Results 17,601-17,620 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The eligibility criteria for student grants including the income thresholds is reviewed annually in my Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. No changes to the thresholds were included in Budget 2016. As the Deputy will be aware, all proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including changes to income thresholds, will be considered in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government Priorities (19 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: Programme for Government Initiatives (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy may be aware, a process to review DEIS, the Action Plan for Social Inclusion, is ongoing. The majority of the review work programme is scheduled for completion by the end of the current school year. The overall scope of the review is to assess the existing DEIS Programme in the context of evaluations to date and any relevant policy and other developments, in order to inform...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government gives a commitment to publish a new School Admissions and Excellence legislation, taking account of current draft proposals. When I have had an opportunity as Minister to review and consider how best to legislate for school admissions so that they operate in a fair and transparent way, I will bring legislation to the Houses of the Oireachtas. I look forward to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government is committed to progressing the development of a dynamic and innovative education system that reflects the diversity of 21st century Ireland. The Programme for a Partnership Government reflects the Government's objective of strengthening parental choice and further expanding diversity in our school system, specifically by increasing the number of non-denominational and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments Waiting Times (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an 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, full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme, schools can have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: This is an operational matter for Cork ETB. I have asked the board to contact the Deputy directly to clarify the position of the person concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Following a number of years of decline, registrations in the 27 existing apprenticeship trades are rising as the employment and economic situation improves. At the end of 2014, registrations were up 40% on 2013. In 2015 there were 3,153 registrations in the existing trades which represents a further 17% increase in registrations on 2014. SOLAS have informed me that registrations are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Guidance Counsellors (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government 'A Programme for a Partnership Government' has a commitment to reintroduce guidance counselling to secondary schools. The current budget provides an improved staffing allocation to second level schools for the purpose of enhancing guidance provision. This improvement takes effect from next September. It brings the basis of allocation from 19:1 to 18.7:1 for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (19 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will be aware that a major building project for the school to which he refers was included on the 6-year Construction Programme announced last November. In the context of progressing the project, my Department has requested technical documentation and drawings from the school. When received, my Department will be in further contact with the school in the context of initiating the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing allocation to primary schools, which will be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools, ranging from 20:1 to 24:1 depending on the type of school. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. The business case put forward by the Kildare Wicklow ETB for the development of a new Education and Training Facility in Maynooth, County Kildare, requires a substantial capital investment. There is currently no dedicated capital funding for Further Education and Training projects and my Department's overall capital budget for 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education. Children with ASD may be enrolled in a mainstream school and can attend all mainstream classes. In such cases these children will receive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department furnished an application form to the school in question in April 2015 in response to its enquiry relating to accommodation needs. The school was invited to complete the application form and return it to my Department. My Department has no record of receiving the application from the school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Government has committed to establishing a Public Service Pay Commission to examine pay levels across the Public Service, including the entry pay levels to which the Deputy refers. The Government recognises the importance of being able to attract quality new entrants to the Public Service, particularly so in important professional areas like education. The restrictions in entry pay...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is very aware of the importance of small schools to rural communities and particularly the most dispersed and remote communities. To sustain primary schools in these communities my Department has a more favourable staffing schedule for small schools that are more than 8 km distant from the next nearest school of the same type of patronage and language of instruction. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that in 2006, the school in question received funding from my Department to construct a classroom and a general purpose room. This project was completed in 2008. My Department has no record of receiving an application from the school for grant aid for the extra facilities to which he refers.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (19 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of the impact budgetary decisions taken in our economic crisis have had on capitation and related grants to our primary schools. I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for primary 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...