Results 2,761-2,780 of 3,895 for speaker:John Halligan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (16 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: Last week, I published the ESRI evaluation of the PLC programme along with the SOLAS response, which sets out 45 recommendations to address the findings of the evaluation and improve the quality of the learner experience, learner outcomes and overall programme efficiency. A SOLAS led PLC Programme Improvement Advisory Committee, comprised of PLC partners will now be established by SOLAS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (16 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: I welcome the ESRI report on the evaluation of the PLC programme which is a strong endorsement of PLC provision. The report provides a solid evidence base to inform future policy development and to ensure provision is planned to meets the needs of learners and employers, taking into account all of the changes that have taken place, particularly in the labour market, since the programme was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 to 75, inclusive, together. We have launched plans to significantly increase the number of apprenticeships by expanding the apprenticeship model into new sectors of the economy with an overall target to more than double the number of apprenticeships available by 2020. Some 4,843 new apprentices registered on an apprenticeship programme during 2017,...

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: Although this is a highly emotive issue and emotions will run high inside and outside this Dáil, it has nothing to do with morals. It is an issue of human rights — women's sexual reproductive rights. This debate over the next couple of days or weeks needs to be evidence-based, but women's health must be made a priority. An average of ten women travel to the United Kingdom per...

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: Will the Members opposite show some respect to the next speaker?

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: This is ridiculous.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. Currently over 115,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. Currently over 115,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. Under the terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Data (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 117 to 119, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tables. - National Training Fund (NTF) allocation (€m) NTF expenditure Total (€m) Exchequer allocation (€m) Exchequer expenditure Total (€m)* 2015 49.6 42.6 12.5 12.8 2016 60.1 55.1 14.6 14.5 2017 80.4 69.9 19.1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traineeship Programmes Data (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached tabular statements. I am informed by SOLAS that they are not in a position to provide a gender breakdown of the traineeship enrolments at the end of 2017 at present. However, with the introduction of the Programme Learner Support System (PLSS), which is now being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Data (18 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 120 and 121 together. The Apprenticeship Council has completed its assessment of the proposals received in the second call for apprenticeship proposals. Resulting from this, I recently announced 26 new programmes that have been approved for further development into national apprenticeships. These programmes span a wide range of skills and sectors including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (23 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. Currently over 115,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. Under the terms of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: As the deputy is aware, the Apprenticeship Council is currently overseeing the expansion of the apprenticeship system in Ireland into a range of new sectors of the economy. The Council has now made two calls for apprenticeship proposals inviting consortia of enterprise, professional bodies and education and training providers to submit proposals for apprenticeship programmes to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (24 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. Currently over 115,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. The child in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Redundancy Payments (30 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: As this matter dates back to 2007, and because of a number of changes regarding the responsibility for training programmes have occurred in the interim, records in relation to his issue are not readily to hand in my Department. However, I will ask SOLAS to engage with Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection regarding the matter and to respond to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (30 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: The BTEI conversion process is the subject of ongoing discussions between my Department, Education & Training Boards Ireland and the Teachers Union of Ireland.  Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further at this stage.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (30 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: The issues and recommendations highlighted in the National Competitiveness Council report are being considered by my Department. There is already work underway on all these issues. National Training Fund Review As part of budget 2018 I announced major reforms to the National Training Fund (NTF), which will address the recommendations outlined in National Competitiveness Council report....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Horizon 2020 Strategy Funding (30 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: Ireland has won €475 million in Horizon 2020 to September 2017, the latest data release from the European Commission. Irish Higher Education Institutes have accounted for just under €255 million out of this funding, while industry won just over €160 million, of which €98.6 million was awarded to Irish SMEs. The Horizon 2020 programme areas with largest funding to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Research Funding Data (30 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: The estimated spend on basic research in 2015 was €530 million, accounting for 17% of the total spend on R&D nationally. Of the €530 million spend on basic research, almost two thirds is performed in the Higher Education sector, 31% in the business sector and 4% in the Government sector. More detailed tables are attached. Table 1: Gross Expenditure on Research...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (30 Jan 2018)

John Halligan: A critical international measure of innovative activity is ‘R&D intensity’ (R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP).Global Innovation leaders all have high intensity rates such as Finland (3.18%), Denmark (2.98%) and Israel (4.29%). The UK has a rate of 1.68% of GDP. Ireland, meanwhile, has a rate of 1.51% of GDP.  As a result, it is very clear that...