Results 17,661-17,680 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The current sick leave scheme provides that sick leave may be granted by an employer to a teacher who is unable to perform his/her duties because of illness or injury. The terms of the sick leave scheme are contained in my Department's Circular 0053/2015 Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools. Paragraph 12.4 of Circular 0053/2015 states "A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 May 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: State Examinations Commission (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The State Examinations Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate Examinations. Full details of the scheme are available from their website: www.examinations.ie/candidates/reasonableaccommodations. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has made an application to my Department for significant capital funding for the provision of additional accommodation. The application will be 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: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, which is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. The Circular sets out the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256, 286 and 345 together. As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades (including teachers) by 10% with effect...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has a major building project included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme, due to go to construction in 2018. As the Deputy is aware, the school concerned submitted a proposal through its Patron to relocate the school within the Portlaoise area to meet its long term accommodation needs. In that regard, my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means, it would not be possible for me to say whether or not a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The objectives in the Primary SPHE curriculum which relate to cycling and keeping safe when travelling are part of the strand 'Myself', within this strand is a unit called 'Safety and Protection'. The pupils learn about the theory relating to road safety while studying this unit. Practical cycling training is a non-curricular activity. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Reviews (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Assessment arrangements for the new Junior Cycle are set out in the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015, which was published in August 2015, based on the revised junior cycle proposals that were published in summer 2015 following the conclusion of intensive discussions and signed agreement with the leadership of the two second level teaching unions. New subject specifications will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2016/2017 school year is set out in the Staffing Schedule (Circular 0007/2016) which is available on the Department website. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme Applications (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWG) for a new waste water treatment system. The appropriate funding mechanism for this type of work is the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) and it is a condition of this scheme that schools apply for the most urgent works needed at their school. However, the school in question applied for car...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: My Department is currently in the process of securing the site for the school building project to which the Deputy refers. In tandem with the site acquisition process, the design work for the school has been advanced so the application for planning permission can be submitted as the site acquisition is closed. Once the site has been acquired and planning permission secured, the project will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: 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 needs cannot be adequately...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: From 2000 the number of SNAs provided to support children with Special Educational Needs has grown from 1,495 to 12,040 in 2016. This growth in numbers has supported the development of over 1,000 special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools and has supported children's participation in mainstream classes while also maintaining support for children in special schools. Recent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme Eligibility (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: I wish to advise the Deputy that the closing date for receipt of applications for the Summer Works Scheme 2016 / 2017 via the Department's on-line Esinet Portal was 2nd December 2015. I regret that it is not possible to consider a late application.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: There are limited alleviation arrangements in place for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level. These arrangements are mainly focused at post-primary level. However, it is fair to say that before the moratorium, notwithstanding the fact that one out of every two teachers held a management allowance the workload issue and the pressures on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: A process to review the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools –Programme has been ongoing since its announcement by the Minister for Education and Skills in April 2015. 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 future policy on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (17 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. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Childhood Care Education (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The qualifications list setting out eligible qualifications for higher capitation funding from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. My Department plays an advisory role in this respect. It should be noted that early years services with graduates from this programme over the two years of its operation...