Results 601-620 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from her/his local post primary education centre. 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, children who are fully...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. It is open to pupils who are not attending their nearest school to apply for concessionary transport to the school which they are attending....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to review the school transport scheme. My Department is currently considering how best to progress this task. It is not possible at this stage to provide the Deputy with a timeframe.

Adult Education. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: The social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, includes a provision which indicates that, having regard to developments in the plc sector, including the McIver report, concrete prioritised proposals would be prepared in regard to plc provision and be the subject of further negotiations between management and unions. The agreement also envisaged that the proposals to be developed would...

Adult Education. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: The context is the Towards 2016 social partnership agreement. The social partners have agreed proposals for the ongoing development of the plc sector. Negotiations are continuing between the Irish Vocational Educational Association and the TUI. They began this time last year. To date, eight meetings have been held between the Department and representatives of the social partners. I hope...

Adult Education. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I very much accept that funding is an issue. As I stated, the staffing implications alone of the McIver report would involve 800 additional staff at a cost of over $50 million. That would have implications for other areas of education as well. We have agreed a path forward. We have initiated a negotiation process in the context of the Towards 2016 agreement and I am confident that...

Patient Transport Service. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I will take the adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The Health Service Executive, HSE, provides transport to hospital appointments for patients who, because of the nature and extent of their illnesses or disabilities, are unable to use conventional modes of transport. The type of transport provided depends on whether the person...

Hospital Services. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. In recent years, the demand for orthopaedic services in Kerry has consistently increased due to the growing population as well as significant elderly and visiting tourist populations. In response to this, the HSE has endeavoured to ensure that a comprehensive orthopaedic service is...

Institutes of Technology. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. In February 2006 the governing body of Waterford Institute of Technology wrote to the Department of Education and Science requesting a review of its status under section 9 of the Universities Act 1997. The provisions of section 9 state that the Government may appoint a body, which will include international experts, to advise the Higher Education...

Schools Building Projects. (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity of outlining to this House the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding the provision of new school premises for St. Colman's boys national school in County Cork. It is proposed to provide a design and build turnkey package to comprise a permanent system-built, two-storey school with ten classrooms, a double autistic unit,...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: It is my policy that, where possible, education should be provided on islands for both primary and post primary pupils. Where it is not feasible to provide a second-level school on an island, island families are eligible for financial assistance under the Remote Area Boarding Grant Scheme to facilitate a child's attendance at school on the mainland. Under the Scheme, grants are paid towards...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: My Department supports a number of schemes and initiatives which provide non-formal educational opportunities for young people throughout the country through voluntary participation in youth work. This support consists mainly of grant-in-aid assistance for national and major regional youth work organisations under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, targeted youth work responses for young people...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I take it that the Deputy is referring in the first part of the Question to the current fuel duty rebate scheme which is a matter for the Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. I understand that in March of this year the European Commission published its decision to refuse all requests for the retention of the fuel duty rebate scheme. My Department understands that officials from...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: The Deputy will be aware from my reply to Parliamentary Question 444 that pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest gaelscoil are eligible for free school transport. The position is that there is no provision in the School Transport Scheme for my Department to sanction either transport or grant-aid for pupils in circumstances outlined by the Deputy in...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. There is no provision in the Scheme for my Department to sanction either transport or grant-aid for pupils in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 676 and 724 together. The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second — chance education initiative, which is funded by my Department, for unemployed persons who are at least 21 years of age and in receipt of certain social welfare payments for at least six months. It is operated through the Vocational Education Committees. The aim of the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: My Department is currently reviewing records to establish the number of children who might benefit from the Ombudsman's recommendation. This review will be completed as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: 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 focused. Additionally, a number of developments had...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from her/his local post primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which s/he lives. The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (12 Dec 2007)

Seán Haughey: The Transition Support Project is an inter-agency response to the need to co-ordinate, integrate and deliver services to Separated Children Seeking Asylum and to enable them to participate in education, formal and informal with a view to preparing them for adult life in Ireland, or in their country of origin. The Transition Support Project is currently in receipt of funding under the Special...