Results 521-540 of 623 for speaker:Síle de Valera

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The family of the pupil referred to in the details supplied submitted documentation to my Department in the belief that they were entitled to a grant. A claim for a grant is generally not considered by my Department until an assessment has been made of the pupil's eligibility for school transport. This assessment can only be made on receipt of the relevant background information from Bus...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department, has been asked to provide a report on the case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. When the report is received and considered, my Department will advise the families of the position.

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The 2006 financial provision for my Department's Youth Affairs Section is €45.037m. In addition, my Department is also proposing to make a further €2m from the Dormant Accounts Fund available to local youth clubs and groups on a once off basis for small scale equipment grants. The focus of financial allocations by my Department's Youth Affairs Section in 2006 is on the consolidation of...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more, and are attending, their nearest Gaelscoil, as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. The pupils referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, do not meet these eligibility criteria.

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Funds for Adult and Community Education services are provided by my Department to the Vocational Education Committees. The disbursement of these funds is a matter for each VEC, which, subject to its budget, decides the nature of the Adult and Community Education service to be provided in its area and the manner in which the funds should be spent. It is open to the group to submit an...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Bus Éireann has advised that all of its buses, and the majority of contractors' buses, operating as part of the School Transport Schemes have been fitted with safety belts. The remainder are on schedule to be fitted with safety belts by the target date of December, 2006. This is in accordance with the package of measures to enhance the safety of school transport operations announced by...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department is committed to reskilling and upskilling adults and does this through the provision of a comprehensive Further Education suite of programmes at FETAC Level 1 to 6. Such programmes are predominantly delivered through the thirty three VEC's. In addition programmes are delivered by Secondary, and Community and Comprehensive schools and through community education. With regard to...

Written Answers — Third Level Grants: Third Level Grants (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department extended the provision of maintenance grants to PLC students with effect from September 1998. Almost 8,000 students attending PLC courses in 2005 received maintenance grants amounting to a total of €23 million in direct support. There is no provision for payment of fees under the maintenance grants scheme for students attending PLC courses as generally fees for PLC courses...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested the Transport Liaison Officer for County Westmeath to submit a report on the proposals referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, only eligible children qualify for free transport. In order to be eligible, children must live 3.2 kilometres or more from, and be attending, their nearest national school. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport Service on behalf of my Department, has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme a pupil is eligible for school transport if he or she resides 3.2 kilometres or more, and is attending, his or her nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department. However, a pupil residing in a closed school area, such as the pupil in question, may be deemed eligible for transport to the school of amalgamation only.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department is examining a recent report received from the Transport Liaison Officer for Cork City regarding the case referred to by the Deputy. My Department will communicate with the Transport Liaison Officer as soon as the case has been re-assessed.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: In general, larger buses tend to be older than minibuses, and the rate of grant payable is intended to encourage the owners of such older vehicles to acquire more modern replacements. The replacement vehicles must be equipped with manufacturer-fitted seat belts, or with safety belt anchorage points by the vehicle manufacturer to which type-approved belts have subsequently been installed....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested Bus Éireann to provide the relevant details and will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is received.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, only eligible children qualify for free transport. In order to be eligible, children must live 3.2 kilometres or more from, and be attending, their nearest national school. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport Service on behalf of my Department, has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, only eligible children qualify for free transport. In order to be eligible, children must live 3.2 kilometres or more from, and be attending, their nearest national school. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport Service on behalf of my Department, has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied is...

Literacy Levels. (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: An information and tuition programme on adult literacy called "Read Write Now" was televised by RTE 1 in five series over the period 2000-05. In 2006, the National Adult Literacy Agency devised a new two-year multimedia literacy project, entitled "The Really Useful Guide to Words and Numbers". An element of this project is a TV series of that name, which is currently being shown once a week...

Literacy Levels. (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I agree we must get the message across about these programmes to those who wish to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Through research, we found the most effective way has been through the use of television. The "Read Write Now" series was a tremendous success considering the number of people who tuned in to watch it. With help from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and...

Literacy Levels. (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I certainly recognise the differentiation between those two groups. It is a question of language acquisition as opposed to literacy as we mean it. A number of schemes are in place to help those coming to our shores who might not have English as a mother tongue. I refer to the point made by Deputy O'Sullivan. The national development plan committed €93.5 million to the service in the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The family of the pupil referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy submitted documentation to my Department in the belief that they were entitled to a grant. A claim for a grant is generally not considered by my Department until an assessment has been made of the pupil's eligibility for school transport. This assessment can only be made on receipt of the relevant background information...