Results 2,041-2,060 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann which operates the school transport schemes, on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the negotiation and awarding of school transport contracts to private operators. In April 2013, Bus Éireann advised my Department that a protest was mounted outside the Waterford School Transport Office by a school transport contractor who had recently lost contracts.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann, which operates school transport services on behalf of my Department, maintains a separate account for the School Transport Scheme. This account is audited each year by independent auditors and accounts in respect of the last number of years are available on my Department's website. Regular contact is maintained between Department and Bus Éireann school transport staff...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. Bus Éireann has a dedicated school transport section on the Company website. All primary and post primary applications and payments, where applicable, may now be made on line. Some 6,000 school transport routes are provided under the School Transport Scheme. Routes are designed on the basis of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The main objective of my Department's Primary and Post Primary School Transport Schemes is to support the safe transportation to and from school of children who would otherwise have difficulty making their way, for reasons of distance, to their nearest school. The school transport schemes are operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department and currently over 114,000 children travel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Since its inception, Bus Éireann has operated the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department. In each school year, the names and addresses of children applying for school transport, in addition to those already availing of school transport have been recorded by Bus Éireann.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann operates the school transport services on behalf of my Department. Primary school transport routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 2.4 kilometres to travel to or from a pick-up point. Home pick-ups were never envisaged as being part of the School Transport Scheme. Bus Éireann has also confirmed that an extension to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: FÁS Training Programmes Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 342, 343 and 350 together. My Department is currently carrying out a review of the Irish Apprenticeship training model, with a view to providing an updated model of training that delivers the necessary skilled workforce to service the needs of a rapidly changing economy and to ensure an appropriate balance between supply and demand. The numbers in...

Topical Issue Debate: Regional Development (6 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, is unable to attend today due to a prior commitment. As Deputy Kyne pointed out, the question he has posed is shared between the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I will try as best I can to respond to the issues he raised. The Minister...

Topical Issue Debate: Regional Development (6 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: As I indicated, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has already informed the House that there is no policy or plan to develop the specific concept referred to by the Deputy, the so-called western arc. There is no plan to develop an eastern arc either. Following discussion of this issue in the public domain, I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, organised for a...

Topical Issue Debate: School Inspection Reports (6 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I too welcome the publication of the chief inspector's report for the years 2010 to 2012 and thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to discuss its publication. The report gives an objective, honest account of the quality of education in primary schools, second-level schools and centres for education. It found that the standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in...

Topical Issue Debate: School Inspection Reports (6 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: In the context of the significant financial pressures in which we have found ourselves over the lifetime of the Government, it is important to point out current expenditure on education has increased from €3.218 billion to €3.263 billion at primary level and from €3.07 billion to €3.147 billion at post-primary level. This means annual public expenditure per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (6 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Parliamentary questions linked to the substance of the High Court case taken by Student Transport Scheme Ltd against my Department, including the arrangements between my Department and Bus Éireann, have been raised on a number of occasions in the House recently. For this reason, I feel it is appropriate to give a background to the conduct of the particular case. In doing this I will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Employment Support Services (7 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The aim of MOMENTUM is to provide a range of quality, relevant education & training interventions in 2013 for up to 6,500 individuals who are long-term unemployed. Training is being provided within the context of four themes. Three of the themes support occupational clusters where demand and vacancies exist within certain Labour Market sectors. A fourth theme focuses on the specific...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (7 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The Annual Student Contribution is levied on students attending Institutes of Technology. The amount due by apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in Institutes of Technology during the academic year. Aircraft mechanic apprentices spend longer than most trades in an Institute of Technology due to the nature of their studies and their payment will be...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Amalgamation (12 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position in respect of the Ballyfermot national schools to which the Deputy referred. The four schools concerned are St. Raphael's national school, Dominican convent, a senior girls infant mixed school; St. Gabriel's national school, Dominican campus, a senior girls infant mixed school; De...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Amalgamation (12 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Schools in this country are independent, autonomous entities managed by a board of management, and each board of management has a significant representation from the parent body of the school, the local community and the staff of the school as well. No decision on the future of a school can be taken without significant consultation with all those groups. Neither can any decision can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (12 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department has advised that the family in question did not submit their payment details before the deadline date for payments. Unfortunately, by the time payment details were received the service was operating to capacity in that all of the seats had been allocated.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (12 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: In order to provide a modern and flexible Irish Apprenticeship System, reflective of the relevant skills requirements of industry and potential apprentices, my Department is currently in the process of carrying out a comprehensive review of the Apprenticeship System. The independent Apprenticeship Review Group has recently met with relevant stakeholders who provided submissions to the Review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Services Staff Training (12 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that SOLAS already has an established, validated programme at Level 5 on the NFQ titled Healthcare Support, which was previously titled Healthcare Assistant Traineeship. This programme is consistent with other Healthcare Assistant programmes, as they are all validated against QQI-FETAC award requirements and learning outcomes. The delivery of this programme along with other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Appeals (14 Nov 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The case referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, is the subject of an appeal to the School Transport Appeals Board. This Board is independent of my Department and I understand their next meeting is scheduled for 21 November 2013. The Board will inform the family directly of their determination on the matter.