Results 16,301-16,320 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The review of the DEIS programme is currently underway and it is my intention that a New Action Plan Educational Inclusion will be published by the end of this year. The review is looking at all aspects of DEIS, including the identification process for the inclusion of schools in the programme, the range and impact of different elements of the School Support Programme, and the scope for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Facilities (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: DIT has confirmed that funding to the DIT Students' Union (DITSU) has been maintained without interruption. There has been no financial threat to staffing of DITSU or to its activities. On an annual basis DITSU receives funding of €1.1 million through DIT under a funding agreement between DIT and DITSU. This level of funding, which is greater than that available to students'...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Earlier this week I published the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019. Action 35 sets out my vision on the role and place of foreign languages in the education system. I want to increase the diversity and provision of foreign language learning opportunities including languages like Mandarin which are of relevance to rapidly growing economies of the future. As part of the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 393 together. To be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate that he/she has been resident in the State for at least 3 years out of the 5 year period ending on the day before the start of his/her approved course of study. This requirement takes cognisance of students who wish to take...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Weight of Schoolbags (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department issued circulars to all primary and post-primary schools in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem. The report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags, commissioned by then Minister Micheál Martin, recognised that many of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (16 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. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (16 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. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 416 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Colleges (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that SOLAS has recently received an application from Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) for funding to establish a College of Further Education in Swords. SOLAS is examining the application and will meet with DDLETB in relation to the application.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that this Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school, referred to, is privately owned and my Department is aware, that owing to the death of the school's owner in 2013, the school closed in June 2016. The school did not enrol first year students for the 2014/15 school year. I also understand that the school remained open so that the current cohort of junior and senior cycle pupils could finish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school in question was approved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for 2015. The funding provided was to build a permanent stand-alone mainstream classroom. Twice during the project a funding uplift was given for significant additional works. Over and above this, the school authority commissioned further works, which it may do subject to meeting the cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has approved funding for the school in question to carry out the works to which he refers. The school authority has been informed of this decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. All statutory approvals have been obtained and the Stage 2b submission has been approved by my Department. This project was included in the 6 Year Programme announced on 17th November 2015 to progress to tender and construction. Arising from significant changes to the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (16 Sep 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills has a very strict policy in relation to the use of credit cards. Their use in the Department is restricted to Ministerial Private Secretaries and the Principal Officer responsible for the Department's IT Unit. The Department has a written policy in place which sets out the limited circumstances in which credit cards can be used, namely costs associated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Agencies Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 406 together. As the information on credit cards sought by the Deputy is not routinely collected, the Department has sought details from each of the 18 State Agencies under its remit. The Department will endeavour to provide the information as soon as possible. In regard to the the Deputy's question concerning the number of credit cards issued...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Since 2011 new schools are generally only established in areas of demographic growth. My Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and information from my own Department's databases. With this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: Tá roinnt aighneachtaí ón scoil faighte ag an Roinn seo, lena n-áirítear suirbhéanna agus grianghraf. Maidir leis an mórthionscadal tógála don scoil dá bhfuil tagairt déanta ag an Teachta, tá Foireann Deartha fós le ceapadh chuige. Meastar go gcuirfear tús leis an bpróiseas sin ar ball beag. Déanfaidh Oifigigh...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Richard Bruton: The terms of reference and the arrangements for the review of eligibility for services which are supported by Caranua are being considered at present.