Results 17,021-17,040 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Graduate Medicine Programme Fees (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware students who qualify for entry to the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme are liable for the cost of their tuition fees as they already hold an undergraduate qualification. However, the costs for EU students are partly subsidised by the State through a grant provided by the Higher Education Authority. For the 2015/16 academic year the subsidy was €9,500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Private Schools (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2016 (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The costs arising from demographic increases in the school population must be met from within the Revised Estimates for my Department for 2016, which the House debated on 15th June. Specific provision was made as part of Budget 2016 to provide for certain costs in the school system arising from increased demographics. An additional allocation of some €58 million was included in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Courses Provision (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, current demographic patterns will drive an increase in demand for higher education in the coming years. My Department publishes projections each year of enrolments at primary and second level and of demand for higher education for the following 15 - 18 year period. These projections are available on my Department's website. Current projections envisage the demand for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (23 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. There are currently four consortia engaged with the process to become designated as TUs. These are TU4Dublin (Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Tallaght, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown),...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am advised that the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is currently undertaking an operational review of the Scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate examinations at the request of its Board. This ongoing operational review is focussing in the first instance on; - the nature and timing of decision making regarding applications for reasonable accommodations - the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases for assessment services through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) a panel of private practitioners maintained for this purpose. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that on 14th June, 2016, I announced that 860 additional Special Needs Assistants will be available for allocation to schools over the period September to December 2016, a 7% increase, in order to meet the level of identified demand. This will bring the total number of Special Needs Assistants to 12,900, at a total gross annual cost of €425m. This increase...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Funding (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together. The data requested on funding by county for the 18 to 24 year age cohort is not available. My Department provides funding, through SOLAS, for a range of Further Education and Training programmes which includes courses for this age cohort. In 2016, SOLAS will provide funding of €580 million delivering programmes to approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Expenditure (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates the recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates the funding to institutions and it is then a matter for the individual institution as to how that funding is allocated internally. Details on the total recurrent funding allocated by the HEA to each of the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions Expenditure (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The overall level of core funding resources in the higher education sector (from the state, student contributions, tuition fees and other income sources) has remained reasonably stable since 2010. However, the significant increase in student numbers has resulted in a decrease in the level of funding resource per student. It is estimated that at current student numbers, it would cost in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff Appeals Mechanism (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. 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 previous 30 September. The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 138 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017), valid applications from schools in respect of Categories 3 to 10, that were not reached within the funding made available in 2016, will, subject to the overall availability of funding, qualify to be assessed under future rounds of the Scheme. If this arises,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that a grant was approved in November 2015 under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme to enable the Board of Management of the school in question to provide a mainstream classroom and ancillary accommodation. The school recently submitted an application for additional funding for the project. This application is currently being considered and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: In general, school authorities have a considerable degree of autonomy in relation to how their premises are managed and utilised at local level. The use of school facilities must be approved by the school authority. In 2005, my Department issued a circular to Trustees, Boards of Management and Principals of Primary and Voluntary Secondary Schools (Circular Letter Prim 16/05) to encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Under the revised Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations being considered by my Department, Regulation 3 (Montessori and Other Categories) will be accommodated under Route 4. Under this route of registration a teacher currently registered under Regulation 3 may maintain his/her registration on the basis of the qualification which was recognised in order for the Teaching Council to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2b Detailed Design, which includes obtaining the necessary statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. A planning application was lodged in October 2015 and the Design Team have recently submitted the necessary information to the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Arts in Education Charter (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Arts in Education Charter, launched in 2013, was a landmark development in relation to the promotion of arts education and arts in education in Ireland. The Charter is an initiative of my Department, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, working in association with the Arts Council. The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises the Charter as providing an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Arts in Education Charter (23 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises the Arts in Education Charter as providing an unprecedented opportunity for children and young people to engage in a proactive and meaningful way with arts in education in Ireland and commits to its implementation. In the context of the Charter, a number of artist residencies have been supported at the Colleges of Education in Ireland....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Administration (22 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The functions of SOLAS are set out in section 7 of the Further Education and Training Act 2013 and include the provision of training as well as the development of new and existing further education and training programmes. The role of SOLAS in relation to the CSCS and Safe Pass derives from the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013. The regulations provide...