Results 3,421-3,440 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (6 Oct 2009)

Seán Haughey: The person referred to by the Deputy is participating in a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) course. VTOS participants are entitled to a training allowance at a rate equivalent to the maximum rate of unemployment benefit, plus a payment for an adult or child dependant, if appropriate. VTOS students also retain their social welfare secondary benefits and are eligible for meal...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 Oct 2009)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's School Transport scheme, a pupil with special needs is eligible for school transport if s/he is attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education and Science criteria. My Department has been advised that the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 Oct 2009)

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 (24 Sep 2009)

Seán Haughey: Coola Post Primary School, Co. Sligo. School finishes at 3.45 p.m. Pupils have to wait at the school until 4.25 p.m for their bus service. This is causing much anxiety for parents especially as the Winter months approach. In the interests of health and safety and the security of the children involved this situation must be rectified as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Sep 2009)

Seán Haughey: Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. This involves a range of activities in relation to school bus routes including planning of routes, tendering arrangements, and negotiation of contracts with private operators. Each year, including this year, Bus Éireann placed general advertisements in the press inviting private operators who were interested in...

Seanad: Water Pollution (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Haughey: I, too, propose to leave a copy of my Department's reply for Senator Fitzgerald.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Sep 2009)

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. A service may be established where a sufficient number of eligible pupils, within an area, apply for transport to the post-primary centre of the catchment area in which they live. In a case where...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Sep 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department has requested Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, to submit a report on the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. A decision on the pupil's eligibility for school transport will be made on receipt of this report.

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (22 Sep 2009)

Seán Haughey: Funding in respect of 2008 and 2009 amounting to €62,000 and €64,000 respectively was allocated by my Department to the company referred to by the Deputy to provide performances on relevant topics and drama/arts workshops in disadvantaged schools in the area where the company is located. The company is among a number of Theatre and Arts Groups that received funding from my Department...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Sep 2009)

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 — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: Towards 2016 provided for an increase of 1,000 places on the Youthreach programme from 2007 to 2009. In 2007, funding was provided for 400 places and these were allocated to VECs. As a result there are almost 3,700 places available nationwide on the Youthreach programme in over 100 centres run by VECs. Due to the difficult budgetary position it has not been possible to allocate further...

Written Answers — DEIS Programme: DEIS Programme (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP). As a result of the identification and review processes, 876 schools have been included in the School Support Programme (SSP) under DEIS. These comprise 673 primary schools...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the National body with responsibility for school attendance. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The service has been developed incrementally, and, in April 2007, sanction was given to the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department provides for English language training for adult immigrants (English for Speakers of Other Languages, ESOL) through the adult literacy budget. Funds are allocated to VECs who are the main statutory providers of ESOL tuition. In 2008, over 12,500 learners availed of ESOL tuition, up from 6,000 in 2003. Over 61,000 participants have availed of English language tuition since 2003....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: A Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, including catchment boundaries, is currently being undertaken by my Department and is due to be completed by the end of the year. The Steering Committee of the 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...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: Adult Literacy services are funded by my Department through annual grants to the Vocational Education Committees (VECs), which deliver the services locally. Community groups and community development projects may also apply to their local VEC for funding to provide adult literacy tuition. The Adult Literacy service has expanded significantly in recent years from 5,000 participants in 1997 to...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) commenced in October 2002. It provides flexible, part-time options across Further Education and an opportunity to combine a return to learning with family, work and other responsibilities. It is aimed at adults with less than upper second level education, including unemployed adults. The Programme for Government (2007-2012) provided for an increase...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department is committed to encouraging and facilitating the participation of people with disabilities in Further Education by providing supports to enable their access to the various programmes on offer. The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) provides part-time Further Education programmes for adults to give them an opportunity to combine a return to learning with family, work and other...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am happy to reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, who unfortunately cannot be present. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position on the application to the Department of Education and Science from Ballinkillen national school in County Carlow for large-scale capital...

Seanad: Home Help Service (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will respond to Senator Doherty on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. I thank the Senator for raising this issue and thereby giving me an opportunity to reaffirm the Government's continued commitment to services for older people and, in particular, the important area of home help services. The Government's policy on older people involves supporting them to live...