Results 1,241-1,260 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — Higher Education Sector: Higher Education Sector (24 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1023 and 1033 together. The number of approved PLC places is set at its current level of 30,188 because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. Due to the difficult budgetary position, it was not possible to increase the number of places this year....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the Steering Committee to oversee the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, including the post primary scheme, has been established. The Steering Committee is looking at the original objectives of the scheme, whether these objectives remain valid today, the extent to which the objectives are being achieved and whether there are...

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison Scheme: Home-School Liaison Scheme (24 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: 6153Following the introduction of DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools), a commitment was given, as a concessionary measure, to Non DEIS schools in receipt of resources under pre-existing schemes, including the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) service, that they would retain a level of support in line with their size and disadvantage levels for the duration of the DEIS...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (24 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department funds a number of further education programmes that provide retraining and upskilling options for the unemployed. These are both full-time and part-time and are delivered through the Vocational Education Committees (VECs). The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second-chance education initiative for persons who are at least 21 years of age and more than six...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (24 Mar 2009)

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). DEIS brings together and builds upon a number of existing interventions in schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage. The process of identifying schools for...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that there are 2,628 post primary pupils availing of school transport services in County Clare. This figure is based on ticket requisitions at the 31st December 2008. The breakdown between junior and senior cycle pupils is not readily available.

FÁS Training Programmes. (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: There are no plans to alter the present arrangements in regard to the provision of education and training courses for recently unemployed workers. FÁS, in addition to its own delivery of courses, already contracts with other education and training providers for the provision of relevant courses. It should be noted that the additional places referred to by the Deputy are being provided by...

FÁS Training Programmes. (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I accept what the Deputy said about the challenges we face at this time because of the rise in unemployment. Further and higher education have a role to play as do FÁS and the training agencies generally. The 51,000 places announced by FÁS are part of the overall provision of 79,000 places provided by FÁS training services. This has come about in the main due to a change in the model...

FÁS Training Programmes. (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am responsible for the co-ordination of programme implementation across the Departments of Education and Science and Enterprise, Trade and Employment with the aim of progressing the lifelong learning agenda. In that regard, I ensured delivery to the target groups of relevant programmes across the two Departments and their relevant agencies and offices, including FÁS. That was a mouthful....

FÁS Training Programmes. (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: My role is to co-ordinate between the two Departments for the first time, in a very significant way, the provision of education and training. I believe we are making progress in that regard through the upskilling co-ordination group, which meets several times a year. I believe, because of the scarce resources which we are experiencing at the present time that we are, slowly but surely,...

FÁS Training Programmes. (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: That is recognised by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan and by myself, as a Minister of State at the Departments of Education and Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for lifelong learning. We are constantly reviewing the situation, with a view to coming forward with new initiatives and, generally speaking, to try...

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison Scheme: Home-School Liaison Scheme (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: Following the introduction of DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools), a commitment was given, as a concessionary measure, to non DEIS schools in receipt of resources under pre-existing schemes, including the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) service, that they would retain a level of support in line with their size and disadvantage levels for the duration of the DEIS...

Written Answers — Further Education: Further Education (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: The overall number of approved PLC places is set at its current level of 30,188 because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. Due to the difficult budgetary position, it was not possible to increase the number of places this year. Any possible future increase would have to take...

Written Answers — National Skills Strategy: National Skills Strategy (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Interdepartmental Committee on the Implementation of the National Skills Strategy is chaired by Minister of State with responsibility for Lifelong Learning, Deputy Seán Haughey. The membership is comprised of the Secretaries General and other senior officials of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Education and Science. The Department of Finance is...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department has been informed by the Transport Liaison Officer (TLO) for City of Limerick that the majority of children availing of school transport in the Limerick City catchment area travel on Bus Éireann schedule road passenger services. These services are a feature of the school transport scheme. The TLO also informed my Department that the area referred to by the Deputy, in the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: The overall spend on school transport in 2009 is now estimated to be €194m — a reduction of €2m in the revised allocation as a result of efficiencies. This represents a significant increase of over €84m (over 77%) since 2004, up from €109.8m. The Deputy will be aware that the operation of the school transport scheme is a matter for Bus Eireann and routes are planned in an...

Seanad: Health Care Professionals Bodies (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will be taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the establishment of a system of statutory registration for 12 health and social care professions. This new system of statutory registration will apply to those in the 12 specified professions regardless of whether...

Seanad: Health Care Professionals Bodies (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will convey the Senator's suggestion to the Minister.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am back again.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position of Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen, County Galway. Modernising facilities in our existing building stock, as well as the need to respond to emerging needs in areas of rapid population...