Results 17,401-17,420 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (26 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: Schools Refurbishment (26 May 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school in question is included in the 6 Year Construction Programme announced last November and is scheduled to proceed to tender and construction in the period 2019-21. My Department is liaising with the school in the context of initiating the architectural planning process for the project, which includes consideration of site related matters.

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

Richard Bruton: My Department's policies focus on ensuring that all children can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. A range of placement options for pupils with special educational needs is provided, in order to ensure that all pupils can receive a school placement. Many pupils with special educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers have recently been informed that it has been allocated funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme to provide two mainstream classrooms.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff Appeals Mechanism (26 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 30 September 2015. The staffing arrangements at primary level also include an appeals mechanism...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application for additional accommodation. The application is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Private colleges operating on a for-profit basis, as is the case with Griffith College, are not listed as approved institutions for student grant purposes. However, tax relief on tuition fees may be available for students attending courses in private colleges. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. I also understand that financial institutions offer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The major building project for the school in question is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 2B Detailed Design Stage. A brief change request from the Board of Management to use an adjoining site to fully decant the school during construction was approved by the Department on 15th September 2015. The school and its design team were authorised to secure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Relations (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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 with the needs of the public to see improvements in the services they use after a lost decade of investment. These agreements, and in particular the most recent Lansdowne Road Agreement, bring important benefits for public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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 Housing with a commitment to develop an Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (26 May 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. This is in line with the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 which provides a framework for the development of the higher education sector to 2030. With regard to the institute of technology sector, the Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Details of the draft financial statements for all Institutes of Technology (IoTs) for 2014/15 are set out in the following table. The draft financial statements for the IoTs for the year 2015/16 are not yet available. All the institutes showing a deficit, with the exception of two - Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) - have reserves which can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I will arrange for the information in relation to this case to be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelcholáistí Issues (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The new schools which will open in 2017 and 2018 to cater for increased demographic demand nationwide were announced in November 2015. At that time it was stated that a Gaelcholáiste to serve the North Kildare area will open in 2019, subject to sufficient viability of the Irish-medium Aonad, which is currently part of Maynooth Community College. The Gaelcholáiste will operate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Support Services Funding (26 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department allocates significant resources to ensure that students can participate fully in their academic courses and are not disadvantaged by reason of a disability. The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department and provides funding to students in approved colleges for further and higher education for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 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 school referred to by the Deputy will have a mainstream teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (25 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary and secondary schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over the recent years. In 2015 the first increase in education spending was secured in recent years and a further increase in education spending was achieved in 2016. I am determined to continue pressing the case for increased investment, including grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (25 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Since September 2012 at post primary level guidance provision is now being organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. This...