Results 17,381-17,400 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (31 May 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: Teachers' Remuneration (31 May 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 Guidance Counsellors (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 333 to 335, inclusive, and 337 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget Measures (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The previous Government sought, against a very challenging economic backdrop, to protect education spending and maintain frontline education services as far as possible. While difficult savings measures had to be implemented across areas of the Education Sector, including in Budget 2012, my Department has continued to provide high levels of services through efficient and effective use of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy points out, a grant has been approved for the school in question for a building project. The delivery of the project has been devolved to the school authority. The progression of the project is now, therefore, a matter for the Board of Management.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that in accordance with the approach adopted in relation to all such amalgamations, additional non-teaching resources are provided by my Department in respect of eligible pupils from the former DEIS school by way of continued support for the targeted cohort of pupils as a transitional measure. In the case of a primary school these supports continue to be supplied...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (31 May 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 arrangements at primary level also include an appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of having received an application under the Emergency Works Scheme from the school referred to by the Deputy. It is, however, open to the school to submit an application under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme in respect of essential works required. The appropriate application is available on my Department's website,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The project to which the Deputy refers was authorized to proceed to tender in late November 2015. Following recent clarification on matters raised the Design Team is currently finalizing tender documents and it is anticipated that the project will proceed to tender in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The position is that the higher education institutions, such as University of Limerick, are autonomous bodies and therefore the day to day operation of the institution, including issues surrounding the collection and administration of the Student Contribution and relevant action where there are outstanding debts, are matters for the Governing Authority of each institution. However, where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department for capital funding in respect of the third phase of the additional accommodation project. The application is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (31 May 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: State Examinations Data (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: In 2015 a total of 55,045 candidates sat the Leaving Certificate examinations and 2,884 candidates sat the Leaving Certificate Applied. 34,821 Leaving Certificate candidates and 1,319 Leaving Certificate Applied candidates were between the ages of 18 and 20. For 2016 the predicted Leaving Certificate candidates is 56,619 and 2,818 are predicated for Leaving Certificate Applied. Of these, it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (31 May 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 arrangements at primary level also include an appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: For the Deputy's information, professional fees have been taken to refer to payments to accountable persons from whom Professional Services Withholding Tax has been deducted in respect of professional services provided. I am advised that if spending by my Department in 2016 on all services that are subject to Professional Services Withholding Tax were maintained at the levels observed in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (31 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The 2016 allocation for Travel and Subsistence for my Department is €2.4 million. This includes provision for domestic and foreign travel and subsistence for administrative staff in the Department, for staff in the Department's Inspectorate and in the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). A 10 per cent reduction in spending in 2017, based on the 2016 allocation, would...

Adjournment Debate: Industrial Relations (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Byrne for raising these issues and I assure him I would be more than happy to meet him on these or on any other issues he wishes to discuss. The purpose of the wider framework of public service agreements is to balance the rightful ambition of public servants to see improvements in their pay and conditions after a long number of years of pressure with the needs of the public...

Adjournment Debate: Schools Building Projects (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter, which they mentioned to me yesterday evening. I assure them that I know Maynooth very well and I am very committed to ensuring this project is delivered. I know the parents are very anxious about the situation and are keen that their children will receive their education in the best facilities possible. This project was tendered by Kildare and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers. The arrangements for panel access for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that new schools are established to meet demographic demand. In general, the Department's policy is to integrate children with special educational needs into the mainstream school system wherever possible. Many of our schools have special education units included within them. However, special schools are also necessary to meet the educational needs of pupils whose...