Results 22,381-22,400 of 24,092 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Other Questions: Education Funding (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his reply. During Private Members' time last week and on Friday my party brought forward, with the support of the other Opposition parties and I thank Deputy O'Brien for his party's support, a proposal to require the Minister and the Department to ensure an impact assessment is done in advance of introducing budgetary measures which impact on education. The Minister...

Other Questions: National Procurement Service (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I appreciate the Minister's response and his willingness to engage on this issue to ensure a common sense approach is taken to it. I acknowledge that savings can be made in terms of national procurement deals. However, it is important the Minister is willing to engage with small business providers in this regard and that it is made clear in the departmental guidelines and circulars to...

Other Questions: National Procurement Service (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I have a specific personal interest in this matter. I am sure the Minister has received representations from different parts of the country already. This move is causing considerable concern among small stationery retailers in towns and villages throughout the country for whom a substantial part of their business is supplying their local schools and educational institutions. If this...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for his response. While the EPSEN Act 2004 remains the milestone in the provision of statutory rights for children with special educational needs, there is a significant number of sections within the Act that have yet to be commenced, particularly on individual education plans. I point out to the Minister that the programme for Government committed to publishing a...

Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: It is crucial that the Minister tries to pursue the matter as promptly as possible. I understand the resource implications involved but in line with the policy objectives that have been set out since 2004, it is crucial the Minister prioritises it to ensure that children from a young age are given the assistance they need to develop as individuals. When anyone elected to this House was...

Other Questions: Croke Park Agreement Review (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: There is undoubtedly a high demand for training places in third level colleges, and that is reflected in the numbers of young people who want to enter the teaching profession. We must ensure we retain those people in the country and that teaching is the sort of profession they want to stay in and perform well in. Our education system will be much better off as a result. We saw the...

Other Questions: Croke Park Agreement Review (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for that response. Over the past year, we have seen the emergence of a two-tier system in the teaching profession. Teachers who qualified as recently as 2010 and are on starting salaries, including allowances, of €39,000 are now teaching alongside newly qualified teachers who are on the new pay scale of €30,000, some 30% less than their colleagues. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teacher Redeployment (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: Since the Minister introduced the cut to guidance counselling services last year, the service in schools throughout the country has been decimated. That was shown clearly by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors survey last week which showed that one-to-one time with students is down 50%, or halved. It also showed that guidance services in 13% of cases are being provided by unqualified...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teacher Redeployment (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: If the Minister had taken the time to meet with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, he might have received that feedback in the last week or so. As I pointed out, its survey shows that one-to-one time with students is down by 50%. There is a crisis among our young people at present with mental health issues. It impacts on a small percentage of students but there are far more factors and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Teacher Redeployment (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has met with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors to discuss the issues that emerged from a recent survey by the IGC in particular the impact of cuts to disadvantaged schools and the reduction in one to one counselling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2840/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: Again, I ask the Minister to provide the updated figure on the number of grants that have been paid at this stage. The Minister indicated prior to Christmas that he expected 90% of the total students who will receive a grant to be paid before Christmas. As I noted in early January, only half of this group had been paid their grants at that point. It is unacceptable that Deputies are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects the problems with student grants to be resolved and all students who have qualified to be in receipt of their grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2839/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister has not given an update on the number of students who have been paid the grants. Whenever the issue has been raised in the Dáil, including a Private Members' motion on 12 November, the Minister apologised to students and gave an assurance that over 90% of those who applied to SUSI and expected to be paid would be paid by Christmas. The reality was somewhat different and,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: That is a further failure some two months from the Minister's apology, with only half of the people having been paid. There is a constant tenor running through the responses from the Department and the Minister on the issue over the past few months that what is happening is similar to what happened in other years. The Minister tried to give this impression again today when he stated this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will publish in full the results of the 38 parental surveys on patronage; the number of schools that he expects to be divested from the catholic church this year and transferred to new patronage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2713/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staffing (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 263. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when changes to maternity and adoptive leave for teachers and special needs assistants will come into effect; if this will apply only to teachers taking maternity leave after a specified date or will it apply to teachers currently out on maternity leave; the number of teachers that will be affected by these changes; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Invalidity Pension Application Numbers (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 346. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for invalidity pension that are currently waiting to be processed; the timescale for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2556/13]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Application Numbers (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 347. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for carer's allowance that are currently waiting to be processed; the timescale for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2557/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (22 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: 621. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Donegal who have had their medical cards withdrawn following reviews by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service of the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2732/13]

Education (Resource Allocation) Bill 2012: Second Stage (18 Jan 2013)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank all speakers for their contributions to the debate on the Bill, including Deputies O’Brien and McGrath and the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Cannon. Deputies O’Brien and McGrath supported it, for which I am grateful to them. Deputy O’Brien mentioned how the PLC system might work. We could consider that issue-----