Results 2,321-2,340 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Funding is provided by my Department, through SOLAS, for further education and training programmes, including adult literacy. The literacy programme is delivered locally through the network of Education and Training Boards (ETBs). I understand from City of Dublin ETB that an adult literacy service is provided by the ETB in the centre referred to by the Deputy. There is no question of SOLAS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training Provision (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 298 together. The payment of an additional training allowance of €31.80 per week for the long term unemployed was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in FÁS (now SOLAS) training courses. The payment of this allowance was later extended to those persons in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department has confirmed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Through a series of decisions the Government decided to replace 33 vocational education committees (VECs) with 16 new entities, to be known as education and training boards (ETBs), and to establish SOLAS to replace FÁS. The proposals in relation to SOLAS, as agreed by the Government, envisage a key role for the ETBs in relation to the future delivery of further education and training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Community Training Centres (CTCs) are funded through SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards. They are managed and operated by independent local Boards of Management. The staff are employed by these groups and my Department does not have a direct role in staffing and employment issues relating to these bodies. Guidance has been sought by SOLAS on the payment of enhanced redundancy to...

Topical Issue Debate: Further Education and Training Programmes (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the position regarding the local training initiatives operated by the Bosco Youth Centre in Drimnagh. The CDETB, which was established in July 2013, has responsibility for the planning and delivery of services previously delivered by the VECs and FÁS training centres. St. John Bosco youth...

Topical Issue Debate: Further Education and Training Programmes (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: It is not the role of the Minister to intervene in the internal relationship between the CDETB and the centre in Drimnagh. Under the legislation providing for the establishment of our ETBs, they are independent, autonomous entities with resources to deliver educational opportunities within their regions to the highest standard. The information I have is that the two programmes are...

Topical Issue Debate: Further Education and Training Programmes (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am hopeful that these issues can be overcome. I am also hopeful that sufficient participants can be found for the two programmes, allowing them to commence on 16 June.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Annual Student Contribution is levied on apprentices and students attending Institutes of Technology. This contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making this payment to the Institutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria. Bus Éireann has advised my Department that the child in question was availing of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Staffing (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The purpose of Circular 0030/2014 is not to reduce the number of SNA posts in schools but to clarify the role and purpose of SNA support and ensure it is targeted at those pupils who need it. My officials consulted school management bodies prior to issuing the circular and are setting up further meetings with management bodies and parent...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Staffing (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy referred to the squeezing of SNA posts, but that is certainly not what is occurring. As I mentioned, we have the highest number of SNA posts allocated in the history of the State and there are 309 posts yet to be allocated between now and the end of the December. I will outline why the circular was issued. In June 2011 the Department initiated a value for money review of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Staffing (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I agree with the Deputy when he makes reference to the importance of clarifying the role of special needs assistants, SNAs, in schools. As I stated in my earlier reply, the Department's officials are at present engaging with school management bodies and parent representative groups to outline exactly this to them, as well as to allay any concerns or fears they might have that the recent...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs Staffing (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: To clarify once again, the purpose of this circular was not to provide for or allow for a reduction in the number of SNAs allocated nationwide. That there will be almost 11,000 SNAs in place by the end of the year is testament to this fact. The purpose of the circular simply was to clarify the role of the SNA in the school setting. That role is to provide for the care needs of a young...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. This can necessitate the use of temporary accommodation, as in the case of the school in question, until the Department is in a position to provide a permanent building. The delivery of major school projects required to meet demographic demand will be the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: First, I should identify how the Department identifies areas that are undergoing significant demographic challenge. It uses a combination of CSO data - the most recent census data - and data from the Department of Social Protection - children's allowance data - to generate a very accurate picture of what the demographic demand is now and what it will be in the next five to six years. Using...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: To clarify, the Deputy made reference to the fact the school has somehow been removed from the school building list and needs to be reinstated. It is currently on a school building list. There are many other such projects in the same situation. There is, and there always has been, two separate building lists in operation. There is the five year capital programme announced by the Minister...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: English Language Training Organisations (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: My colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Justice and Equality have established a task force to urgently examine the issues raised by the closure of a number of private colleges. The task force is chaired by the two Departments and includes representatives from QQI, Enterprise Ireland and City of Dublin Education and Training Board as well as representatives...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: English Language Training Organisations (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I have great sympathy for those young people. For the majority of them, it is an alien environment. They have been left high and dry without any support or hope that they may be able to pursue the education they wish to pursue in this country. This task force has all the participants one would require on such a task force to be able to address this issue and it was established with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: English Language Training Organisations (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: It is not alone an issue for Ireland. It is an issue across the world where private institutions, primarily English language schools, set up purporting to offer a high standard of education when, in fact, upon scrutiny they offer a poor standard and few supports for students who find themselves in that difficult situation. The quality mark will be put in place by the end of this year....