Results 21,081-21,100 of 23,989 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (26 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that made returns to his Department indicating they had 20, 56, or 86 students at the end of September 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9790/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (26 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 264. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the application of a person who would be eligible for a medical card under EU regulations as a cross-border worker must be assessed under a household means test in order to clarify if the rest of the family qualifies for a medical card, even though the family do no wish to be considered for a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: Is that the HIQA review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: Will that review be published and made available to the family once it is completed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: The family wished and requested an independent investigation. Dr. O'Donnell is doing that investigation but there is also real concern among the family and the community as to what happened. In such a situation it is crucial that we ascertain what led to that delay, that it be published, that the community be aware of what happened and that it be clear what steps have been taken to address...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I mentioned the escalation process and it was referred to in the reply to a parliamentary question I asked about the particular case I mentioned regarding Mrs. Maura Porter. What escalation process is in place and can the witnesses elaborate on how that might assist in preventing such situations recurring?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Ambulance Response Times: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I join the other members in acknowledging the fantastic work of the ambulance service under difficult circumstances. I thank the witnesses for attending today to discuss the issue. I wish to raise an incident on 30 December 2013 which occurred outside Carndonagh in Donegal where Maura Porter was the subject of a road traffic accident and had to wait almost 50 minutes for an ambulance to be...

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: My understanding is that schools currently make returns to the Department in respect of the teachers they have employed, their subject areas and on what they spend their hours. In replies to parliamentary questions I have put to the Department, I have been told that there is a facility database which holds the information but that the policy of the Department is not to extract that type of...

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I will finish. The Minister outlined in his answer that he is leaving it to the schools. He suggested that it is their role to decide on the career guidance hours that each teacher should put in. However, I believe the Minister should also have a management role.

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister has the ability to access the specific information. I am calling for a response in this regard.

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I ask the Minister to get back to me with a clear answer. Does the Department currently gather the information? Is it, therefore, in the facility database? If that is the case, will the Minister make a policy decision to extract it in order that we can have that information?

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his reply. Deputy O'Sullivan outlined the impact of the guidance counsellor cuts in terms of the promotion of mental health. Another key role of the guidance counsellor is career guidance. The survey carried out by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors indicates that one-to-one time has dropped to 41% of what it was prior to the cuts, which is having a real impact....

Other Questions: Schools Guidance Counsellors (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make a policy decision to utilise the facility database in his Department, which is the database used by schools for making their returns, to determine if all post-primary schools are complying with the requirements of section 9(c) of the Education Act; the schools which employ a guidance counsellor with a qualification recognised...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: It is also clear that we have become a leader in the development of ICT services, and that is likely to continue. It is important we have teachers in the STEM subjects. It is important to identify the skills gap. If we are to attract new teachers to take up these types of positions, we must bear in mind that they will have many other opportunities available to them and will be subjected to...

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way his Department is preparing for the anticipated surge in pupil numbers at post-primary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9140/14]

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: What plans is the Department preparing for the anticipated surge in pupil numbers at post-primary level?

Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, NAPD, has raised serious concerns about the shortage of qualified teachers to deal with the soaring number of pupils that is expected to enter the second level system. The association's director, Mr. Clive Byrne, has predicted - I am sure the Minister will concur - a 15% increase in new students in six years' time. They are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: My question specifically asked the number of occasions on which the Minister has engaged with the teaching partners specifically on the issue of junior cycle reform. Junior cycle reform is something which, by and large, my party very much welcomes and had been involved with in the preparation for and the establishment of the working group. However, it is also something to which the Minister...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: It is not necessarily about moving slowly, given we would like to see reform progress. It is about moving together. My key complaint and problem with the way the Minister has handled this is that the movement has not been together. Progress and reform is to be done in partnership, not by directive. On the two occasions when the timeframe was set for junior cycle reform to roll out, it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Examinations Reviews (25 Feb 2014)

Charlie McConalogue: 102. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times and dates on which he has personally engaged in meetings with the teaching partners to discuss junior certificate reform proposals since becoming Minister; the status of progress on implementing the junior certificate reform programme; if he will commit to independent assessment of the new junior cycle student award as...