Results 1,421-1,440 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department. Routes are planned in such a way to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable standard of service with regard to pick-up points and travel and waiting times, while at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (6 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The recently published Education and Training Boards Bill 2012 sets out the functional areas for the proposed Education and Training Boards. Following the establishment of the Training Boards and SOLAS, it is intended that FÁS training centres and external facilities such as Community Training Centres will be transferred to the appropriate Education and Training Board on the basis of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: FÁS Training Programmes (8 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I have made enquires with FÁS training services and I understand that the person in question is currently on a waiting list for the access to offshore course in Donegal. Demand for this particular training course is very high and I am informed that there is a waiting list for the course, as a result. As with other individuals waiting for a training place on this course, the person in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: FÁS Training Programmes (13 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that in 2012, FÁS will deliver 29 training courses in Co. Meath as per the following table: Project Title Project Type Number of Participants Location Trim Forum for Employment Local Training Initiative (LTI) 12 Trim Navan Career Start LTI 16 Navan Tabor House LTI 14 Trim East Coast Career Opportunities LTI 14 Duleek Fresh Start National Learning Network Specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: FÁS Training Programmes (13 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the current Programme for Government 2011-2016, the Department of Education and Skills is committed to providing an additional 30,000 training and education places across the education and training system, distributed in line with the recommendations of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. With this commitment in mind, to-date my Department has created over 28,000 additional...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (13 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the current Programme for Government 2011-2016, the Department of Education and Skills is committed to providing an additional 30,000 training and education places across the education and training system, distributed in line with the recommendations of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. With this commitment in mind, to-date my Department has created over 28,000 additional...

Education Funding: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank all Deputies who contributed to the debate, which is focused for understandable reasons on the operation of the student grant system. It is important to reiterate that whatever delays have arisen, the decision to centralise the processing of student grants was and remains a solid decision. Maintaining a system of 66 separate grant-awarding bodies in the face of rising demand was not...

Education Funding: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: The Minister, Deputy Quinn, spoke again with the head of SUSI this morning and it remains the case that all staffing requests received from SUSI have already been granted. No new staffing request was received today. In total, there are now 96 staff working in SUSI and they are supported by 79 other staff working on document processing and queries from students. This is a combination of...

Education Funding: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Yes.

Education Funding: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: There are 96 staff working in SUSI, and they are supported by 79 other staff working on document processing and queries in general from students.

Education Funding: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: While the debate on this motion has understandably focused on the issues that have arisen in regard to SUSI, there are a number of broader questions contained in the motion tabled by Fianna Fáil. In its short 18 months in existence the Government has already established a strong track record in education, from protecting SNA and resource teacher numbers to ensuring that more than 40% of...

Education Funding: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: -----but standing still is never enough, and we are committed to reforming and improving our education system. A new national literacy and numeracy strategy was launched in 2011 to raise educational standards in primary and second level schools, and €6 million is being spent on the roll-out of that strategy this year. The recommendations of the forum on patronage and pluralism in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme 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 retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport schemes on behalf of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (15 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: There are currently a total of 32,688 approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places available nationwide. These places are allocated to providers, mainly VECs, but also some voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive schools, on an annual basis, following an application process. In Co Kildare the VEC is the sole provider of PLC courses and they received an allocation of PLC...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department funds a range of further education and training programmes that offer guidance, access, transfer and progression opportunities for learners, involving 300,000 places. In addition to the provision of programmes, my Department and the Department of Social Protection support learners attending courses through the provision of payments, allowances, and maintenance grants. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I have seen it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: I have read the document from AONTAS and I have substantial ongoing communication with AONTAS and also with NALA, another entity involved in adult education. Both organisations were involved in feeding information into the reform process outlined by Deputy O'Brien. We were careful in the preparation of last year's and this year's budgets to ensure the spend in the area is protected as much...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Ciarán Cannon: One of the most informative meetings I have had as Minister of State with responsibility for this area was a learners' forum organised by AONTAS six months ago where we spent the morning discussing with learners their needs and aspirations for what they want to achieve through interacting with the State and the learning supports it offers. The intention of SOLAS in the future is that the...