Results 17,201-17,220 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Leaders' Questions (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: How much time do I have?

Leaders' Questions (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Michael Moynihan for raising this issue. Members of the House will appreciate the importance of community-based care. Yesterday, an announcement was made concerning additional funding for the health service which, significantly, includes additional provision for home help hours. It is also important to bear in mind, as the Deputy has recognised, that the programme for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a Pilot Support Scheme was introduced last year for students who are in the Protection System or at the Leave to Remain (but not deportation order) stage. The scheme was intended to provide supports to qualifying students which were similar to those available in the statutory based Student Grant Scheme. Last week I announced the continuation of the Pilot...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017), valid applications from schools that were not reached for funding reasons from within the funding made available in 2016 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available in 2017, subject to the overall availability of funding. If this arises, the terms and conditions of the scheme as outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation, book grant and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment. The following is a breakdown of grant funding provided by my Department to the school referred to by the Deputy in 2016. Capitation Grant, €138,106; Ancillary Services Grant, €95,500; Book Grant, €1,914; Book Seed Capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Applications (9 Jun 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. However, on 1 January 2016 there were 66 major projects under construction. Since the start of this year 14 more major projects have been progressed to construction and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Data (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may 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 through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). I can inform the Deputy that my Department, over the course of recent economic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2016/17 school year are set out in Department Circular 0007/2016 which is available on the Department website. The staffing circular includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the May 2016 meeting of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department approved additional accommodation at the first named school and the project was devolved to the Board of Management for delivery. The Board has since sought significant additional funding for the project. The request is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the Board when this process had been finalised. In the case...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education Facilities (9 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (9 Jun 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: Student Grant Scheme Administration (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware of the difficult expenditure reduction measures taken in recent budgets as a consequence of the challenging economic circumstances. A decision in Budget 2012, removed maintenance payments for new students entering post graduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards. However, eligible students can still qualify for limited fee support. Those who meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Inclusive Learning Initiative was a pilot initiative by Maynooth University that enabled a small group of students with an intellectual disability to participate in some modules of higher education programmes. I understand that Maynooth University has taken the decision not to recruit any additional students for this pilot initiative in 2016. The existing students who are enrolled on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the legislative proposals for my Department are as set out in the Government Legislation Programme for the current session, published yesterday by the Chief Whip.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 to 63, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that, Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, providing for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs and the sections of the Act which placed the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on a statutory footing, were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Expenditure (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may 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 through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). The scheme is administered by NEPS from a panel of private practitioners maintained for this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Staff (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy 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 through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). My Department, over the course of recent economic difficulties, has not only maintained...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Lansdowne Road Agreement (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department has a responsibility to ensure that ASTI members are fully aware of the implications of their decision to withdraw from the Lansdowne Road Agreement. In doing so, ASTI members are opting to forego a series of benefits and protections, such as avoiding an increment freeze, continuation of the alleviation of the FEMPI Act 2013 pay cut for higher earners, the Supervision and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) scheme is a third-level admissions scheme operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions under the HEAR scheme are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admission policy in relation to HEAR, the number of places they reserve for HEAR, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Schemes (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third-level admissions scheme for students with a disability. The DARE scheme is operated by a number of higher education institutions and not by my Department. Admissions under the DARE scheme are regulated by the institutions themselves. Each higher education institution determines its own admission policy in relation to DARE, the number...