Results 941-960 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: My Department has requested Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme, to submit a report on the pupil referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied. When this report is received and considered, my Department will be in contact with the family.

Written Answers — Departmental Fees: Departmental Fees (29 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: The Deputy will be aware that the 2009 Estimates recognise the importance of the school transport scheme in supporting school access and attendance, particularly in rural communities. The Estimates provide for an allocation of €196 million, which represents an increase of 12% over the initial allocation for 2008. The annual post primary charge will raise in the region of €13 million in...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (29 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 514 together. Notwithstanding the increase of €302 million in the Education budget for 2009, which is a real achievement in the current economic climate, a number of tough and difficult decisions had to be taken. There is a need to focus targeted resources on the schools in most need and this is in line with the broad thrust of the recommendations...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Oct 2008)

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 school transport. The position in this case is that the children referred to by the Deputy are not attending their nearest national school and therefore are not eligible...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: Further to Parliamentary Question No. 424 of 20 May 2008, proposals for progressing the commitment given in the Programme for Government to review the school transport system including catchment boundaries are now at an advanced stage. I will be making an announcement in relation to the review within the next month.

Education Cuts: Motion (Resumed) (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: The Minister for Education and Science unambiguously set out the Government's position on education spending here yesterday evening. The Taoiseach also told the House yesterday that the Government would continue to set out for the people the full realities of the economic and fiscal crisis that has to be managed and that it would continue to take strategic decisions to protect future...

Education Cuts: Motion (Resumed) (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: ——on this Private Members' motion that does not reflect the seriousness of the current global economic uncertainty. Prudent management of the Government finances is particularly important at a time when tax revenue has fallen so significantly and when world economic conditions are so serious. Even with the budget measures in place, there will still be a significantly increased borrowing...

Education Cuts: Motion (Resumed) (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: Of far more importance to their future is not the measures announced in this year's budget, but that when they leave the education system, we have sustainable economic growth so they can work and live in this country as they head into adulthood.

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: DEIS, (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and supported by quality...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: The planning and organising of school bus routes is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. School bus routes are planned in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable level of service while at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner. A change to an existing route may be...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: The Transport Liaison Officer for County Cork has advised that a school bus ticket has been issued to the pupil referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (30 Oct 2008)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 to 260, inclusive, together. Figures available indicate that about 30% of the allocation for school transport is being expended on transport, including taxis and grants for children with special needs. The allocation for school transport in 2008 is €175.2 million. A breakdown of expenditure on taxis and private vehicles is not readily available for the...

School Transport. (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: The school transport scheme, operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department, is primarily a rural-based scheme which facilitates the transportation of more than 134,000 children to primary and post-primary schools each day. The Deputy will be aware that the school transport system is a significant operation involving approximately 42 million journeys of more than 82 million km on 6,000...

School Transport. (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: School transport charges are escalating all the time owing to expanding numbers and the growing diversity of schools, and in order to meet the transport needs of special needs children. The allocation for school transport has increased from €51.1 million in 1998 to €175.2 million in 2008, a 340% increase. Major improvements, some of which I referred to earlier, have been made to the...

School Transport. (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: Unfortunately, it was not possible, in the current fiscal climate, to make additional funding available in respect of an increase in contractors' rates for the 2008-2009 school year. As announced in the budget, the increase provided allows for payment of a compensatory allowance to private contractors who may avail of the fuel rebate scheme until the end of the month. My officials are...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: The school transport scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann on my Department's behalf, is primarily a rural based scheme which facilitates the transportation of over 134,000 children to primary and post-primary schools each day. The Deputy will be aware that the School Transport system is a very significant operation involving about 42 million journeys of over 82 million kilometres on...

Written Answers — School Completion Programme: School Completion Programme (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: As the Deputy will be aware, the Education budget for 2009 has been increased by some €302 million, which is a real achievement in the current economic climate. Notwithstanding this, a number of tough and difficult decisions have had to be taken, which have seen a number of spending cuts across the education sector. My Department notified all 124 school completion projects in August last...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: In the region of 4,000 vehicles are used each day in the school transport scheme. Over 80% of these vehicles are privately owned, most of these being small and medium sized buses. The number of Bus Éireann school buses in use fluctuates on a monthly basis as more modern buses are introduced and others are withdrawn from service on a continual basis throughout the School Year. However, Bus...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: Proposals for progressing the commitment given in the Programme for Government to review the school transport system including catchment boundaries are now at an advanced stage.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Nov 2008)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 to 468, inclusive, together. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme has informed my Department that there are about 4,000 vehicles in the school transport scheme and 3,350 of these vehicles are owned by private operators on contract to Bus Éireann. In April, 2006, it was only possible to estimate the number of private contractors buses...