Results 1,701-1,720 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (25 Mar 2010)

Seán Haughey: Due to industrial action on the part of some staff in the Department of Education and Science, I am not in a position to give the full details sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (30 Mar 2010)

Seán Haughey: My Department understands that the case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied is being appealed to the School Transport Appeals Board. The decision of the School Transport Appeals Board will be relayed directly to the family concerned. Questions Nos. 413 and 414 answered with Question No. 407.

Special Educational Needs: Motion. (31 Mar 2010)

Seán Haughey: I welcome the opportunity to contribute in support of the counter-motion. All Members of the House will acknowledge that many significant advances have been made in recent years, improving the lives of children with special needs and the lives of their families. There have been significant developments in special education since 1998 involving enhanced levels of provision, as well as new...

Special Educational Needs: Motion. (31 Mar 2010)

Seán Haughey: I only have two minutes left and there are important points I wish to make. For example, in the past year, more than 23,000 teacher training places in special education have been provided by the Special Education Support Service, a service established to provide expert support, professional development and training opportunities in special education for school staff. Some 100 teaching posts...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Mar 2010)

Seán Haughey: As the Deputy is aware, School Transport was approved by Government as a topic for inclusion as part of the 2009-2011 round of Value for Money Reviews. This review 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 possibilities for economies or efficiencies that would...

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (1 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: The 2006 Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy recommended that Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC) provision be reviewed. Subsequently, the 2008 Value for Money Review of the Youthreach and STTC programmes recommended the phasing out of the STTC programme over the medium to long term. It is on this basis that my Department has decided to phase out segregated...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (20 Apr 2010)

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 free school transport. If the Deputy wishes to provide the names and addresses of the pupils in question, I will request Bus Éireann to submit a report regarding their...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (20 Apr 2010)

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 action plan has been rolled out over the period since 2006. The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS, was managed by the...

Written Answers — Post-Leaving Certificate Courses: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (20 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: For the 2009/2010 academic year the number of approved PLC places available nationwide was 31,688 and this level of provision will be maintained for the 2010/2011 academic year. PLC places are allocated to providers, mainly VECs, on an annual basis following an application process. Further distribution of these places to their schools or colleges is a matter for each VEC. The...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (20 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: I wish to advise the Deputy that the matter raised by him in respect of a specific school transport arrangement is outside of the School Transport Scheme, operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (20 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: There were a total of 31,688 approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places available nationwide for 2009/2010 academic year, including an additional 1,500 places announced in the April 2009 Supplementary Budget. This level of provision is being maintained for the 2010/2011 academic year. As part of the annual application process for PLC places, VECs and other providers apply for sanction to...

Seanad: Inland Fisheries Bill 2009: Second Stage. (20 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: ): I am delighted to conclude the Second Stage debate in the Seanad and thank the Members of the House who contributed to the debate on the Bill and for their positive responses. I also thank the Senators for their agreement that this is an important Bill. Its main objective is to establish a single body, Inland Fisheries Ireland, which will be charged with the protection and conservation...

Nursing Home Subventions. (22 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: I will reply to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I thank Deputy Breen for raising the issue, which provides me with an opportunity to update the House on recent and proposed policy developments in services for older people. The Government is committed to supporting people in living in dignity and independence in...

Nursing Home Subventions. (22 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I thank Deputy Hayes for raising the issue. As they Deputy is aware, the nursing homes support scheme commenced on 27 October and the HSE is now processing applications under the scheme. The scheme is administered, and applications are processed, in accordance with...

Human Rights Issues. (22 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: I thank Deputy Chris Andrews for raising this matter and both Deputies for their contributions. I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin. The case to which the Deputies referred relates to five Cuban citizens, namely, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González, known as the Miami...

School Staffing. (22 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: I am replying to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Coughlan. I thank the Deputy for raising it and I will be glad to outline the general position regarding the supply teacher scheme at primary level. The scheme was initially set up at primary level over 15 years ago when schools had difficulty obtaining the services of...

School Staffing. (22 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: -----at all times in these schools in order to cover sick leave absences which may or may not arise. The supply teacher scheme will cease from the start of the 2010-2011 school year. It is expected that this will save €400,000 in 2010 and €1.1 million in a full year. The teachers concerned will be redeployed in accordance with the existing redeployment arrangements to other schools that...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (27 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: It is open to a person with a professional qualification to apply to attend a PLC programme to gain additional skills in order to enhance his/her prospects of gaining employment. The level of certification on completion of a PLC programme is generally at FETAC Level 5 or Level 6. PLC places are allocated by my Department to providers, mainly VECs. Applications for places on individual...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (27 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: In the school year 2008/2009 there were 712,945 pupils between the ages of five and sixteen attending primary and post-primary schools aided by this Department. This is the most recent year for which data are available. For children enrolled in such schools but who are unable to attend school for a variety of reasons such as a serious medical problem or where a child does not have a school...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (27 Apr 2010)

Seán Haughey: Bus Éireann is responsible for the day to day operation of school transport services throughout the country. This is a complex national operation supporting in the region of 65,000 post primary pupils, 52,000 primary and 8,000 special needs pupils. The number of Bus Éireann vehicles operating within the School Transport Scheme varies throughout the course of a school year. The following...