Results 2,021-2,040 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his reply. There is no doubt that the paper is a very thoughtful and constructive contribution to the debate. While the landscape for special needs education has been transformed over the past 15 years, we must always take stock, re-evaluate and see how things can be done better in future. We are now spending €1.3 billion annually on special education with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his response. Of course there will be a significant time period involved in acting on any of the recommendations and bringing about change. I ask for the Minister's response on a couple of particular issues. One was regarding children with Down's Syndrome, about whom the Minister asked the NCSE to advise. There are approximately 30 such children per year, as the...

Other Questions: School Funding (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I take the Minister's point that his Department does not carry out surveys to investigate the funding position of primary schools but does he accept that a funding crisis exists for primary schools across the country? A survey carried out the end of last year by the Catholic Primary School Management Association, CPMSA, which represents more than 90% of primary schools, found that half of...

Other Questions: School Funding (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I concur with the Minister that his party was missing from 1997 onwards. He is keen to portray everything that took place after 1997 as the fault of previous Governments but in doing so he ignores that his party advocated the same policies as those pursued by previous Governments. As a former Minister for Finance, he encouraged previous Governments to spend more, and during the most recent...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: It appears that the Minister said the policy has not changed but the practice is changing this year. This will be the first time when the practice will be different since the July provision was first introduced in 2002 or 2003. Difficulties might arise in particular cases. Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to a case where there are three children in the one family. We must acknowledge the...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister of State should clarify what alleviation has been provided. He mentioned ten posts previously, but I believe they were specific to County Dublin Vocational Education Committee, and he might outline what alleviation is being offered to other VECs. The provision of some alleviation is a sign of the impact this cut is having. At the time of its implementation, I tabled a Private...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I am interested to hear from the Minister of State if the VECs that provided him with the impact assessments indicated that the 25 posts he is now allocating on a transitional basis will ensure they would not have to discontinue any courses. From my engagement with them I would be very surprised if that was the case. The education committee visited Ballyfermot College of Further Education...

Other Questions: Official Engagements (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for the reply. I tabled this question because it is important the Minister is at the coalface in engaging with both primary and secondary schools as well as the third level sector. At the outset of his tenure, the Minister stated it was not his intention to visit many schools and that he wanted to be in his office in the Department. That would be a very wrong approach...

Other Questions: Official Engagements (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I am not looking for the Minister to go round the country dispensing largesse to different schools. I want the Minister to realise the impact of the measures he has taken and to ensure that impact is minimised by the way he runs the Department. Schools are finding it difficult. A policy of not visiting those schools the Minister is responsible for managing is the wrong approach. I...

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Payments (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for the reply. My party put down this question to ascertain the exact position in terms of how many students had to wait until after Christmas to receive their grant. What we see from the reply is that over half of students were paid their grant after 1 January this year. This is something we dealt with in a previous question as well but it highlights the hardship many...

Leaders' Questions (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: A Cheann Comhairle, seriously-----

Leaders' Questions (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: What about the questions we asked of the Taoiseach?

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion [Private Members] (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I support Deputy Collins's motion of no confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality tonight. It is not with pleasure that a party brings forward such a motion. We have been left with little choice by his actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, following his performance in the last two years. The Minister's Government colleagues and Deputies on the backbenches have...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion [Private Members] (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: If I may continue, today's report in the Irish Independent states the Minister, "Said nothing about being asthmatic, preventing him from completing the test" which he was asked to do. It also indicates that Deputy Shatter, "Intimated to the garda that it was unconstitutional for them to stop him as he was coming from the Dáil and said: 'Check your law book'." The Irish Independent also...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion [Private Members] (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: However, following what has happened, the Minister has not the ability to carry out with the confidence of the people and indeed of this Chamber and many of his own colleagues, the role of political head of the Garda in this country. It follows on from an arrogant performance by the Minister of his duty over the past two months. In carrying out his role, Deputy Shatter has failed in many...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion [Private Members] (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: What was Deputy Buttimer saying then?

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Reform (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the status of proposed higher education reforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25475/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the recommendations and advice that was given to him by the National Council for Special Education in relation to extending dedicated resource hours to Down syndrome children with a mild intellectual disability; his plans, if any, in relation to this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25588/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 265. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if resource hours will be extended to Down syndrome children with a mild intellectual disability in the new school year beginning September 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25581/13]

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation Designation (28 May 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 429. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on the work on special areas of conservation (details supplied); if documents are now available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25030/13]