Results 3,441-3,460 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Seanad: Missing Persons. (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who is unable to be present due to other business. The joint Garda-HSE protocol referred to by the Senator sets out the roles and responsibilities of both agencies in relation to children missing from care. The joint aim of both organisations is to reduce the number of such cases, prevent them from suffering harm...

Seanad: Missing Persons. (9 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will endeavour to get the additional information for the Senator. I note her comments and will ensure they are considered by the relevant Ministers.

Seanad: Stardust Tragedy: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Senators for their contributions. We have had a very honest, reflective and constructive debate on this motion. I welcome that there is all-party support for it in this House. A number of Senators spoke and various issues were raised. Senator Quinn said he personally knew five of the victims and he spoke poignantly about that, for which I thank him. Senator Callely paid tribute...

Seanad: Stardust Tragedy: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I welcome the opportunity to move this important motion. The statement before us complements the motion passed in the Dáil earlier this year and is in keeping with the recommendations made by Mr. Paul Coffey SC, who carried out the independent examination of the case made by the Stardust Victims Committee. The horrific events...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The National Council for Special Education has responsibility, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for the establishment of special education facilities and for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. Under the terms of the school transport scheme for children with special needs, a child is...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (8 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 546 together. The posts referred to by the Deputy are subject to the moratorium on recruitment and promotion applicable to the civil and public service and my Department does not have any authority to approve the filling of the posts. On 30 March 2009, the Department issued Circular 23/2009 - Implementation of Moratorium on Recruitment and Promotions...

Institutional Child Abuse Bill 2009: Second Stage (7 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: With the agreement of the House I will take an extra minute in addition to the five minutes available to me.

Institutional Child Abuse Bill 2009: Second Stage (7 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: There are a few other outstanding issues I want to deal with. The Bill seeks to remove section 28(6) of the current legislation. Deputy Quinn, in a statement issued on Thursday, 18 June, and again tonight, suggested that this section effectively prohibited applicants from recounting the stories of their childhood. That is simply not the case. This provision was originally included in the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Jul 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. Only children who meet the full Department...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme pupils are eligible for transport if they reside 4.8 kilometres or more from and are attending their appropriate post primary centre. My Department has requested the Transport Liaison Officer for County Mayo to provide a report on the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. The Deputy should be aware that only...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme pupils are eligible for free school transport if they reside 3.2 kilometres or more from and are attending their nearest school or school of amalgamation. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, have advised that a school transport service, catering for eligible pupils, is operating to the...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (7 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The latest report entitled "Retention Rates of Pupils in Second-Level Schools 1999 Cohort" which is available on my Department's website at the following address: www.education.ie under Statistics contains details in tabular form on the numbers of students failing to complete the Leaving Certificate in 2005. Data showing the proportions of students dropping out by County are available in...

School Closures. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: As the Minister indicated to the Deputy on 23 June 2009, the patrons of the school in question have informed my Department that they will be closing the existing school in 2012. When trustees or a patron body decide to close a school, the Department's main concern is to ensure that the best interests of the pupils are looked after and that there will be sufficient student places in existing...

School Closures. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Deputy for his interest in this issue. I acknowledge his role in finding a solution. Consultation on the lease is continuing and I hope this leasing arrangement can be put in place by 1 September, provided we can get agreement following consultation with all the stakeholders. Consultation is also taking place regarding the trustees and until we finalise the discussions on the...

School Closures. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Department is hopeful that the lease issue will be finalised in time for the coming academic year, commencing on 1 September. While the Deputy did not raise the following issue in his question, the commission on school accommodation has recommended a new school building and that issue and others such as whether it will be a coeducational school, patronage and the number of possible...

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP, has been in existence since 1994 and its introduction was designed to enhance the vocational dimension of the leaving certificate. This two-year programme combines the traditional academic strengths of the leaving certificate with a focus on self-directed learning, enterprise, work and the community which are included in the link modules....

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: A number of schools involved have been visited by the relevant professional development support service to discuss their proposed participation in the programme. Some schools have expressed an interest in providing the programme from within their existing staffing levels. Given that during the years approval was given regularly to schools wishing to introduce the leaving certificate...

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: The programme will continue to be provided by 508 second level schools.

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. (2 Jul 2009)

Seán Haughey: We are dealing with ten applicant schools. In the current difficult financial position the priority is to maintain existing services, that is fair to say across the Department, rather than to expand. I do not have responsibility for the area in the Department; it was a decision made by the Minister in consultation with departmental officials. It was one that was necessary, however, given...