Results 16,941-16,960 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment policy in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of the school, subject to the approval of the Patron. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The Patron has advised the Department that there has been no...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Literacy Programmes (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department will complete an Interim Review of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy by September 2016. The review was scheduled to begin in 2016 but was brought forward to 2015 as many of the targets set in the Strategy have already been achieved. For example: - The 2020 target to reduce by at least 5% the cohort of primary children performing at the lowest levels of English Reading...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The decision on when a new school is warranted in a School Planning area is based on objective demographic analysis and where a school is warranted, the selection of a patron is an independent process which places a particular emphasis on parental preferences. My Department is focused on ensuring that all schools in an area can between them cater for all students seeking a school place....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including entry pay levels. The terms of reference and timescale for the Commission's work are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish new School Admissions legislation taking account of current draft proposals and addressing issues including publication of school enrolment policies, an end to waiting lists, introduction of annual enrolment structures, and transparency and fairness in admissions for pupils and their parents. I have commenced a process of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the new Programme for Government outlines that this new Government will continue to support the creation of Technological Universities. The first Government Legislative Programme of this new Partnership Government was published on 8 June 2016, and the Technological Universities Bill has been restored to the Dáil Order Paper at Committee Stage. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including entry pay levels. The terms of reference and timescale for the Commission's work are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and would require broad consultation, including engagement with staff representatives as was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including entry pay levels. The terms of reference and timescale for the Commission's work are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Directives (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills seeks to improve the standard of language education and the language competency of migrant students in the primary and post primary sectors in several ways. Firstly, the Department allocates teachers to teach English as an additional language. Some €100 million is provided to give such additional language support to schools in this academic year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, consultation with members of the school community including parents is advised. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made. An advice sheet on the adoption of tablets in schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to assure the Deputy that I fully recognise the key role of physical education within the school experience. In our Programme for Partnership Government we have set out a commitment to introduce a new Leaving Certificate Physical Education syllabus. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has advanced this work. It will be a priority of my Government to ensure its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Languages Programme (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is working on a Foreign Language Strategy and intends to complete it by the autumn. The Strategy will consider foreign languages from the post-primary sector upwards. The strategy will take into account the findings of a public consultative process with education stakeholders held in 2014. Following the analysis of the submissions received there were two further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religion classes if they so wish. The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Jun 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. There is a reduced enrolment requirement for the retention of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Further Education and Training (FET) sector has undergone major structural and policy change over the last number of years. The purpose of this reform is to ensure that we have a FET sector that is flexible and responsive to the needs of learners and industry alike. Within the FET sector there is a range of flexible high quality programmes on offer to meet the needs of young...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers was included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme announced last November. The delivery of a project necessitates the acquisition of a suitable site. Once a site is acquired, the project will be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender and construction in 2019-2021, as outlined in the programme.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is acknowledged that any change to the Equal Status Act would be extremely difficult as this is a hugely complex area legally, constitutionally, and in other ways. I note that the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, when conducting pre-legislative scrutiny of the previously published Admissions Bill, acknowledged the potential tension between...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: It is acknowledged that any change to the Equal Status Act would be extremely difficult as this is a hugely complex area legally, constitutionally, and in other ways. I note that the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, when conducting pre-legislative scrutiny of the previously published Admissions Bill, acknowledged the potential tension between...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department published a new National Skills Strategy in January 2016. The purpose of this new Strategy is to provide a framework for skills development that will help drive Ireland's growth both economically and societally over the next decade. Through the vision, objectives, actions and indicators, the Strategy will support the development of a well-educated, well-skilled and adaptable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (28 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the planning difficulties associated with this educational campus, related largely to the means of access to the site. Planning permission has been sought and refused for both a new primary school and a physical education hall for the existing post-primary school. An Bord Pleanála has indicated that the matter of assessing alternative means of accessing...