Results 541-560 of 623 for speaker:Síle de Valera

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 178 together. Government commitment to the PLC sector, by reference to the resources applied in teachers' pay, non-pay running costs, student support and certification costs, is very significant. We have increased the number of PLC places by 60% since 1996/97. Indeed, the number of PLC places approved for 2005/2006 is up by more than 1,600 on the...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach Programme is an Inter-Departmental initiative which provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme funded by my Department is delivered in out of school centres and is managed by...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The 2006 financial provision for my Department's Youth Affairs Section is €45.037m. This represents a 9.8% increase over the 2005 allocation. In addition, I am also proposing to make a further €2m from the Dormant Accounts Fund available to local youth clubs and groups on a one-off basis for small scale equipment grants over the coming months. My focus of financial allocations in 2006 is...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The level of funding for the Youth Affairs Section of my Department and for the youth work sector has increased significantly over the past five years. Funding allocations to the sector from 2002-2006 are as follows: 2002: €26.066m 2003: €27.499m 2004: €35.545m 2005: €41.004m 2006: €45,037m. In addition, I am proposing to make a further €2m from the Dormant Accounts Fund...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 619 together. The National Adult Learning Council was formed in March 2002 on an ad hoc basis with the intention that it would be established as a statutory body under Section 54 of the Education Act 1998. Following the formation of the ad-hoc Council, concerns emerged that the functions envisaged for it were too wide-ranging and were not sufficiently...

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

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested Bus Éireann to submit a report on the service available to the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. When this report is received and reviewed my Department will notify the parents of the pupils concerned.

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

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of my Department's Post-Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for school transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which s/he resides. The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the catchment area in which they reside. However,...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Provision was made in the National Development Plan 2000-2006 through the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme for funding for Lifelong Learning — Back to Education Initiative. The Back to Education Initiative provides new opportunities for learning through the provision of flexible part-time and full-time programmes that consolidate and build on existing...

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

Síle de Valera: The annual average number of pupils carried on primary and post primary school transport services since 2003 is 136,500, including about 8,000 children with special educational needs. In July, 2005, Minister Hanafin and myself announced a package of measures to enhance the safety of school transport operations. The measures included: the phasing out of "3 for 2" seating on post-primary...

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

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested the Transport Liaison Officer (TLO) for County Mayo to submit a report on the service referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. My Department will liaise with the TLO regarding the issues referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Inspectorate of my Department conducted an evaluation of 23 Traveller pre-schools in 2000/2001. This evaluation focused on management and ownership, finances, curricular practices, training of teachers and links between schools and parents. A report of the evaluation was published in April, 2003. In 2004, the Evaluation Support and Research Unit of the Inspectorate co-ordinated an...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: A request for funding under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme on behalf of the project referred to by the Deputy has been received in my Department. Due to the high level of existing commitments in the Youth Sector and to the large number of applications received it has not been possible to accede to this request this year. I understand that application forms for the 2007 round of grants...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach Programme is an Inter-Departmental initiative which provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme funded by my Department is delivered in out of school centres and is managed by...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach Programme is an Inter-Departmental initiative which provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme funded by my Department is delivered in out of school centres and is managed by...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Vocational Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) provides full-time second chance education and training opportunities for unemployed adults who are at least 21 years of age and in receipt of specified social welfare payments for at least six months. The scheme is funded by my Department and operated through the 33 Vocational Educational Committees (VECs). Students on VTOS are offered a wide...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is delivered locally by Vocational Education Committees (VECs) with funding from my Department, which authorises a given number of VTOS places to be filled annually by each VEC. Co. Kildare VEC has an allocation of 270 VTOS places for the academic year 2006/7. I can confirm that a request for an additional 20 VTOS places was received from...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The pupil to whom the Deputy refers is eligible for transport to the school referred to in the details supplied. My Department understands that there is not a sufficient number of pupils offering for school transport from the distinct locality in question to set up a dedicated service. However, Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Services on behalf of my Department, has advised...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Funds for Adult and Community Education services, including adult literacy, 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. Funding for English...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: VTOS students may be entitled to a travel allowance if they reside more than 3 miles from a centre. The rates of the travel and meal allowance are equivalent to those paid to participants on FÁS training courses. They are increased periodically in line with increases in FÁS rates; the current rates outlined below are in operation since 2002. 3-5 miles €4.60, 5-10 miles €11.90, 10-20...