Results 5,901-5,920 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising these issues. I do not know the full history of the application, but the area seems to have been poorly serviced by previous Administrations. The new planning system that has been operating in my Department in recent years is correcting that. The new school will go ahead and the site has been secured. There is a delay with construction of the road, as it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I was clear. I cannot give the Deputy anything more than the truth, which is what I did. We hope-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: What does the Deputy mean by "nothing"?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The tender is signed for the school to be built on a phased basis.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Department is building a school and an access road. We are not in total control of the site for the latter. It looks like that matter will be finalised shortly. I cannot say when, as it is a legal agreement that must be finalised. Waving a magic wand to sort it out overnight is not in our gift. We are doing all that we can. It looks like the school has progressed and is on track to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Administration (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The school referred to by Deputy Coppinger opened in September this year in interim accommodation, which everyone agrees is not satisfactory accommodation; that is why it is interim. Following pre-planning discussions with the relevant planning authority, my Department lodged a planning application in April this year with a view to facilitating the new school coming into operation from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Administration (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy knows well that they will not because the contract for the temporary school was signed for three years. She knows that. The site will be ready in mid-November. The contractors have been appointed and they will move from that temporary accommodation, which is not satisfactory, in mid-November as planned and agreed. The Department went to councillors in the area. The area has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Administration (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: Deputy Coppinger will probably never admit it, but this Administration has changed the system. There is a structure in place now. The structure Deputy Coppinger has called for in respect of the provision of sites is already in place at local authority level.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Administration (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: That is why, in the past three or four years, we have managed to deal with the majority of demand for primary school places. The situation was at crisis point. Under the last five-year plan, which will finish next year, and new plans to come out in the months ahead, the urgency of providing places in primary education has been more or less matched and dealt with, and rightly so. We are...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: As the Deputy is aware, technical inspection of a significant number of potential site options for the school accommodation to which he referred has been conducted by officials from my Department, working with officials from Donegal County Council. My officials are currently considering the findings of the assessment and, with the assistance of the local authority, are clarifying technical...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: To be clear, a significant number of potential site options were identified by the local authority. It is the duty of the local authority to provide site options. The Department has investigated all of them as technical assessments were required. Most of the sites involve complex issues. It is often the case that a preferred site is identified but this changes after other options are...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: With regard to the time involved, we have heard other questions about policy, time and planning matters as well. It is important that the right site is picked. Previous Administrations did not do that correctly, so it is right for the county council to be fully involved in picking the site.

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I will not apologise for that. We put that reform in place and that is the way it should always have been. That was not always the case. When the site is picked, it will be the right site. That means it will not get delayed at other stages and we will be able to access the site with the correct infrastructure. It will be the right site for all the stakeholders. I have seen with previous...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The school referred to by the Deputy is situated on a split campus, with the senior school sharing a campus with another primary school. The school was approved funding under the prefab replacement scheme in 2012, but this funding has not been drawn down. The school authorities submitted an alternative proposal that involved the provision of all the proposed replacement accommodation on the...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: It is off the table.

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy will appreciate that the Department has been very willing to work with what the schools wanted. Intentions have changed on a couple of occasions, which is grand and okay. The Department have been willing to facilitate that at all times. It stood back to allow time for the amalgamation to be developed, but that is not happening now. The facts have changed. I am glad the report...

Other Questions: School Accommodation (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: Work is ongoing on the new construction plan. I wish I knew what is in it, but I do not. It would be useful for me to know. Every school is being looked at. The demographics are naturally most important when decisions are being made on ensuring accommodation is provided for those who need it. It is a question of meeting extra demand. The last five-year plan did quite well in matching...

Topical Issue Debate: Disease Incidence (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I am responding to this Topical Issue matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar. I thank Deputy Kirk for giving me an opportunity to address the House on the important issue of the HIQA report on the threat of Legionnaire's disease at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. I would like to apologise on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, who generally...

Topical Issue Debate: Disease Incidence (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy has raised a matter of the utmost concern. He will accept that the Minister always tries to be here for Topical Issue debates when he can. His diary did not permit his attendance here today. He is certainly taking this issue very seriously. I will bring back to him the Deputy's additional questions and requests for information. It is important to point out that the hospital...

Topical Issue Debate: Misuse of Drugs (6 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this issue. She will be aware that the Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, is out of the country and unable to respond personally. The Government's response to the problem of drug misuse in our society is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-16. The Minister of...