Results 4,081-4,100 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Higher Education Grants. (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: The Deputy will be aware that the Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the maintenance grant scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses. The higher...

Higher Education Grants. (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: The student maintenance grant schemes include for grant purposes those awarded official refugee status. The Department understands that the candidate did not satisfy the conditions to be awarded official refugee status by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The issue to be clarified is the basis on which temporary leave to remain in the State was awarded. The Deputy will...

Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: I thank both Deputies for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the position with regard to the proposed building project for Ennis national school in Ennis, County Clare. All applications for capital funding are assessed in the planning and building unit of the Department. The assessment process determines the extent and type of need presenting,...

Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: As he has said before, he does not want to mislead this school or indeed any other school in the same situation by making any suggestions to the contrary. The Minister is currently in the process of reviewing with his officials the Department's spending plans for this year. This review will not be complete for some time and he will not be making any decision on further capital expenditure...

Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: I hope it is not. With regard to the school's short-term needs, the Department recently refused an application for a portacabin to accommodate a language support teacher and a resource teacher. As I have already outlined, the school has 13 ex-quota posts or non-mainstream class teachers overall. One of these is based in and shared with another school. Unfortunately, not all applications...

Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: In such times, where schools have alternative accommodation, such as a general purposes room or library, as is the case with Ennis national school, this should be used as an interim measure. While the Minister accepts that it is far from ideal for any children to be taught in non-customised accommodation, sometimes this is unavoidable until more favourable economic circumstances prevail. I...

Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: On a more positive front, Ennis national school can look forward to a brand new school building in time.

Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: I assure the Deputies that the Minister for Education and Science and my Department are committed to proceed with this building project as soon as funding is available.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (5 Jun 2008)

Seán Haughey: I would like to advise the Deputy that negotiations with school bus operators regarding school bus contracts are a matter between Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department, and the operators. These negotiations include issues such as motor fuel costs. Given this, it would be inappropriate for my Department to engage directly with school bus operators...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 104, inclusive, and 107 to 113, inclusive, together. To achieve the maximum benefits from the resources available to my Department to combat educational disadvantage in schools, a High Level Group was established to secure the improved integration of the services delivered by programmes and agencies on behalf of my Department. The principal objective of...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available prior to 2007. However, over 1,100 payments were made by my Department for remote area grants in 2007. The grant ranges from €1.30 to €5.10 per day depending on the distance travelled. I have already indicated to the Deputy, that, in general, remote area grants are paid at the end of the school year and my Department is...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: My Department has requested the Transport Liaison Officer (TLO) for County Kildare to examine the situation regarding school transport for the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. The TLO has also been requested to inform the family of the position, as soon as possible.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: On a point of order, I understood the first matter on the Adjournment was that of Senator Cecilia Keaveney.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: My Department is obtaining some information on Senator Wilson's matter. It would be helpful if we could take them in that order.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators Keaveney and Wilson for their co-operation in the order of the Adjournment matters. I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this matter, as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position in respect of the specific difficulties and solutions for...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: I thank Senator Wilson for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House my Department's position regarding the provision of improved facilities for Laragh national school, Stradone, County Cavan. As the Senator will be aware, almost €600 million in public funding is being provided for school buildings this year, enabling the completion of work on 67 large-scale primary school...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: I speak on this matter on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs who cannot be present today. The ongoing tragic situation in Zimbabwe has struck a chord here in Ireland, as was made clear in the all-party consensus on the issue in the Dáil on 15 May. Ireland and the EU continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to put in place the necessary conditions for free and fair elections...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues (29 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: I will put that question on the Senator's behalf to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: We have had a very interesting discussion on this motion and amendment, both last night and this evening. The Deputies on the opposite side of the House have taken the opportunity to raise the plight of individual schools in their constituencies, which is what they must do as public representatives. However, I would like to put the debate in the context of the overall situation relating to...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2008)

Seán Haughey: For more than a decade, Fianna Fáil-led Governments have dramatically increased the number of teachers in primary schools to meet a series of objectives, including reducing class size, providing improved staffing ratios, meeting the needs of pupils from socio-economic disadvantaged areas, supporting children with special needs and supporting the language needs of new children. Since 2002,...