Results 16,461-16,480 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Higher Education Authority produce an annual Graduate Destination Survey, which as the question suggests only tracks destinations 9 months post course completion, and also only covers universities and colleges. The plan for next year is to extend this to the Institutes of Technology, and there are also plans to move towards a more longitudinal approach which will look at destinations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Data (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not hold information on the specific details set out by the Deputy. The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, published recently, outlines the funding challenges in the sector and offers a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration. As committed to in the Programme for Government, I am referring the report to the Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Expenditure (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Not all of the information sought by the Deputy is available in my Department. Officials of my Department have requested the Higher Education Authority to collate the information and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Universities Act, 1997 contains a provision for universities to borrow within a framework agreed with the Higher Education Authority. This framework, which was agreed with my Department and the now Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, has been in operation for many years. A similar provision to allow Institutes of Technology to borrow is contained in the Institutes of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (21 Jul 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 Sections of the EPSEN Act which have not been implemented are those which would have conferred a statutory entitlement to - - an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I recently published the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education and, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, I am referring the report to the relevant Oireachtas Education Committee for its consideration. The report of the expert group clearly outlines the funding challenges across the higher education sector. The report analyses the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Asylum Support Services (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the terms of the Department's free fees scheme, the Exchequer through the Department meets the cost of tuition fees for full-time undergraduate students who meet the terms of the scheme. To qualify for these schemes prospective students have to meet a number of criteria including nationality and residency including a requirement that a student must have been living in an EEA member...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school in question 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. The design team will submit the stage 2(b) report to the Department when it is completed and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together. I can confirm that my Department has received an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. In the assessment of the application, my Department will take account of a recent additional teaching post approved for the school. A decision will be conveyed to the school authority when the assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for special needs assistants (SNA) supports. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, which are set out in my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information Data (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information as requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.: Number of FOI requests received by the Department of Education and Skills to date in 2016 Number of FOI requests refused to date in 2016 Number of FOI requests part granted to date in 2016 266 46 67

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Remuneration (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The following tabular statement gives details of the travel expenses paid to the Minister and the Minister of State at the Department from January 2016 to date: Ms. Jan O Sullivan Minister for Education and Skills Period No. of Kms Claimed Amount December to May 2016 13,034 €5,709.84 Mr. Damien English, T.D. Minister of State Period No of Kms Claimed Amount 1 – 31...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Advisers Data (21 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the terms of the Guidelines for the appointment of ministerial appointees for the 32nd Dáil as published by the Department of Public Expenditure an d Reform I have appointed 2 Special Advisers, namely Mr. Conor Quinn and Mr. Patrick Cluskey. While their appointments have not been formally approved at this time their respective salaries will be within the pay scales for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Childhood Care and Education (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) programme of supports was announced on 15th June 2016 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, depending on the needs of the child and the pre-school. The supports include: A new Inclusion Charter for the Early Years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. The options for progressing this commitment are currently under consideration in my Department within the context of overall budgetary constraints, and the large number of competing demands for available funding. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Alleviating the housing crisis is a cross-Government priority and the available analysis indicates that the lack of suitable rental accommodation for students is driving up rents in the private rental sector, particularly in areas where demand for rental property is high. This is contributing to what we know is already a considerable strain on some students and their families to participate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Staff (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Those undertaking postgraduate study at Masters and PhD levels are considered as students, not employees. Under the Irish Research Council's Post Graduate Schemes scholars must be full-time students. However, as teaching is an essential means for the dissemination of knowledge and is considered valuable within the Scholar's career, the Council allows Scholars to undertake additional duties...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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. The Free Fees Initiative (FFI) has a similar residency requirement. This requirement takes cognisance of students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Circular 0059/2006, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, sets out the factors that should be considered in determining the seniority of special needs assistants employed in primary and post-primary schools. The Board of Management/ETB determines seniority based on the special needs assistant's date of commencement of duty as an SNA in the school/ETB. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (20 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can advise that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for significant capital funding. I am aware that my Department's technical staff visited the school and the outcome of the visit is currently being considered. My Department expects to be in contact with the school authority shortly relating to the matter.