Results 16,221-16,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Contracts (29 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The terms and conditions of the Job Sharing Scheme for Teachers are contained in my Department’s Circular Letter 0075/2015. These terms and conditions have been agreed under the auspices of  the Teachers Conciliation Council, a body established in accordance with the terms of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Children who are diagnosed with Autism may be enrolled in an early intervention class attached to a mainstream school from the age of three years. From the age of 4 children with Autism may be enrolled in a mainstream school either in a special class or in a mainstream class with supports including access to SNA support if appropriate and resource teaching hours. Such placements facilitate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Since September 2012 at post primary level guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. The 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Children First Guidelines (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together. In autumn 2011, my Department issued "Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools" based on the "Children First – National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011”. These procedures apply to all primary and post-primary schools. The purpose of the procedures is to give direction and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Children First Guidelines (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for teaching. The role of the Council is to promote and regulate the teaching profession, including establishing and promoting professional standards and supporting teachers’ learning. The Teaching Council’s criteria for initial teacher education (ITE) programmes set out, for professional accreditation purposes, learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Stay Safe Programme (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) has responsibility for supporting the implementation of the revised Stay Safe Programme.  The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework which PDST has developed in this regard includes support for the revised Walk Tall materials for primary schools.  PDST has a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team with appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Protection (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has overall responsibility for developing the State’s policy and legislative framework in relation to child welfare and protection. A central element of this framework is the Children First – National Guidance published originally by that Department in 1999 and updated in 2011. The Children First Guidance operates as the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Secondment (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department, through the teacher support services and education centres, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (28 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: In order to be registered as an apprentice by SOLAS, a person must be employed by an approved employer in one of the 27 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 Ireland acknowledged that the number of women employed in craft apprenticeships is low as this has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Lansdowne Road Agreement (28 Sep 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 practice in the public service that the decision of the trade union recognised as holding representative rights for a particular grade or sector will determine the position...

Order of Business (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: To add to what the Taoiseach has said, we have a provision each year for the next six years. Deputy Burton is right that there is pressure on schools and that we have a growing number of pupils at both primary and secondary level. The Department has always practised a policy of having projects ready to go in order that any available money is fully utilised in any year. That is the current...

Order of Business (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: First, I am glad to tell the Deputy that as and from 1 September this year, the pupil-teacher ratio has been reduced in our primary schools. That measure was included in last year's budget and will, of course, have a carry-over cost into 2017 when the bulk of the year will be funded by the 2017 budget. There is also a review of the position of small schools under way. Like others, I cannot...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (27 Sep 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: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224, 278, 279 and 282 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides for an extensive range of supports to assist pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing.   The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including deaf and hard of hearing pupils, should be included in mainstream placements with additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government publically announced its decision of 14thJune 2016 to increase the number of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts available for allocation in schools by 860 posts. In keeping with the recommendation of the Focused Policy Assessment of the SNA scheme the Government also agreed and announced that the SNA scheme would be comprehensively assessed by the National Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting of Personnel (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Since the introduction in 2006 of the non-statutory Garda vetting arrangements, the Teaching Council has played a central role in the vetting of registered teachers both for the purposes of registration with the Council and as a conduit for school employers for the purposes of the vetting of registered teachers for employment.   Under the non-statutory vetting arrangements,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The college to which the Deputy refers is an approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre which is managed and funded by City of Dublin Educational and Training Board (CDETB) from funding provided by my Department. Post Leaving Certificate Centres provide further education courses up to Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). My Department has facilitated the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of locally based Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) allocates Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools for children with special educational needs (SEN) arising from a disability. SNA support is provided to a school to provide for the significant additional care needs of children with an identified SEN who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: A site acquisition process for the school referred to by the Deputy is underway. A site option has been identified and it is being actively progressed. When a site has been secured, the project for the school in question will be progressed into the architectural planning process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (27 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme. The project for the school in question will be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender and construction stages in the period 2019 - 2021, as outlined in the Programme. My Department is currently finalising the school project brief and once this process...