets out that one of the functions of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is to advise the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. In recent years, the NCSE has provided my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, published in July, clearly outlines the funding challenges in the higher education sector and offers a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration in the medium to long term. As committed to in the Programme for Government, I have referred the report to the Education Committee as part of the process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Disputes (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that ASTI is currently conducting two ballots of their members – one on industrial action relating to new teachers’ pay and a second ballot on industrial action, including withdrawal from supervision and substitution duties, in relation to terms and conditions.  In addition, ASTI have issued a directive to their members to withdraw from the Croke Park...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved capital funding to the school in question to construct two resource rooms and a letter of confirmation issued to the school last July. My Department considers that the school has sufficient classrooms for its needs and grant aid was not therefore provided for this purpose.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Six Year Construction Plan for the period 2016 to 2021, announced in November 2015, outlines the building projects and major extensions that will progress over the lifetime of the Plan. The Plan prioritises projects that in addition to meeting increases in enrolments, have a major deficit of mainstream accommodation capacity for current enrolments,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The delivery of school projects so that all schools in an area can between them cater for all students seeking a school place is the main focus of my Department’s capital budget.  To this end, my Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses a range of data sources in carrying out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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 sectors aimed at building the domestic supply of graduates from the education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 175 and 176 together. As the Deputy is aware, in order to be registered as an apprentice by SOLAS, a person must be employed by an approved employer in one of the 27 existing trades. Recruitment to apprenticeship is therefore driven by employers rather than by SOLAS or by education and training providers. The 2014 Review of Apprenticeship in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme Provision (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for early educational intervention for children...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (4 Oct 2016)

Richard Bruton: The recent agreement reached with TUI and INTO on the issue of new entrant pay will result in increases of up to €2,000 per year for new teachers at the start of their careers. The estimated value of these increases over a teacher’s career is €135,000. This new arrangement will apply to members of the teachers’ unions which have signed up to the Lansdowne Road...