Results 1,281-1,300 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Apprenticeship Programmes: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that the FÁS Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme was introduced in 2010 to provide support to redundant apprentices to complete their on-the-job training with assessments at Phases 3,5 and 7 of their 4 year apprenticeship programme with a FÁS approved employer. The minimum duration for each on-the-job phase is 26 weeks for Phase 3 and Phase 5 with 12 weeks for Phase 7. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Following the Government Decision to create SOLAS, an Implementation Group was set up to establish SOLAS, the objective of the Group is to drive the implementation process forward. The Heads of a Bill for the establishment of SOLAS have been approved by Government and referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting purposes. The Bill will, inter alia, provide for the...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Following the Government Decision to create SOLAS, an Implementation Group was set up to establish SOLAS. Its membership includes representatives from the Department of Education and Skills, FÁS, the Irish Vocational Education Association, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of the Taoiseach, and a representative from the private training sector. The objective of the Group...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The charge for children who are eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme will be €100 per annum for the 2012/13 school year; the charge for children availing of transport on a concessionary basis will also be €100 per annum for the next school year. The corresponding charges for the last school year were €50 and €200...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: One of the main objectives of the School Transport Scheme is to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible children 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. In this regard, Bus Éireann generally plan and timetable school transport services for children who are in attendance...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Changes to my Department's Primary and Post Primary School Transport Schemes, for 2012/13 school year, mean that eligibility for school transport will be confined to those children who meet the distance eligibility criterion and are attending their nearest school, having regard to ethos and language. Existing eligible children who may not be attending their nearest school will retain their...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Jul 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 deliver...

Written Answers — Cross-Border Training Initiatives: Cross-Border Training Initiatives (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: FÁS continues to co-operate with the training authorities in Northern Ireland to pursue possible potential savings through the implementation of joint training courses for the unemployed in border areas. An example of one such programme would be the Wider Horizons Programme. The programme aims to enhance employment opportunities by providing vocational training, work experience and...

Seanad: Flood Relief (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Clune for raising this matter. The Government recognises the plight and devastation that the recent floods brought to homes and families in various parts of Cork. I have significant experience of similar flooding in my own area of east Galway. In recognition of the severity of the situation, the Government has announced the extension of the humanitarian assistance scheme to...

Seanad: Employment Support Services (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Mooney for raising this matter. Education has an important role to play in the economic recovery of this country. I, therefore, welcome this debate on how the education system can contribute most effectively to this recovery. There is considerable investment by the Department in language provision. At primary level, the Department's policy, as detailed in the Government's...

Seanad: Employment Support Services (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Mooney and concur with the points he made. Leaders of enterprises who have pointed out particular skills shortages consistently argue that to be an effective member of their teams in centres such as those operated by PayPal, TalkTalk and Hewlett Packard in my home city of Galway, employees must have a high level of proficiency and fluency in a foreign language. They must...

Seanad: Mutual Recognition of Driving Licences (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am taking this adjournment debate on behalf on my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, who unfortunately cannot attend the Chamber this evening. I thank Senator Daly for the opportunity to address this issue today. The Minister is aware that concerns have been raised that Irish citizens in Canada are unable to drive there on their Irish driving...

Seanad: Mutual Recognition of Driving Licences (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: It is important to point out that engagement with the provincial authorities has begun and is ongoing. I concur with Senator Daly that it should not take too long to reach a conclusion, considering the history that exists between the UK and Canada and the two systems being quite similar.

Seanad: School Transport (19 Jul 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Conway for raising this matter today. As he is aware, school transport is a significant operation, managed by Bus Éireann on the Department's behalf and covering over 82 million km annually. In the region of 113,000 children, including more than 8,000 children with special needs, are transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary...

Topical Issue Debate: Thalidomide Victim Compensation (18 Sep 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am pleased to take this opportunity to outline, on behalf of the Minister for Health, the Government's position on the Irish survivors of thalidomide. The commitment in the programme for Government is to reopen discussions with survivors and this is what the Government is committed to doing. The Government recognises the challenges that persist for thalidomide survivors as they get older....

Topical Issue Debate: Thalidomide Victim Compensation (18 Sep 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I certainly undertake to pass on Deputy Donohoe's concerns to the Minister. I again assure him that at this point, the Minister's principal concern is to provide a health care package, as well as meaningful discussions on what he describes as a financial gesture of goodwill. I would be interested to hear what Deputy Donohoe's alternative wording might be for this gesture for the survivors....

Topical Issue Debate: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I am taking this important matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, and I thank Deputy McConalogue for raising it. The Deputy is referring to a recent announcement by Bank of Ireland regarding its postgraduate loan initiative for current and prospective students, providing finance for fees and living costs. The approach to dealing with the current...

Topical Issue Debate: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (18 Sep 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The current variable interest rate of 10.8% APR is below the existing standard unsecured personal loan rates, which are 14.8% APR for a loan of less than €5,000 and also below the existing standard student loan rate of 11.9% APR. If, as the Deputy has said, credit unions are offering rates substantially lower than the 10.8% offered by Bank of Ireland, I am sure postgraduate students...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Sep 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising this matter which provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects over the next five years and specifically the procedures for tendering public works contracts to meet the projected demographic need during this period. The Deputy will be aware of the context within which...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (18 Sep 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I will briefly outline for the Deputy the process by which this particular contractor was appointed. Initially, nine contractors submitted tenders. The contractor appointed at the end of the process was deemed to have submitted the most economically advantageous tender. The design team engaged by the Department then undertook a serious due diligence of the tender before submitting their...