Results 5,681-5,700 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (6 May 2015)

Damien English: The policy on second chance education is set out in the Further Education and Training Strategy published by SOLAS last year. The Strategy sets out the direction of Further Education and Training (FET) over the next five years on both a national and regional basis. This will lead to major changes to provision in the FET sector with improved quality, a focus on employment focused programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Funding (6 May 2015)

Damien English: Strict criteria are prescribed for the making of applications seeking a co-funding contribution towards the cost of a programme of personalised guidance, education, training, labour market activation and enterprise supports for workers made redundant by the adverse impacts of globalisation under Regulation (EU) No. 1309/2013 which governs the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (6 May 2015)

Damien English: I understand that the publicly funded college referred to by the Deputy is a school/college managed by an Education and Training Board (ETB) and the course referred to is a Post leaving Certificate (PLC) course. The criteria set out by my Department for PLC course components and recommended % time for each component is as follows: Area of Study Annual Hours % of Time Vocational Studies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (6 May 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 511 together. Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department. This scheme has been in existence since 1967, and is based on accounting arrangements put in place in 1975. An investigation was launched by the Commission in 2007 after receiving a complaint that, among other activities, alleged unlawful State aid was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (7 May 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department. This scheme has been in existence since 1967, and is based on accounting arrangements put in place in 1975. An investigation was launched by the Commission in 2007 after receiving a complaint that, among other activities, alleged unlawful State aid was being provided to Bus Éireann in respect of school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (12 May 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530 and 531 together. In general, under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for determining...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Action Plan for Jobs (13 May 2015)

Damien English: The aim of the Action Plan for Jobs is to help enterprises to create employment in all regions of the country. Employment has increased nationally by almost 90,000 since the start of the action plan process in 2012. All regions have experienced job growth, but some regions have seen less than others. That is why the Government is placing an increased emphasis on supporting jobs growth in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Action Plan for Jobs (13 May 2015)

Damien English: It is a competitive fund. What we are trying to do is work with all the agencies including the various Government agencies, chambers of commerce and other groups like the Western Development Commission. The most competitive plans with the best chance for success would show a good regional balance and co-operation. There is quite a high fund here - €250 million over five years is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Action Plan for Jobs (13 May 2015)

Damien English: I am glad I can assure the Deputy that there will be money spent this year. We recognise the need for this. The Government has proved that the Action Plan for Jobs process has worked very successfully and has delivered nationally. That is acknowledged across the board. It brings all Departments and agencies together to focus on key areas of job creation. The regional version will try to...

Other Questions: Job Creation (13 May 2015)

Damien English: The strategy for the manufacturing sector, which was commissioned and which was published in April 2013, identified that an additional 20,000 jobs could be created in the sector by 2016. A complementary report on the skills needs for the sector, which was commissioned at the same time, identified a series of actions to enhance skills in the sector. Arising from the manufacturing strategy...

Other Questions: Job Creation (13 May 2015)

Damien English: I wish to clarify that the strategy runs to 2016 and the plan is to create 20,000 jobs in the sector over the term of this Government. We have already achieved more than 13,000 direct jobs in manufacturing. This figure does not account for the associated indirect jobs. The plan is to create the extra 7,000 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months to reach that target. This sector can deliver a...

Other Questions: Job Creation (13 May 2015)

Damien English: The key is to have that link-up. As a Minister of State for seven or eight months, I have spent a great deal of time working with universities, institutes of technology and other research centres to ensure that there is a link-up. I have a leg in the Departments of Education and Skills and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. I am trying to drive that link-up and agenda. That is working, and...

Other Questions: Research and Development Funding (13 May 2015)

Damien English: I missed the discussion on the Deputy's previous question about the survey. For the purposes of the survey of research and development in the higher education sector 2012-13, which is conducted by my Department and previously by Forfás, basic research includes pure and oriented basic research. The figure of 50.9% of the HERD budget spent on basic research in the 2012-13 period included...

Other Questions: Research and Development Funding (13 May 2015)

Damien English: It was probably the accent.

Other Questions: Research and Development Funding (13 May 2015)

Damien English: I am sorry. I was probably speaking quickly. I am in a rush to get to a function, so I apologise. I will provide the written response. I will clarify points on the new strategy. It is not being rushed. The strategy is not finished yet. The initial call for submissions was meant to focus people's minds. The strategy was being discussed long before I took up office eight months ago....

Other Questions: Research and Development Funding (13 May 2015)

Damien English: I am sorry, but I am nearly finished. There is a high level of spending on basic research. It is important that we do this. The strategy will reflect this. We will have ample time. I do not accept that the strategy is being rushed. It is not finished and there are months to go yet.

Other Questions: Research and Development Funding (13 May 2015)

Damien English: It is not a case of no one listening. We are fully engaged. I have offered to meet many groups before the strategy concludes to discuss it. We want to get it right. We have achieved a great deal with our agenda in the past three or four years. Under successive Governments during the past ten or 15 years, Ireland has built an important and world-recognised research ecosystem. We will...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Research and Development Supports (13 May 2015)

Damien English: All of our agencies have policies in place to encourage greater levels of research and innovation and to build the innovation capacity of our enterprises. Enterprise Ireland directly supports companies who engage in innovation with instruments designed to support companies at different levels of engagement in innovation. IDA also has a suite of supports for client companies who invest in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Strategies (13 May 2015)

Damien English: To ensure its development benefits from a whole of Government perspective, formulation of the successor to the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation has been tasked to an Interdepartmental Committee (IDC) on Science, Technology and Innovation, which comprises membership from relevant Government Departments and the Higher Education Authority, along with the Chief Scientific Adviser...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (13 May 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department and is responsible for the planning of routes and the designation of pick-up/set down points. Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 3.2 kms to or from a pick up/set down point. A Remote Area Grant is...