Results 5,841-5,860 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Weight of Schoolbags (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position on the matter of the weight of schoolbags. It is an issue that most of us present have an interest in, but certainly we all have memories of carrying bags on our shoulders on the way to school. The Senator has good shoulders, so I am sure that he was able to carry his. There have been some improvements...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Weight of Schoolbags (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I understand the Senator's point, but schools are run by boards of management and are separate from the Department. This is a fact of life. If we were to remove all of that power, a different discussion would be held. The best thing that the Department can do is work with the schools and give guidelines, advice and support. We could probably fight for more resources to increase the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: University Status Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senator Cullinane for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the technological university for the south east on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. As the Senator will be aware, the national strategy for higher education to 2030, published in January 2011, recommended the consolidation of the institute of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: University Status Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I understand that 40 meetings took place and the Minister wishes to record her gratitude to Mr. Kelly for undertaking such a comprehensive and wide-ranging consultation process and for producing a comprehensive report. In terms of the next steps, the Minister is meeting with the two institutes shortly, either this week or next week, to discuss the findings and recommendations of the report....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: University Status Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I will certainly convey that suggestion to the Minister. She wants this to happen as well and is very supportive of it, as am I. I have visited the WIT on a couple of occasions and was very impressed with the work that is done there. I have not yet had a chance to visit Carlow IT, but I intend to do so shortly. The idea is that it would increase the offering to the area. It must be about...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Members' Remuneration (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and I thank the Senator for raising the issue. The Minister would like to have attended but he is taking parliamentary questions in the Dáil. It is an important issue, as the Senator said.I am sure that Senators are already aware of the extraordinary number of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Members' Remuneration (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: The Minister probably agrees with most of what the Senator has said. I shall convey the Senator's comments to him as well even though I know he has made direct contact with him. Most of us here have been a councillor at some stage in our lives so we understand the work of councillors. Most people do not understand the workings of a local councillor and one could not explain it to them...

Confidence in Taoiseach, the Attorney General and the Government: Motion (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: The leader of Fianna Fáil and many other Opposition Deputies constantly talk about Government spin. They do not realise that this Government deals in facts. I wish to deal with facts during this debate, in the first instance when speaking about the Fennelly report. The central charge made against the Taoiseach by the Opposition is that he sacked the Garda Commissioner. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: Both my Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the specialised nature of transport provision for children with special educational needs under the School Transport Scheme. This is reflected in the standard of service provided and by Bus Éireann factoring the individual requirements of the children concerned into the planning of these services which generally operate on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1192 and 1257 to 1266, inclusive, together. Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. The cost of the scheme was some €172 million in 2014 which included grant payments, payments for escorts to accompany children with special educational needs as well as the cost of direct school transport services. In 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (22 Sep 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 kilometers from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Children who are not eligible for school transport, under the terms of the scheme, may apply...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (22 Sep 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 kilometers from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: The scale of the School Transport Scheme, transporting some 113,000 children every school day on some 6,000 school transport routes utilising some 4,000 vehicles every school day makes it the largest public transport operation in the State. Transport services for both primary and post-primary children are co-ordinated and transport routes are planned and shared in such a way as to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometers from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. In general children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school or unit that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria. An application for school transport for the child referred to by the Deputy was submitted on 24th July 2015 and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: The purpose of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. In general, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Primary and Post Primary School Transport Scheme a minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits. The Deputy will be aware that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (22 Sep 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 the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Scheme has advised that the child...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: A new school transport service for the child referred to by the Deputy has been sanctioned by my Department in accordance with the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs. Bus Éireann has advised that a service will be in place shortly and the local office in Limerick (phone, 061 217484) will contact the family directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scéim Iompair Scoile (22 Sep 2015)

Damien English: Faoi théarmaí Scéim Iompair Iarbhunscoile mo Roinne, cáilíonn páistí don iompar scoile má chónaíonn siad 4.8 ciliméadar ón lárionad oideachais is gaire dóibh agus má fhreastalaíonn siad ar an lárionad oideachais is gaire dóibh, faoi mar a chinneann mo Roinn/Bus Éireann é, agus ag...