Results 16,621-16,640 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (14 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016. There is no record of an application having been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Applications (14 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application from the school in question under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017), Category 1, Gas Works. The school in question did not provide mandatory information required in accordance with the terms of the scheme and thus the application was deemed invalid. I wish to advise the Deputy that under the scheme the onus is on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Funding was devolved to the Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) under my Department's Major Devolved Projects Scheme to provide an extension project, including a Special Needs Unit, at the school to which the Deputy refers. It is understood that the CETB has completed the pre-qualification of contractors for the project and my Department is awaiting a request from the CETB for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2016/2017 school year is set out in Circular 0007/2016. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the 30 September 2015. The Staffing Schedule includes the provision where schools experiencing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (14 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The brief for the school building project to which the Deputy refers is to provide an extension of seven classrooms and refurbishment of the existing accommodation to cater for a 16 classroom school. The staffing at the school is currently a Principal with 11 mainstream teachers and two special education teachers. The enrolments for 2015/16 school year were 295 pupils which reflects an...

Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I know that he raised it earlier on the Order of Business and I can only imagine what a devastating blow it is to the community in Mallow. As he said, it concerns a school with a great and outstanding record and it comes as a great blow to it that it suffered such damage in the fire. I thank him for contacting the Department and assure him that...

Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I cannot really add to what has been said, but I will tick-tack with the Deputy and others, including other Deputies in the area, who are concerned to make sure there will be no breakdown in communication and that the various technical assessments will be acted on hastily.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Start Programme (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Access and Inclusion Model funded by my colleague, the Minister of Children and Youth Affairs, was developed specifically for the ECCE scheme. Early Start is funded by my Department. Early Start centres are based in 40 primary schools in areas of social disadvantage (DEIS band 1). In comparison to ECCE centres, Early Start centres are staffed by primary school teachers and a childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: A Transitions Reform Steering Group is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills and has membership from Department of Education and Skills, the National Centre for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the State Examinations Commission (SEC), the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and Institute of Technology Ireland (IOTI)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: To satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another, where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course. The objective of this policy is to help as many...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Access Service actively engages directly with primary and post primary schools in the inner city of Dublin. The DIT 'Inner City' school programme focuses on working with 1st to 6th year students in 13 schools in the inner city area. The overall aim of this programme is to increase the number of students from schools in inner city Dublin entering...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2016. However, tax relief on tuition fees may be available...

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

Richard Bruton: The School referred to by the Deputy is currently in temporary accommodation on the All Hallows Site consisting of 21 Prefabricated Classrooms covering 1,072m2. It was necessary for the school to vacate its permanent school building following weather related damage. The school will continue to operate in Temporary Accommodation pending the delivery of a new school building. A major...

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

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 to 118, inclusive, together. Following the outcome of the recent patronage process I announced that a new primary school under the patronage of Educate Together will open in September 2016 to serve the Drumcondra/Marino/Dublin 1 school planning area. The Deputy will be aware that a project for the provision of a building for this new school is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Recruitment (13 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: I will arrange for the information that is available in relation to teachers paid on payrolls operated by my Department to be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Momentum Programme (12 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: The criteria for eligibility to participate in the Momentum programme is a matter for the Department of Social Protection. SOLAS has informed me that the estimated cost of training a participant in the current Momentum programme is approximately €3,200. Based on that figure, the cost to increase the number of places by 20% would be €3.84million.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (12 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would start...

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

Richard Bruton: I can confirm for the Deputy that my Department approved funding for additional classroom accommodation and an Autism Spectrum Disorder unit to the school in question. The school has since reverted to my Department with a request for additional funding for the project. The request will be considered by my Department and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities as soon as this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (12 Jul 2016)

Richard Bruton: As I have explained to the Deputy in response to previous Parliamentary Questions, Caranua is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 to support the needs of survivors of residential institutional child abuse. Administrative and operational issues such as those raised in the Deputy's question are day to day matters that are...