Results 901-920 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The person referred to by the Deputy is attending a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) course with County Offaly VEC and is in receipt of a training allowance. Learners on VTOS courses can qualify for an additional payment of a long term training bonus of €20 per week if they have been in receipt of an eligible Department of Social Protection payment for 312 days directly...

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The final report and accompanying statement of expenditure in respect of the Waterford Crystal EGF programmme were submitted to the European Commission by the Department on 6 February 2012 as required under the relevant European Commission decision. The final report and accompanying statement of expenditure in respect of the S R Technics EGF programme are currently being prepared and are...

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The European Commission has fowarded the Department its initial caluclations for a reimbursement of 5,978,311.30 Euros in respect of the EU financial contribution of 14,831,050.00 Euros made to the Dell EGF programme. However, as the EGF case in question has not yet been closed by the European Commission, a debit note from the Commission instructing the Department on when and how to...

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I refer the Deputy to the reply provided to Parliamentary Question Numbers 1030 and 1033 of 11 January 2012. As I previously stated, there is no definition, either in the EGF Regulations or otherwise, of what constitutes a complementary action in the context of the EGF. The European Commission has approved all of the measures included in the six Irish applications for EGF co-financing and...

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (22 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Discussions on relevant issues related to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) are held on a regular basis between the Department and the European Commission. The discussions held may be in the context of scheduled reviews and evaluations as required under the EGF Regulation or on a case-by-case basis in relation to specific Irish EGF applications. In terms of assessing...

Schools Amalgamation (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The school referred to by the Deputy is a two-teacher school with 19 pupils. It will continue to be a two-teacher school in September 2012. Based on its current enrolment it will remain a 2-teacher school in September 2013. It may lose a teacher in September 2014. However, it can avoid this if its overall enrolment increases in the previous September to 20 pupils. This gives a lead-in...

Schools Amalgamation (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I have already made it clear that school communities should have no reason to feel that there will be a forced closure of their local school. No school closes because it loses a teacher. Small primary schools that had to close in recent years were those that were no longer viable due to falling enrolment. The enrolment in such schools had typically fallen below a total of eight pupils for...

Schools Amalgamation (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: An attack on schools in rural Ireland is the last thing this policy aims to achieve. I come from rural Ireland and I attended a two-teacher school in rural Ireland. My mother taught for 42 years in the same school. I am not launching an attack on rural Ireland. We are trying to ensure that the quality of the education provided in every institution, be it from the two-teacher school to the...

Schools Amalgamation (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: We have been anxious to point out from the very beginning that there will be no forced amalgamation of any rural schools or forced closure. I do not agree that the amalgamation options have been exhausted yet. I recall a colleague of mine saying in the Seanad last week that there were seven schools in his parish, consisting of an eight-teacher school, a smattering of two-teacher schools and...

Further Education and Training Sector (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Following the Government decision in July 2011 to establish SOLAS, an implementation group was put in place to oversee the process. This group includes representatives from FÁS, the further education sector, as well as from the Departments of Education and Skills and Social Protection. Given the complex elements involved, including appropriate legislation to establish SOLAS and legislation...

Further Education and Training Sector (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: What we are involved in is the most far-reaching and fundamental reform of the further education and training sector the country has seen. It is a gargantuan task in change management that requires the co-operation, willingness and enthusiasm of everybody involved in further education and training. As chairman of the implementation group since last July, these are forthcoming. We have...

Further Education and Training Sector (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy is correct. We do need to have a definitive timeline to eliminate any misunderstanding or misinformation. The SOLAS implementation group has achieved a great deal in the very short time it has been in existence. On a paper basis, we have piloted the amalgamation of FÁS and the VECs in Cork and Dublin which has thrown up some very interesting results, some of them positive. The...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: In 2012, the Government will fund over 450,000 education and training places across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs advises the Government on the current and future skills needs of the economy. This advice, together with information both local and national informs course planning and provision. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: It is envisaged that SOLAS will have strategic responsibility for all further education and training currently delivered by VECs and FÁS. Over time, FÁS Training Centre premises and most FÁS regional staff will be integrated with the VECs, to facilitate the delivery to the public in an integrated way of both further education and training services. No decisions have been made in relation...

Written Answers — European Globalisation Fund: European Globalisation Fund (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Table 3.1 of the Report on the Implementation of the Three EGF Construction Programme for the Period 19th December 2011 to 27th January 2012 refers to the main actions taken by the EGF Construction Contact Centre in respect of eligible persons accessing its services during the period 19th December 2011 to 27th January 2012. The EGF Construction Contact Centre was established to support...

Written Answers — Further Education and Training: Further Education and Training (23 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: In 2011, the further education and training sectors provided almost 300,000 places. In addition, enrolments in the third level sector reached 161,000 and 5,900 places were offered through the Springboard initiative. At a time of reducing resources the Department of Education and Skills will still maintain this general level of provision in 2012. The 2012 education and training provision will...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (28 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that these students received funding from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for the first year of their specific programmes from September 2010 to May 2011. EGF supported measures ceased in June 2011. I am informed that FÁS made specific provision for these students to avail of an additional academic cycle for the period Sept 2011 to May 2012. This additional...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (28 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The school transport schemes are operated by Bus Éireann, on behalf of my Department, and currently transport over 113,000 children, including about 8,000 with special educational needs, to and from school throughout the school year. The main objective of my Department's Primary and Post Primary School Transport Schemes is to support the safe transport to and from school of children who...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The person referred to by the Deputy is attending a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) course operated by City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee (VEC). VTOS participants who are in receipt of Job Seekers Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance are paid a weekly training allowance by the relevant VEC in lieu of their Department of Social Protection payment. VECs obtain details...

Seanad: Local Authority Staff (28 Feb 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. I thank Senator Burke for raising this matter on the Adjournment as it affords me the opportunity to outline the current position regarding customer services in local authorities. I have certain sympathy with the comments made in respect of local authorities providing full...