Results 3,081-3,100 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Health Service Staff (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to clarify the position regarding the operation of the general public sector moratorium in the health services. The Government has made clear that a critical part of its strategy to restore the public finances is the...

Health Service Staff (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I, too, wish to raise a point of order. The issue I have been asked to address reads as follows: "The continued embargo on recruitment in the HSE which is putting people's lives at risk."

Health Service Staff (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children and no indication was given to me of the issues the Deputy raised. I do not know what is the problem.

Health Service Staff (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I will do so and I will endeavour to obtain the information the Deputy seeks as there appears to be a misunderstanding, certainly as far as I am concerned.

Health Service Staff (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I sympathise with the sentiments expressed by the Deputy. The position is not satisfactory from my point of view either. The framework provides for a number of grades and posts that are exempt from the moratorium on recruitment and promotion. In addition, the HSE also has the capacity under the framework to fill some exceptions from the general moratorium provided it achieves the overall...

Health Services (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I am not sure I will be able to help the Deputy because the Minister for Health and Children has asked me to respond to the following motion which was raised on the Adjournment: "To call on the Minister for Health and Children to make a statement on the need to provide and maintain respite care services for families in need of respite." I have not been asked to respond on any issue related...

Health Services (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: That is not my problem. I have been asked to respond to a-----

Health Services (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: It is not my responsibility to select Adjournment matters or decide what matters may or may not be raised. I can only respond on behalf of a Minister to the Adjournment matter which has been selected.

Health Services (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: That is not well known to me.

School Transport (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: The school transport scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann on my Department's behalf, facilitates the transportation of over 125,000 children to primary and post-primary schools each day. School transport is a very significant operation involving about 42 million journeys and over 82 million kilometres on 6,000 routes every school year. The arrangements currently in place for school...

School Transport (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: The Deputy is aware that there was no increase in charges from 1998 until the third term of the 2007 to 2008 academic year. There were three increases following from that. I am not responsible for recent newspaper articles on the issue and the McCarthy report is freely available. It goes without saying that all aspects of that report will be considered by all Departments in the context of...

School Transport (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I assure the Deputy that I am deeply committed to the school transport scheme. I am putting that on the record in case there is any doubt.

School Transport (3 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I am delighted to hear it. There has been a suggestion that because I am a Dublin Deputy I would not have a feel for the scheme. It is a national scheme and I am totally committed to its aims and objectives. The Estimates process will be announced and commence in the course of the budgetary proceedings. I am aware of the feelings of parents on previous increases in school transport...

Seanad: Adult Education: Motion (2 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I welcome the opportunity once again to address the Seanad on the key issue of lifelong learning. I thank the Senators who have contributed so far for the informed nature of the debate and look forward to the contributions of the Senators who are due to speak. As Minister of State with responsibility for lifelong learning, I know there is growing awareness that education is a lifelong...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from her/his local post primary education centre. The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the catchment area in which they reside. However, children who are fully...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 521 together. The arrangements currently in place for school transport annual charges, namely €300 per eligible and concessionary post primary pupil, €200 for concessionary primary pupil, and a maximum family charge of €650 will remain in place for the 2010/2011 school year. The McCarthy report made recommendations to levy charges, at both...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: As the Deputy is aware Bus Eireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department. Bus Eireann has advised the Department that in response to the expressed wishes of many school bus drivers - both Bus Éireann and private contractor school bus drivers - who wanted to remain in the position upon reaching retirement age at sixty-five years, and following the advice of their...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Jun 2010)

Seán Haughey: The revised annual charges for school transport have been confined to eligible and concessionary post-primary children (€300) and primary children availing of concessionary transport (€200). Charges for school transport continue to be waived in the case of eligible post-primary children where the family is in possession of a valid medical card. Eligible children attending primary schools...

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

Seán Haughey: As the Deputy is aware, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, the review of the catchment boundaries formed part of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme. The report of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme is being finalised.

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (26 May 2010)

Seán Haughey: The achievement of high literacy and numeracy skills standards is one of the primary goals of education. High levels of literacy are essential to ensuring that everyone can participate educationally, economically and socially in our society. In general, schools have relatively low proportions of children with significant literacy difficulties as evidenced by Ireland's comparatively high...