Results 1,521-1,540 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (19 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: The majority of schools include among their pupils, children with disadvantaged backgrounds. In general most schools address the individual needs of these children without recourse to additional targeted resources and supports. Evidence has shown however that disadvantage associated with poverty and social exclusion assumes a multiplier effect where the levels are highly concentrated in...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (19 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), is my Department's action plan for educational inclusion, and provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an 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...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the establishment and timetabling of school transport services. I have already informed the Deputy that the specialised nature of transport services for children with special needs includes both a home pick up and drop off which are designed to provide a safe and comfortable level of...

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

Seán Haughey: My Department's school transport section must be satisfied, in accordance with the terms of the scheme, that the pupil referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, attended the nearest recognised school that was resourced to meet his educational needs during the period in question. In this case, enquiries are on-going to establish the facts and a decision regarding the payment of a...

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

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 to 536, inclusive, together. The number of awards achieved by Travellers participating in the Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC) programme is set out in the attached table. This is based on an annual survey conducted of STTCs. The number of Travellers achieving these awards is not available. Travellers are a target group within the Back to...

Written Answers — Post-Leaving Certificate Courses: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (24 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme provides an integrated general education, vocational training and work experience programme for young people who have completed their Leaving Certificate and adults returning to education. There are 31,688 PLC places nationwide. Since its introduction in 1985, there has been a steady increase in older participants (age 21 and over) so that...

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

Seán Haughey: I advised the Deputy in a reply to a previous Parliamentary Question that a new annual charge was introduced with effect from the beginning of the 2009/10 school year. Receipts from charges represent about 6% of the overall cost of school transport. The allocation for 2009 is €192 million. In order to minimise the impact of the new annual charge of €300 - A maximum family rate of €650...

Seanad: Guardianship Payments (26 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the Adjournment and which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin. The original orphan's allowance scheme was set up in 1935 to support orphans where both parents were deceased. The definition of "orphan" has broadened considerably since. In 1995 it was extended to allow a claim on...

Seanad: Guardianship Payments (26 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will bring the Senator's contribution to the attention of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs with a view to having clarity brought to the issue.

Seanad: County Galway School Closure (26 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the Department's position on the provision of a new second level school at Kinvara, County Galway, and the model the school will follow. The position is that the patrons of the school in...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, who, unfortunately, cannot be present. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline the current position regarding the proposed building project for St. Francis College, Rochestown, County Cork. As the Senator will be aware, all applications...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2009)

Seán Haughey: I could not give that timeframe, except to say that the discussions are continuing, as the Senator knows. We will certainly endeavour to have the matter finalised as soon as possible.

Schools Building Projects. (1 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers has a complicated history from its inception as a small extension and refurbishment of the existing school through several revisions of the brief to its current brief, which is to provide a new eight-classroom school on a greenfield site. The fact that my Department has purchased a new greenfield site for the school demonstrates our...

Schools Building Projects. (1 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: In 2000, the board of management identified a site that was deemed suitable for the proposed new school building. The Department gave the board approval to acquire the site on the basis that the Minister would purchase it from the school's management subsequently. The vendor agreed in writing in a letter to the board of management to the sale of the site in 2003. In February 2005, however,...

Schools Building Projects. (1 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Department did not use stalling tactics. It is not the Department's policy. Projects are assessed each year in the context of the Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme. The project in question will be considered in this context in 2010. The school's rating is 2.2, but band ratings are considered on an ongoing basis and can change over the years. The...

Schools Building Projects. (1 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: As the Deputy will be aware, it must go through a number of subsequent stages, including stages 2(b), 3, 4 and 5, the last being the handing over of works.

Schools Building Projects. (1 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: These projects are considered in the context of the resources that are available to the Minister annually.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's student grant and free fees schemes, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants and free tuition fees where they satisfy the prescribed conditions of the individual schemes, including those relating to progression. In general, students who previously pursued a course of study are not eligible for grant assistance or...

Child Benefit: Motion (Resumed) (2 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the Labour Party motion on the subject of child benefit and to sum up the arguments in favour of the Government's counter-motion. As the Minister for Social and Family Affairs highlighted last night, the improvements that have been made in both child income supports and child care provision in recent years have been unprecedented. Since...

Child Benefit: Motion (Resumed) (2 Dec 2009)

Seán Haughey: A fraud and error strategy is also in place for returned forms. Child benefit is currently paid to all families, not just to those on low incomes. We appreciate it is important to different families for different reasons. As the Minister assured the House last night, the Government has considered all the issues associated with child benefit very carefully and I have no doubt the budget...