Results 17,501-17,520 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school to which he refers was included on the 6-year Construction Programme announced last November. My Department is considering the long term projected pupil enrolment for the school in question which will determine the appropriate level of accommodation. My Department expects to be in further contact with the school concerned as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the annual rental value of vacant property and land in my ownership is not available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 168 together. Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. Private colleges operated on a for-profit basis are not listed as approved institutions for student grant purposes. However, tax relief on tuition fees may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164, 171 and 196 to 198, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has made an application to my Department for capital funding for additional accommodation. 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: Schools Refurbishment (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The maintenance works at the school to which the Deputy refers is window replacement and spalling concrete repairs. The brief for the works has now been finalised in my Department. The project is being devolved for delivery by the school itself. In this regard, the school has been informed that my Department will be writing to the Board of Management shortly to provide it with the brief...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 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: Physical Education Facilities (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 170 together. In December 2012, outline planning permission in relation to the school development referred to by the Deputy was submitted to the relevant local authority but was refused on the grounds that the proposed means of access would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard or obstruction of road users. This was appealed by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that Section 20(1)(j) of the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act 2004 sets out that one of the functions of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is to advise the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. Section 20(3)(b)(i) of the Act also requires that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ombudsman's Remit (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for a Partnership Government provides that the role and power of an Ombudsman for Education, to whom a parent could complain and appeal on foot of a decision by a board of management, will be examined by the relevant Oireachtas Committee to ensure its consistency with the need to ensure better local decision making and accountability to parents. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Professional Development (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I would like to assure the Deputy of this Government's commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The Teaching Council's Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education set the criteria for providers of initial teacher education and provides that special needs education is a mandatory component of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Data (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating special educational needs supports, including Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and Resource Teaching support to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Data (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The information sought by the Deputy is being compiled by the Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Data (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The progression of students into, and through, higher education is supported at national level through a range of initiatives, including the on-going reform of the transitions from second-level to higher education, the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015–2019, and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. The HEA is also monitoring higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Where new schools are not needed but some level of additional accommodation is required in an area to meet demographic demand, a range of factors are considered as to which school or schools should be provided with this accommodation. These factors include the level of diversity of provision in the area and the ability or otherwise of existing school sites to facilitate the extra...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Priorities (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Government will shortly be publishing a legislation programme for the current session and that this will identify the priority legislation for my Department, which will be based on the priorities set out in the Programme for Government.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for a Partnership Government provides for a three year statement of strategy for my Department within the first 100 days and a framework for measuring its progress. The Strategy will be informed by the Government's Programme for a Partnership Government and aims to advance the transformation of the education system to support the principles of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Supplementary pension is a top-up pension paid by the occupational pension provider in the period between retirement and age 66 (previously age 65) to public servants who paid Class A PRSI during some or all of their employment. Supplementary pension is paid in order to ensure that these public servants are not disadvantaged between the date of retirement and state pension age. It is a rule...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers is a recognised special school. In the case of special schools, the National Council for Special Education allocates staffing resources on an ongoing basis to provide for the number of pupils enrolling taking into account the disability categorisation of those pupils, and in accordance with the criteria set out in my Departments Circular 0042/2011. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (24 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school referred to by the Deputy is currently operating out of suitable start-up accommodation and will continue to operate in this accommodation for the coming 2016/17 academic year. A suitable permanent site has been identified for the school and the acquisition process is underway. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a...