Results 881-900 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (14 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy will be aware that changes to the School Transport Scheme, including the ceasing of the catchment boundary system effective from the 2012/2013 school year, were announced in Budget 2011 and derive from recommendations in the Value for Money Review of the Scheme. There is no scope for reversing these changes as under the four year recovery plan, there is a requirement to...

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (14 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: A redundant worker, who meets the criteria of the EGF Regulations and who is included in an EGF application which is subsequently approved by the EU budgetary authorities, may avail of the measures provided under the approved EGF programme even where such a redundant worker subsequently obtains employment. This position has been confirmed to my Department by the European Commission.

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (14 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am precluded by the provisions of the Data Protection Acts from releasing the specific personal information sought by the Deputy. A redundant worker who meets the criteria of the EGF Regulations and who is included in an EGF application which is subsequently approved by the EU budgetary authorities, may avail of the measures provided under the approved EGF programme even where such a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department provided funding of €920,000 and €896,000 to AONTAS in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The 2012 provision for AONTAS is €887,000.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (15 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: These issues are a day to day matter for FÁS. However I understand that the TV & Video Production Course being run by FÁS in Kerry is currently located in a building adjoining the FÁS Training Centre in Tralee. This premises is leased by FÁS from Shannon Development. There is a plan under consideration by FÁS to move the TV & Video Course from these rented premises into a newly renovated...

Seanad: European Globalisation Fund (15 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising this matter. In June 2010 the Department submitted an application to the EU for European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, EGF, co-financed assistance for almost 9,000 redundant construction workers. The workers were made redundant between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010 and were individually identified as is required to meet the conditions of the fund....

Seanad: European Globalisation Fund (15 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The answer to the Senator last question is that, no, unfortunately, they cannot. The application was made for a very specific cohort of workers who were made redundant from a company and had a redundancy notice applied to them. We could not have made an application on their behalf if we did not have that redundancy notice. Anybody who was previously involved in the construction sector...

Employment Support Services (16 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Deputy Farrell for giving me the opportunity to clarify this very important issue. The organisation of FÁS training is an operational matter for that body but I am pleased to let the Deputy know that I have been informed that officials in FÁS training services have not made a decision to discontinue the provision of training courses in the Balbriggan area. The FÁS training centre...

Employment Support Services (16 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I will undertake to convey the Deputy's sentiments to FÁS as it carries out the review of training provision in north Dublin in general. As I indicated, there has been no decision by FÁS to discontinue all training courses in the Balbriggan area. The review of the FÁS contracted training provision for 2012 within Balbriggan and other areas will highlight the relevant training...

Water and Sewerage Schemes (16 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter . I am responding on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The water services investment programme, which is administered by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, is the principal means by which the strategic objectives of capital investment in water and waste water services are...

Water and Sewerage Schemes (16 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I will do everything I can to advance the provision of a sewage treatment plant in Kiltormer. If Deputy Kitt sends me an e-mail reiterating the points he has made, I will raise them directly with the Minister, Deputy Hogan. It is important to point out that the Minister and the Department give local authorities a large degree of autonomy to assess their own water and waste water needs. The...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (16 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: All Irish programmes to date which have been, or are being, co-financed by the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) provide, inter alia, for the accessing of certain enterprise supports by those redundant workers who are included in these programmes. A wide range of EGF related enterprise supports are provided through the City and County Enterprise Boards in areas such as business...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (16 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The child referred to by the Deputy applied for school transport under my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs. Under the terms of this scheme, children are eligible for transport where they: have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability in accordance with the designation of high and low incidence disability set out in...

Higher Education Grants (21 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am replying on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, Minister for Education and Skills. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Springboard is a specific initiative to provide free part-time higher education places targeted at unemployed people who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession and who would benefit from upskilling or re-skilling to get back into sustainable...

Higher Education Grants (21 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I will take on board the suggestions made by the Deputy. I believe our Department is not particularly dogmatic on any aspect of policy development. The Springboard programme is proof of that. It is an innovative programme that seeks to support those who are unemployed and need to re-skill and to offer them another career choice in another career direction. The programme was developed as a...

Written Answers — Education and Training Authority: Education and Training Authority (21 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The SOLAS Implementation Group, which I chair, initiated a stakeholder consultation process towards the end of last year concerning the establishment of SOLAS - the new further education and training authority. It published a consultation paper to assist in that process and submissions were received from a wide range of interested parties. I intend to hold an information seminar for...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: There is no stipulation in my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme regarding a minimum age requirement for eligible children who wish to avail of school transport services. However, conditions are set down in the "Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools", regarding the criteria for the recognition of pupils at second level. One of these rules states that a recognised pupil...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Schemes 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. This minimum number requirement refers to eligible children only.

Medical Cards (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the expansion to the staffing appeal process to include small schools affected by the recent budget measure. Budget 2012 provided for phased increases in the pupil thresholds for the allocation of mainstream...

Medical Cards (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Unfortunately, the budgetary and academic years do not coincide and anomalous cases always arise when a change is made to the pupil-teacher ratio in the middle of the academic year. This is not unusual and it happened in the past when previous Governments implemented changes to the pupil-teacher ratio. The number of pupils required for retention of a teacher was increased and the Department...