Results 1,981-2,000 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (30 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: One of the main objectives of my Department's School Transport Scheme is to provide a basic level of service for children who live long distances from school, and who might otherwise experience difficulty in attending regularly. Children are eligible for Post Primary School Transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from, and are attending, their nearest education centre as determined...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: As the Deputy wil be aware, all VECs were invited to forward impact statements to my Department on the effect of the regression in the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) on PLC provision. Following the review of all impact statements received some alleviation of the reduction in teaching posts is being allowed to those VECs who were losing six or more posts as a transitional measure for the next...

Topical Issue Debate: Road Network (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I am taking this Topical Issues matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar. The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources and...

Topical Issue Debate: Road Network (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I repeat that the grants that were available towards regional and local roads in 2007 of just over €600 million have been reduced to €350 million. In times of severe economic challenge, one must prioritise what one feels is the best use of those scarce resources. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, and I would argue that the best use at this point in time is to maintain to an...

Topical Issue Debate: Cost of School Textbooks (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Deputy Maloney for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to clarify the position on the matter raised. The Minister and I are very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. Textbooks are a very important way in which students can be supported in their learning and the range and quality of textbooks has increased in recent years. Since...

Topical Issue Debate: Cost of School Textbooks (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I have outlined the steps the Minister has taken to reduce the burden on families imposed by the costs of textbooks. There are two key elements to the plan to reduce costs: to encourage schools to take up the book rental schemes and to make parents aware of how to play a part in establishing such schemes in their own schools, and to secure the agreement of the Irish Educational Publishers'...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: To answer Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question about the number of posts, we do not have that information to hand. I do not know if that was secured or sought from the VECs but we can determine if it was, and if the information is to hand, we can get it to the Deputy. The reason these alleviation posts were agreed to was to minimise the reduction in courses available, particularly to those...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: That is my understanding.

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I will quickly go through the detail for each individual VEC that submitted an application for alleviation. There are 25 posts nationwide, of which ten are for the City of Dublin VEC. Five posts are for the City of Cork VEC, three for Dún Laoghaire VEC and one post each for the VECs of County Cork, County Cavan, the city of Galway, County Louth, County Wicklow, County Dublin and the...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Impact statements on the effect of the regression in the pupil-teacher ratio for the post leaving certificate, PLC, programme were received from 17 vocational education committees, VEC. VECs reported in their impact statements that they would have difficulty reassigning surplus teachers and that their ability to provide new innovative courses would be limited. Some VECs who had been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: In regard to the cap, the vast majority of PLC colleges normally have enrolment rates far beyond their formal numbers. That flexibility will remain in place. The question of whether we can commit to increasing or decreasing the cap remains part of the upcoming budgetary processes for this and coming years. In regard to the special alleviation posts for City of Dublin VEC, these are ten...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: That certainly is not the intention.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The college referred to by the Deputy is operated as an approved post-leaving certificate, PLC, centre by City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee. My Department continues to facilitate, as an exceptional measure, the provision by this college of two courses accredited at level 8 on the national framework of qualifications. The CDVEC has been allowed, as a transitional measure, to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: In the first instance, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, and I made a commitment at the outset, when the pupil-teacher ratio changes were first announced, that we would actively engage and consult colleges of further education and VECs to allow for that transitionary period to occur before September of next year and for the system to respond as best it could, thereby suggesting to us the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The policy basis which informs my Department's education and training provision includes the National Skills Strategy, the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation, the Report of the Task Force on Innovation, the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. In addition to the wide range of cross-cutting policy structures and forums for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The impact statement forwarded to my Department by CDVEC outlined the effect the regression in the PLC pupil teacher ratio would have on its PLC provision. It sought to retain 13.33 posts of the 48 they were due to lose in order to minimise the impact of the reduction on learners and on the provision of courses. A review of all impact statements received was conducted having regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: From the outset of the scheme, the measurement of the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant education centre has been used to determine whether or not a child qualifies for school transport based on the distance criteria. To clarify, for measurement purposes this may be via either a pedestrian or vehicular route and the shortest route between home and school is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: The total number of approved places available nationwide under the PLC programme is 32,688. My Department is not in a position to increase this number as there is a continuing requirement to plan and control staff numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. The College referred to by the Deputy is operated as an approved Post Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: Dr. Padraig Kirk, CEO of County Louth VEC, submitted an impact statement to my Department on the effect of the regression in the pupil teacher ratio on PLC provision in his VEC. A review of all impact statements received was conducted having regard to the need to operate within overall budgetary constraints and the Employment Control Framework. As a result of this review some alleviation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Literacy Levels (28 May 2013)

Ciarán Cannon: I recognise that further education and training as it is currently delivered covers a broad spectrum that ranges from basic adult literacy and numeracy courses to courses that are certified at level 6 and above on the National Framework of Qualifications. Section 9 of the Bill provides that SOLAS, once established, will prepare and submit, to the Minister, a strategy in respect of further...