Results 17,221-17,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: The new National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, 2015-19, contains a number of targets that are intended to promote participation rates for those groups that are currently under-represented in higher education. These targets were developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders during the consultation process that informed the National Access Plan. These national targets...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Student Assistance Fund provides financial supports to students who are experiencing short-term or ongoing financial difficulties. The Fund is administered locally within each higher education institution. Funds are provided on an annual basis to each institution by the Higher Education Authority. The attached tables provide the level of funding provided through the Student Assistance...

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

Richard Bruton: The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, 2015-2019, was published in December 2015. One of the actions in the National Access Plan is for each higher education institution to reflect the goals, objectives and targets of the Plan in their individual, institutional level, access plans and in the annual compacts arising from the strategic dialogue process. This process of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Provisional results from the 2015/2016 National School Annual Census showing the breakdown by county of the number of children at primary level in classes of 25 or more are shown in the attached table. Final figures will be published at the end of June. Further details on individual school class size are available on my Department's website at...

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

Richard Bruton: The numbers of primary and post primary teachers paid on my Department's payroll in May 2016, on less than full hours on temporary and CID contracts are as follows: Number of Post Primary RPT (temporary) staff on less than 22 hours per week is 1,859. Number of Post Primary CID (Contract of Indefinite Duration) staff on less than 22 hours per week is 960. Number of Primary RPT (temporary)...

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

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the 6 Year Capital Plan (2016 - 2021), announced last November, as part of the Government's €2.8 billion schools capital investment programme, details the major school building projects that are scheduled to proceed to tender/construction over the lifetime of the Plan. It is my Department's intention to progress these projects, including the projects listed for...

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

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that my Department approved funding for window works to the school referred to under the Summer Works Scheme (2014/2015). The school subsequently reverted to my Department seeking additional funding for a revised scope of works. This application is currently being assessed by my Department to confirm whether the project needs to be retendered. A decision will be conveyed to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (9 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: Departmental Reports (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government recognises the importance of higher education to Ireland's future economic and social development and also the huge impact a higher education experience has on the lives of individuals. In considering the best way forward, the previous Government established an Expert Group to examine future funding requirements for higher education and to present options for developing a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Data (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The data requested is not collected separately for the university sector, however in the 2014/15 academic year, there were just over 18,000 core staff across the higher education system (whole-time equivalents). This figure encompasses some 9,800 academic staff and 8,300 non-academic staff. These figures do not include contract research staff. There were just over 190,000 students (whole-time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Question Nos. 163 and 234 together. The Government is very conscious of the concerns regarding the availability of accommodation for students. The reality is that dealing comprehensively with this issue will only take place as part of a more general programme to address the major housing and homelessness issue, and the new Government has appointed a specific Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Capital funding for the Third level Sector was provided in the 2016-2021 Capital Plan. This comprised of a direct Exchequer investment of €150m, including €40m already allocated to the Grangegorman project, and €200m worth of funding for PPP projects. It provides for a total investment of €350m in the Sector.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Since 2006, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility and authority for regulation of the teaching profession, including the registration of teachers under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015. Under the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2009, Regulation 3 (Montessori and other categories), graduates with certain Montessori qualifications (Level 8 on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to submitted an application for funding for the provision of additional classroom accommodation following the allocation of a further mainstream teacher for the coming school year. In its application, the school advised my Department that the accommodation available to the school includes a General Purpose room and also a Multi-Purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cross-Border Co-operation (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department has not developed any Memorandums of Understanding with my counterpart in Northern Ireland with regard to the delivery of services on the island of Ireland.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: Recent years have seen an increase in the number of SNAs from 10,575 posts in 2011, to 12,040 to June 2016. In the same period the number of children accessing SNA support has grown from approximately 22,000 to some 30,000 by the end of 2015. The increase in SNA numbers has been supported by a very significant increase in the Budget for SNAs, rising from €332 million in 2011 to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government 'A Programme for a Partnership Government' has a commitment to enhance the guidance counsellor allocation in our secondary schools. Up until September 2012, an ex-quota allocation was provided for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation to post primary schools. This resource was allocated in accordance with pupil enrolment. 42% of second-level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools. The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (8 Jun 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 217 together. 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...