Results 5,701-5,720 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Topical Issue Debate: Refugee Numbers (14 May 2015)

Damien English: I thank the Deputies for raising today Ireland's decision to resettle refugees as part of the EU resettlement programme. I am speaking on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, who regrets she is unable to be present for the debate due to previous official commitments. I will, of course, bring the views of the Deputies to her attention and that of the other relevant Ministers...

Topical Issue Debate: Refugee Numbers (14 May 2015)

Damien English: I thank the Deputies for raising the resettlement programme and many other issues, including that of Shannon Airport. The Deputies have debated Shannon here on numerous occasions with various Ministers, most recently with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charlie Flanagan. I will ask these Ministers to review today's discussion to feed into the debate. The Deputies are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Funding (19 May 2015)

Damien English: 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 former-FÁS training courses and VTOS courses. The payment of this allowance was later extended to those persons in receipt of social welfare disability payments to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (19 May 2015)

Damien English: The estimated cost of reversing the reductions in capitation grants over the last four years to VTOS, Youthreach, Back to Education Initiative, Post Leaving Certificate and Adult Literacy programmes is €2 million.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Funding (19 May 2015)

Damien English: The Government decisions underpinning the reform of the ETB/SOLAS sector envisage a key role for the ETBs in relation to the future delivery of further education and training in an integrated manner under the reforms that will be driven by SOLAS. The Education and Training Boards Act 2013 recognises this in providing that the general functions of an ETB include to "plan, provide, coordinate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Appeals (19 May 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware from my previous reply that the School Transport Appeals Board is independent of my Department. The Appeals Board will inform the families in question directly of their determination on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (19 May 2015)

Damien English: The school transport scheme, which is in existence since 1967, is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. The scheme continues to be operated on the basis of a 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements between the Department and Bus Éireann.

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Provision (26 May 2015)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the position on the allocation of PLC places in general and also in Cappamore. By way of background, PLC places are allocated by SOLAS to the education and training boards, ETBs, and other schools as part of an annual service plan process. There are 32,688 approved PLC places nationwide. For...

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Provision (26 May 2015)

Damien English: I can raise these issues with SOLAS and the ETB. We met with them recently and they are doing great work in the area referred to. It is about striking the right balance. As it is an independent autonomous entity, we cannot direct it in any way but it knows it has certain responsibilities. It works very closely with SOLAS on an annual basis in respect of the service plan and our overall...

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Provision (26 May 2015)

Damien English: We need to get the balance right. The Deputy will appreciate that the ETB is an independent entity, but I will raise his concerns with them.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (26 May 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. As the child referred to by the Deputy will not be attending his nearest post primary school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (26 May 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 851 and 852 together. Bus Éireann has advised that in the current school year some 49,700 primary children and almost 63,900 post primary children are being transported under the terms of the school transport scheme, including almost 9,800 children with special educational needs. These figures include children who are eligible for school transport and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (26 May 2015)

Damien English: SOLAS has commissioned the evaluation work for the review of the PLC sector and has established an evaluation oversight group. It expects to make the findings of the evaluation available early in 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (26 May 2015)

Damien English: My Department is liaising with the National Council for Special Education in relation to the school transport application for the child in question, following which direct contact will be made with the child's parent.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (26 May 2015)

Damien English: Education and Training Boards (ETBs) receive funding from my Department, through SOLAS, to deliver English language tuition to speakers of other languages. In 2014, in the region of 11,000 participants availed of English language tuition in ETBs. On 20th May 2015, the Government approved the implementation of a series of reforms to the student immigration system for international...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (26 May 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senator Lorraine Higgins for raising this issue which gives me the opportunity to clarify the situation and to report progress. The five-year construction plan announced in March 2012 outlines the major school projects which will commence construction over the duration of the plan. A project in respect of Gaelscoil Iarfhlatha has been included in the plan and is scheduled to proceed...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (26 May 2015)

Damien English: I wish to clarify that the Department's officials recognise the urgency of the situation and they are doing all in their power to resolve it. The issues which arose are outside the control of the Department and are not within the gift of the Department to resolve. It is endeavouring to resolve them. They arose at a late stage of the conveyancing process. It is a legal matter which will...

Topical Issue Debate: State Examinations (27 May 2015)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Fleming for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the position with regard to the State Examinations Commission's scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations, RACE. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy O'Sullivan, who is out of the country today. The State...

Topical Issue Debate: State Examinations (27 May 2015)

Damien English: It is not nonsense for me to come into the House and outline the process. I was just telling the truth as it is. The Deputy might not like it but that is the process. It would be wrong for any Minister to be able to interfere with a process that is meant to be independent. This is a State examination, a leaving certificate qualification and we cannot ever be accused of giving an unfair...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (27 May 2015)

Damien English: 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 has advised that the children in question are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest Gaelscoil. While it is the prerogative of...